A law against bias
On the second day of July in 1964, Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act. It was a law enacted to dissuade any racial discrimination at schools, workplaces, and places of transportation. How sad is it that it takes an act of Congress to pass a law making us treat people like human beings? Some people can be set in their ways, knowing only one way of doing things, and not being open to change in attitudes or beliefs. In what category would you find yourself today? Would you be someone who is tolerant of all people, or are you tolerant of only a few people? Have you found yourself changing your attitude as you gain wisdom, by living life, and seeing the roles played out in front of your very eyes?
One thing we have to be careful of when adapting new laws, is being sure they are written in a fashion where giving rights to one person does not allow it to take away the rights from another. I am speaking about the new laws that they have penned as anti-hate laws. These laws have been adopted to act in the same manner as the Civil Rights Bill, but the parameters of this bill are so vague, that if one person speaks against sin and for Christ, that is considered hate talk, and is then arrested, while yet another can speak in a worse manner, openly spewing hate and violence and it is considered their right to ‘freedom of speech’. So how do we go about making laws that are good and fair? What I am about to suggest to some of you may sound archaic, simplistic, or ideological. This would be to use the Bible as a guide line. The Bible has a broad spectrum of laws pertaining to just about everything, and if read diligently an answer can always be found for every situation. It is the most unbiased book ever written. Each and every person is judged on his own merits, his own speech, in his own way of treating others. No one is clumped together with a group, or any affiliation, the judgment is per person only. Our founding fathers were wise to use the standard of the Bible when writing our Declaration of Independence, and Constitution of the United States.
We are told in the Bible that: for God so loved the world that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life. This is an offer made per person, regardless of race, color, or creed. No laws are made that forces you into this, this decision is of your own free will. The outcome of your decision is what will decide your fate at the final judgment. The Bible being older than any laws made in this land, in its wisdom told us to love our neighbors as ourselves. There would be no such thing as civil unrest or laws controlling it, if we follow the simple commands in the Bible.
As parents it is important for us to teach our children how Jesus commanded us to live. First and foremost is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your mind, with all your soul, and with all your strength, second to this is love your neighbor as yourself. Some people have adopted what they like to call the ‘golden rule’ which simply stated; is do unto others as you would have others do unto you. In either scenario treating other people with kindness and love is what God commanded us to do and really solves the majority of the world’s problems.
We as authors can choose what kind of light to shine on racial unrest. We can come at this subject as victims, observers, or people with solutions. As I have said before we can be part of the problem or we can be part of the cure. Is your moral line an S with two lines through it, that is a question only you can answer?
Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour.
Leviticus 19:15
Thou shalt not wrest judgment; thou shalt not respect persons, neither take a gift: for a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous.
Deuteronomy 16:19
It is not good to accept the person of the wicked, to overthrow the righteous in judgment.
Proverbs 18:5
Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.
Proverbs 31:9
Let me not, I pray you, accept any man’s person, neither let me give flattering titles unto man.
Job 32:21