• Consider the different possibilities and Christian responses in this chapter,
and defend, in your initial post, a possible way to deal with minor drug
offenses that might be more effective than jail terms.
As I reflect on this question, I cannot help but to think about my experiences as a police
officer and the many lives that I encountered who were affected by addiction. I have taken
enforcement action against hundreds of people, some of which, were arrested and others
were simply cited. I have seen overdoses; abuse and neglect which resulted in placing the
addict's children into state custody; countless thefts, robberies, burglaries, and other
property crimes because of the stranglehold that addiction has on the lives of its victims. I
responded to overdoses on more than one occasion where an opiate addict was unconscious
and unresponsive, but we were able resuscitate them with Narcan only to have them turn
combative because we "stole" their high. In the latter, criminal charges were rarely filed,
but in many other situations, charges were filed which sometimes resulted in lengthy prison
sentences.
Maybe, it is the cynicism of a career in law-enforcement, but I tend to believe that
treatment and rehabilitation are mostly ineffective when dealing with addicts. I believe that
in order to see successful results, there must be "buy-in" from the addict. In other words, he
or she must be willing to change their lifestyle choices. In my opinion, too many people use
treatment or rehabilitation plans to manipulate something or someone, and once they get
their desired results, it all gets pushed aside and they fall back into their life of addiction
that leads them to a much more dangerous and reckless lifestyle. Conversely, there were
many others, who did not belong in jail because it would only make their situation worse.
As a police officer, those were the ones who I really wanted to help. e
Christian Responses
"The greatest contribution the Christian and the church can make toward deterrence is to
faithfully teach God's holy standards and God's holy judgment" [1]. Therefore, as a
Christian, my job is not to ridicule, reprimand, or remind the addict that what they are
doing is wrong because in most cases, they already know they are wrong. My job is to love
and teach them what it means to have a relationship with Christ--it is the Holy Spirit that
will transform and renew them.
As believers, we have all seen the meth-addict who was radically transformed by a
relationship with Christ because he surrounded himself with believers who showed him
love and encouragement; instead of, ridicule and shame. However, that does not mean that
a Christian should or will condone the unhealthy lifestyle of an addict. Sometimes, we must
demonstrate "tough love" and stand firm towards "right and wrong." According to
McQuilkin, acting from a posture of love can include reporting crimes to the police [2].
Furthermore, as a police officer, my job was to enforce the law, and until the laws change
towards drug use, addicts will continue to go to jail. At some point, there will come a time
when they no longer want to be in the justice system, so they will either change their
lifestyle, or they will get better at not getting caught. Of course, society would prefer the
lifestyle change, but several things need to happen first including changing their belief
systems about themselves. Those addicts that I know who have changed their behavior
started by changing their beliefs about their identity. Their identity is now in Christ and not
in the substance that controlled them.
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[1] Robertson McQuilkin, An Introduction to Biblical Ethics (Downers Grove, IL:
InterVarsity Press, 2014), 442.
[2] Ibid., 442.
