Posted by
peripheral on Saturday, October 04, 2008 7:53:20 AM
From My Perspective - - -
There is growing evidence that our nation is
becoming more litigious-oriented in recent times. The number of “Judge…Shows”
on television is just a small indicator that serves as a commentary on the
times in which we live and the things for which one has the sense and desire to
“sue” (litigate against) someone else. Sometimes there is legitimacy in such
actions, but many times it is frivolous and a form of retaliation against
another individual or organization. The following are two diverse thoughts to illustrate
our times - - -
First: It is interesting that in the midst of the
political and economic issues in our nation, a headline on the webpage of Fox
News indicates a lawsuit that is religious in nature against the President of
the United States.
The Headline reads (Madison,
Wisconsin: Friday, October 3rd):
“Atheists Sue President Over National Prayer Day”… The article states the
following: “The nation's largest group of
atheists and agnostics is suing President Bush, the governor of Wisconsin and other
officials over the federal law designating a National Day of Prayer.
The Freedom From
Religion Foundation based in Madison sued Friday
in U.S.
District Court, arguing that the President's mandated proclamations calling on
Americans to pray violates a constitutional ban on government officials
endorsing religion.” This group allows that: “The day of prayer, held each year
on the first Thursday of May, creates a hostile environment for nonbelievers,
who are made to feel as if they are political outsiders…” The Presidential
Proclamation issued in 2007 is mild and innocuous. It “…asked God's blessings
on our country and called for Americans to observe the day with appropriate
programs, ceremonies and activities.” It would be
interesting to see this group of Atheists and Agnostics focus – in a
non-litigious way - on other issues.
Second: An area of unconcern and neglect pertains to the
number of prisoners in our jails and penitentiaries, along with the ancillary
needs of the families of those incarcerated. A recent report indicates, “The United States
has less than 5 percent of the world's population. But it has almost 25 percent
of the world's prisoners…Criminologists
and legal scholars in other industrialized nations say they are mystified and
appalled by the number and length of American prison sentences. The United States has…2.3 million criminals behind
bars, more than any other nation…China,
which is four times more populous than the United States, is a distant second,
with 1.6 million people in prison. (That number excludes hundreds of thousands
of people held in administrative detention, most of them in China's
extrajudicial system of re-education through labor)…The United States comes in
first, too, on a more meaningful list from the prison studies center… It has
751 people in prison or jail for every 100,000 in population. (If you count
only adults, one in 100 Americans is locked up.) The only other major
industrialized nation that even comes close is Russia, with 627 prisoners for
every 100,000 people. The others have much lower rates. England's rate is 151; Germany's is 88; and Japan's is 63. The median among all
nations is about 125, roughly a sixth of the American rate.”
Summation: Many Atheists and
Agnostics are among the more intelligent and brilliant people in our nation. It
is surprising that they would subject themselves to being placed under a
Biblical observation and the indicting words, namely: (Psalm 14:1) “The fool
says in his heart, There is no God…” And then, there is the other consideration
of those incarcerated for various crimes. The Biblical recommendation/mandate
is, Hebrews 13:3 where we read: “Remember those who are in prison, as though in
prison with them, and those who are mistreated...” The context would suggest
these are the persecuted, etc. but a principle for care and outreach toward all
is also there.
Consider these things with me - - - Be a person who prays
always! Be a person of compassion for
those who have erred along the way. Perhaps your Prayer, Care and Compassion
would be the turning point for some wandering or searching soul. God will honor
such concern – rewarding you with blessing, and His own Great Name with Glory.