oh, com'mon! you're a fallen sinner!

I got pretty uptight yesterday when I read an open letter in our local newspaper. It read,

"To the police departments of this nation I say: Though your eye seeks justice there is destruction in your wake. We've been using punishment for 2,000 years now. It does not work. If it worked we'd have no criminals. Damage pays for damage pays for damage until all you see is damage. Vengeance does not stop the battle, it starts the war."

I'll spare the author's name.

I mean, seriously? SERIOUSLY? I don't even know how to start an actual critique of this comment; looking past the authors obviously misplaced blame (addressing the police departments - not even the originators of punishments, merely the enforcers!), lack of respect for the brave and courageous public officers, clear lack of understanding of time (we've only been using punishment since the time of Christ?), and weird almost-quoting of Scripture (or something), I'm just dumbfounded by the sheer lack of understanding.

The author says that if our punishment system "worked," it would result in zero crime. Yes, I think that criminal law is on one level a deterrent, but on a completely different level it is punishment. Punishment for wrongs committed.

I'm so confused right now. What does this author expect? That we can stop punishing crime and wrongdoing and have it go away? Replace it? Replace it with what? Reward? Education? Ska music? Wouldn't that be a cruel and unusual punishment?

The reality is that our sin nature makes whatever type of misinformed and naive idealism this author carries about absolutely pointless. The simple and unfortunate reality is that without regeneration, humans will always sin.

We always will. This author will, I will, and you will. No amount of deterrent - no amount of punishment can stop that reality. The only hope for a sinless nation is a nation completely regenerated through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

One last point: to imply that punishment is akin to vengeance as this author does, is ludicrous. Would you accuse me of taking vengeance on my daughters when I discipline them? I should hope not. In fact, is this author a parent? Because then she should be able to know how ridiculous her post is.