Abusive authority.

There's another thin line in relational integrity. Like others it is often blurred by events and circumstances that reach explosive dimensions. In recent times crossing this thin line has been our interpretation of the events leading to the tragic death of George Floyd. Few of us have watched the video clip of his death without making assumptions about the police officers who have been charged. Vast opinion is that they crossed that thin line and were abusive in their attempt to arrest Mr. Floyd. It certainly appears that they were excessive in their tactics. In the larger picture, many Americans believe that people in authority are typically brutal in exercising their powers, especially when exerting authority over minority populations.

Before advancing these thoughts let me add a couple of footnotes.

1. George Floyd's death was a horrible, seemingly unnecessary punishment. It is true that Mr. Floyd had some criminal history. Still, who among us would sanction death for his more recent crime of forgery? It was shameful and disappointing in every consideration.

2. Resisting arrest is in itself a criminal offense. The officers involved were attempting to arrest Mr. Floyd for purchasing cigarettes with what was thought to be a counterfeit $20 bill. Before he fell to the ground the officer handcuffed him, then placed his knee on Mr. Foster's neck for over eight minutes.

3. The officers persisted in their effort to subdue Mr. Floyd even after he told them he could not breathe.

4. He died at the hospital from injuries received in the arrest.

5. I have never been threatened by police or had a gun pointed at me. Having never served in the military I have not been in combat or personally in danger from any authority. Therefore, I cannot fathom the danger Mr. Floyd or the officers felt as the arrest occurred. Many police officers have been members and leaders in the four church I served for over forty years. None of them were thought to be abusive in their careers. What triggered the heavy handed actions against Mr. Floyd is beyond me. I do know that dangerous situations often amplify our human responses.

Whether their actions were abusive or intentional will be for the courts to decide. The court of public opinion, and the local magistrates, as well, certainly saw mistreatment in their attempts to arrest him. The weight of public opinion seems to be driving the application of law. And, that is an additional troubling factor. Public opinion shouldn't be the decisive factor in legal matters.

The Christian worldview through which I filter most life realities certainly speaks to the issues of abusive authority and public opinion. Even in biblical times powerful people in government or religion often practiced cruel and unusual treatment of those entrusted to their care. Leaders often fulfilled their duties at the urging of the crowd, like in the crucifixion of Jesus. Scripture speaks clearly about Christian submissiveness to government authority. There are also many Bible references about those who would use their powers in wrongful ways or impose authority based on what the public expected. Here is a very small sampling of the many Scriptures about them---

The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the injured you have

not bound up, the strayed you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought,

and with force and harshness you have ruled them.

Ezekiel 34: 4, ESV

Do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor, and let none of

you devise evil against another in your heart.

Zechariah 7: 10, ESV

So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of

Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock

of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as

God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in

your charge, but being examples to the flock.

1 Peter 5: 2-3, ESV

You shall not fall in with the many to do evil, nor shall you bear witness in a lawsuit,

siding with the many, so as to pervert justice.

Exodus 23: 2, ESV

Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of the

Lord and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice.

1 Samuel 15: 24, ESV

Then the captain went along with the officers and proceeded to bring them back

without violence (for they were afraid of the people, that they might be stoned).

Acts 5: 26, ESV

Of course, these Scriptures don't address the specifics applicable to the killing of George Floyd. They do, however, speak to the larger issues of abusive authority and governance by public opinion. The law is the law and should be applied. Abuse of authority, whether in church, government, or the home is a disgrace in "One Nation Under God", the " land of the free and the home of the brave". So, is the rule of public opinion.

Abusive authority crosses that other thin line and should not be tolerated by Americans. Our legal system should guide us, regardless of public opinion. The lynch mob is no longer how we enforce the law.

Tomorrow, the bigger picture.

https://www.123rf.com/stock-photo/george_floyd.html?oriSearch=protest+about+the+killing+of+george+floyd&sti=lxwdpkdj7oukhiccyh|&mediapopup=148280977

The thin line between rights and crime

Even in the crib most of us know about crossing the thin line between our privileges into the regions of disobedience. Stretching our personal rights is one of those personal autonomy things registered in our free will. Even sweet, yielded children are wired to do their own thing regardless of the rules established for our well-being. As we age and grow these infractions take on more serious boldness and consequences. The degrees to which we'll stretch personal boundaries has been one of the more shocking truths in the aftermath of the George Floyd killing. It's nothing new. We've witnessed many similar occurrences, when we humans will cross that thin line and enter the world of criminal behavior.

The First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States covers a lot of ground in establishing our personal rights.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the

free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of

the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of

grievances.

The "right of the people peaceably to assemble" opens the door to protests against perceived intrusions of the government in our personal freedoms. Throughout our national epoch Americans have gathered to protest injustice, issues critical to segments of the population, and events deemed harmful by our diverse factions. Our people have protested voting rights, government prohibitions, police brutality, racial prejudice, and any number of legal or social issues affecting portions of our populace. Many instances record people crossing the thin line separating lawful protest from criminal behavior. That has been clearly obvious in recent weeks. We've seen the horrible video recordings of massive looting, destruction of business and personal property, burning of buildings, defacing monuments, advances against official government headquarters, and even attacks against police and safety personnel. They are tragic and sad evidences of our daring challenges to that thin line between rights and crime.

