Since the events in the third chapter of Genesis, God’s children have had both a
sin problem and a crime problem.
God gave the first five books of the Bible to Moses to deliver to the Israelites and
throughout it spells out various crimes and punishments. d Some of these laws are
timeless for all generations such as murder (Ex. 20:13). d There are also others
that are largely irrelevant in 2021. d One example of this is found in Exodus 23:19
where is says, “Do not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.” d This originates
from a pagan ritual no longer in practice today that God wanted to keep the
Israelites from.
For each of these sins and crimes there was a punishment for the Israelites to
follow and carry out. Leviticus 20:10 makes it clear that a couple caught in the
act of adultery are to be put to death but in John 8:1-11 when a crowd is
attempting to stone a woman who committed this crime Jesus shows mercy. d
Since the man was nowhere to be found an exception was to be made and Jesus
changed her life for the better.
While we have no record of what happened to this woman afterwards, this is a
beautiful example of Jesus focusing on the person and not the crime. d It was
more important to Him that this woman understand forgiveness from her creator
and live her life carrying this freedom.
In today’s justice system we see many punishments carried out that seem too
harsh and do not work to rehabilitate the criminal.
McQuilkin and Copan give several examples of alternatives to sending criminals
to prison. d The point they make is, “that despite rampant violence, corruption,
drugs and homosexual activity in our prisons, we see no serious attempts at
prison reform.”[1] d I would also add to this that sending a non-violent criminal to
this kind of prison under such condition should be considered cruel and unusual.
Clearly the punishment does not fit the crime.
I agree with the authors regarding deprivation of privilege or monetary fines as a
better means of punishment, but I believe that some sort of rehabilitation
program should be implemented as well by a church or a sponsor.
In a Tim magazine article by Lauren-Brooke Eisen and Inimai Chettiar they state
that up to 39% of all American prisoners do not belong there. They state that,
“25% of prisoners (364,000 people), almost all non-violent, lower-level offenders,
would be better served by alternatives to incarceration such as treatment,
community service, or probation.” In addition to this they say, “another 14%
(212,000 prisoners) have already served long sentences for more serious crimes
and can be safely set free.”[2]
This statistic should be taken seriously and can save our country, government
and tax payers a lot of money, time and concern for our safety. d If we are still
dealing with adultery by stoning instead of a practice of showing a new way of
life and true rehabilitation we have mismanaged what we have been entrusted
with.
Bibliography
Eisen, Lauren-Brooke, and Innimai Chettiar. “39% of Prisoners Should Not Be in
Prison.” Time, December 9th, 2016. https://time.com/4596081/incarceration-
report/.
McQuilkin, J Robertson, and Paul Copan. An Introduction to Biblical Ethics: Walking
in the Way of Wisdom. third ed. Downers Grove, IL: IVP, an imprint of InterVarsity
Press, 2014.
[1] J Robertson McQuilkin and Paul Copan, An Introduction to Biblical Ethics:
Walking in the Way of Wisdom, third ed. (Downers Grove, IL: IVP, an imprint of
InterVarsity Press, 2014), 436.
[2] Lauren-Brooke Eisen and Innimai Chettiar, “39% of Prisoners Should Not Be in
Prison,” Time, December 9th, 2016, https://time.com/4596081/incarceration-
report/.
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