Living Without Justice

American Thinker.com ^ | October 22, 2020 | Deana Chadwell

[Kaslin]

Justice may well be the very first inkling of moral law that blossoms in the human soul. Siblings at a very young age are quick to note discrepancies in parental approbation, quick to recognize any inconsistencies in rewards and punishments, quick to imagine any injustice. As I write this I’m remembering my youngest granddaughter at a mere 18 months of age, tearfully objecting to her sister enjoying a lollypop -- “Julia lolly!” Her sister had saved hers from the night before; Violet had wolfed hers down, so she had no case to prosecute, but she certainly thought she did; her moral conviction was strong.

That sense of moral outrage never leaves us; it is as inherent in the human character as is the love of beauty and the need for affection. Governments exist partly to protect us from outside invaders, but more importantly to dole out justice -- to punish those who break both natural and cultural laws. That’s why we have police, why we have codified laws, why we have juries, lawyers, and prisons. Our internal compass demands that evil be held accountable.

Justice is the point at which we homo sapiens connect with God. We were created in His image, and God is perfect Justice, but the Fall, Adam and Eve’s disastrous decision, left us all with a disease of the soul that’s worse than anything COVID can do to the body. Until we agree to accept God’s arrangement for our forgiveness we are out here in a justice-deficient zone, and no amount of law will create even a reasonable facsimile.

Law can, however, keep things semi-manageable, if -- and this has turned out to be a big “if” – if those impacted by the laws of the land respect that law.