Of course the Christian or biblical worldview addresses this illegal behavior. Up front is the instruction of Romans 13. Christians are expected to submit and honor those in official capacities and their rulings for the common good. The Apostle Paul wrote---

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except

from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists

the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur

judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no

fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his

approval, for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he

does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries

out God's wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to

avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience. For because of this you also pay

taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. Pay to all

what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is

owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.

Romans 13: 1-7, ESV

The American system of law and justice was established by our founders on these biblical precepts. As law they should be honored by everyone holding citizenship. Crossing that thin line between our rights and criminal responses should be anathema to every American. We should expect authorities to enforce these abuses. Even more, our population should weigh our disdain of such illegal behavior when we go to the polls at election time.

Today some elements of our society are attempting to abandon our police departments and legal authorities because of the actions of those who cross that thin line, millions of them. We citizens should stand with those entrusted with the care and safety of our people. And, we should obey those restrictions that keep us on the right side of that thin line.

https://www.123rf.com/stock-photo/george_floyd.html?oriSearch=protest+about+the+killing+of+george+floyd&sti=lxwdpkdj7oukhiccyh|&mediapopup=148280977

Rights...and lefts.

Human rights predates official government sanction by a few thousand years. Much of the ancient Jewish law and the New Covenant under Jesus Christ were codification of relationships among the human species, created in the imago dei, the image of God. Sinful humans, loved and valued by our Sovereign God to the person, knew many violations of relational integrity. Hatred, anger, killing, vile behavior and language, and many other personal sins were evident in those earliest years after creation. These sinful actions toward other humans were more than a breach of basic human rights. They were infractions against God.

Clans, tribes, communities, villages, and nations ultimately became the habitat of our species. Rules and laws were adopted to provide a livable framework for the common good of the people who occupied them. In our own nation The Constitution of the United States was adopted by our new government in 1788. Since the Constitution originally proposed few human rights articles, South Carolinian Charles Pinckney presented several items considered more rights oriented. His first enumeration of them were articles assuring the freedom of the press and freedom of citizens from quartering of soldiers in private homes. They were initially disapproved. After much debate The Bill of Rights, the first ten amendments of our Constitution, were approved. If you would like to read a great article about our Bill of Rights, please click here.

So, in our government system, these rights guarantee our freedom of religion, freedom of speech (now freedom of expression), freedom to bear arms, rights of assembly and protest, rights of a speedy trial, the right to trail by jury, freedom from cruel and unusual punishment, and several others related to protection from government intrusion. In total, this Constitution has been amended 27 times in further protection of basic human rights. Over the years, in times of human difficulty, these rights have become a basic response of citizens from each other and government excess in guiding the nation.

Currently, in the aftermath of the killing of George Floyd these rights have been utilized and stretched to permit behaviors that seem so contrary to their intent. Even more, certain elements of the population have lobbied for extensions of these basic rights---rights of free education, health insurance, citizenship requirements, the right to vote for illegal residents, and many other liberal and progressive ideas of human rights adjustments. We have the Bill of Rights, 27 amendments, and now, a few lefts in our governing principles.

Please forgive my biblical and Christian worldview assessment of our obsessive handling of human rights in the current milieu. They remind me of a time in human history when people had turned from their basic legal precedents to matters beyond the scope of the rights guaranteed by God. The author of Genesis wrote it his way---

The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every

intention of the thought of his heart was on evil continually. And the Lord regretted that

he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart.

Genesis 6: 5-6, ESV

You know, the flood epic. This may seem an extreme comparison. The truth is, however, we humans are never satisfied to live according to God's plan. We have to modify and impose further restrictions or expansion of our basic rights. There is never enough. Yes, we humans do practice the evils of hatred, anger, prejudice, mistreatment of others, and many sinful thoughts and actions against fellow humans. The poor, aliens, minorities, differing lifestyles, and many other distinctions draw out our dark sides. But, continually imposing limitations and unnecessary extension of human rights, especially through government fiat, is not the answer. When we we ever learn that we cannot legislate morality, decency, respectful behavior, or kindness.

What is the solution to the awful mess we've created? It is that we humans learn again the necessity of living this life as God planned it. Our answers aren't in the halls of Congress or state houses. They are in our places of worship and homes. We can live decently, with respect for one another, without government dictate. Our nation was founded on Christian principles. If we live those precepts in daily life. we together can insure that human rights are guaranteed for every human being, without more complicated rights, or lefts.

https://www.123rf.com/stock-photo/george_floyd.html?oriSearch=protest+about+the+killing+of+george+floyd&sti=lxwdpkdj7oukhiccyh|&mediapopup=148280977