Legislating Righteousness

Many of the people in my generation grew up believing that it was a sin to dance, to drink a beer, to put a coin in a slot machine or buy a lottery ticket (well, they didn't have lottery tickets in my day but any kind of gambling was just "wrong"). Sometimes...if not commonly, opinions or beliefs become "laws". And when the error is discovered, instead of correcting the error..."adjustments" are made.

A good example...in the state of Oklahoma you can buy liquor..but not at a convenience store...they are limited to 3.2 % beer. So the beer they sell in convenience stores in Texas or Arkansas can be full strength...the beer companies have to make a separate product for Oklahoma and a few other states. Now you CAN buy whiskey or even full strength beer in Oklahoma...but only in a liquor store. Don't plan on bringing your lunch if you work in a liquor store though, unless its a lunch that doesn't need the icebox...no refrigerators are allowed, you can not buy full strength beer, or wine refrigerated. But thats not to say you can't buy a "frozen margarita"...you can, but not in a convenience store or liquor store...for that you must go to a restaurant/club.

What a crazy bunch of laws. Spin offs from the prohibition being repealed, but people thinking they gotta keep stuff under control to some degree!! Surely everybody realizes readily that if liquor stores were permitted to sell a refrigerated products...alcoholism would immediately spread like wildfire throughout the entire state of Oklahoma. And isn't it a total mystery how people are still able to be convicted of drunk driving with 3.2 beer? Does anybody actually believe that the 3.2 law is keeping somebody from becoming drunk? It just means it takes 7 beers to equal 6 regular beers... not much difference but it appeased some lawmaker or voting group at some point.

In all our opinions about what is "right" and "wrong" according to the Bible and making laws accordingly...do we realize that Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, Solomon, and a host of the great men of God in days gone by would today be locked up and charged with felony bigamy? That is true though...The teachings against polygamy don't come from the scriptures...even though the law is meant to be a "righteous" one, its actually derived from traditions established in the Romans days. But of course wouldn't Jesus Himself have been put in jail for making wine for the wedding or is that legal without a special license...the D.A. would have to decide that one.

If we really could ever see truth with both eyes open...wonder what all we would find we've really really screwed up in our misunderstandings? I'm mindful of the fact that it was the "cream of the crop" righteousness wise...that deemed Jesus to be so wrong when it came to obeying God that they yelled for His crucifixion. Absolutely amazing...but don't be discouraged. So even if we finally get our glasses cleaned and can see real truth, what God ACTUALLY DOES SAY...would we think Him Unrighteous? Ya, That is what John 1:1-18 says happened. Just amazing.

Personally I still believe we can know what the Bible actually says or doesn't say, but I also think it is VERY difficult to see it with our culturally trained presuppositions we wear like reading glasses. I can't help but wonder how very very different our life would be if we laid aside the foggy glasses and had plain pure truth. Would we like it? Or would we react like the Islamics who also think they know what is what and feel so strong about it they chop off body parts of offenders.

Yet it is my opinion that Truth is intended to be Known, comprehended, understood...I don't accept the lazy reaction of.."who can know it" or "who is to say this is right or this is wrong"..I have no doubt that in that good old book called "the Bible" we can find the truth. But do we really want to know it? Can we handle it?