Good Fences Make Good Societies
Long ago the Jewish rabbis raised "fences" to prevent the accidental transgression against the Law. The fences were not sins, but they were rules and regulations designed to keep folks away from sin. In Jesus' day this was something He often commented on. The Pharisees erected fences like, "don't pluck corn on the Sabbath." This was not a sin, but they felt it could lead to working on the Sabbath and there was a law about keeping that day holy.
Unfortunately after many years of living within these fences, the people could not tell the difference between the fences (commandments of men) and the true commandments of God.
Maybe Adam was the first to erect one of these fences. God told him to not eat of a the tree of life. But Eve was apparently of the impression God had said not to even touch the tree. Perhaps Adam had told Eve not to touch it as a "fence" to keep her away from the temptation.
Ever since fences have been used by societies to restrain the actions of people. And I guess we need to keep these societal fences in perspective and not make them more important than the thing they try to regulate. But it seems like we now live in a time where many fences have been pulled down to our detriment.
For example, Shame used to be a fence that restrained a good deal of bad behavior. The girl did not get pregnant because it would shame her and her family. The shame of getting caught stealing thwarted many a theft. The shame of being exposed as a liar kept people honest with their resumes and tax returns.
Now we've all but removed Shame from our modern society. Homosexuals flaunt their perversion. Addicts and alcoholics boast of their ability to binge. In many high schools a baby is a sign of coolness. The gang-banger wants to get caught tagging to prove his toughness.
We tore down the Shame fence through a series of concerted efforts. The media glorified the wrong folks. We wrote and consumed shameful novels. We willingly swallowed the lie that Shame was the sole cause of our nagging guilt. We tore down the societal fence of Shame, and now we are running around unrestrained.
There were plenty of fences in the past. Shame, Family, Honor, Responsibility, Patriotism, Guilt, Work Ethic, Conviction, Doctrine, etc., etc., etc. Each of these were like posts in a high and wide fence that constrained the worst and guided the best of us. It seems now as if our nation is littered with broken pickets and up-rooted posts and our people are running loose.
Someone once said that kids hate leashes but they love fences. Put a collar and leash on a kid and he'll constantly fight to get free. But give him a big fenced in back yard and he'll enjoy a safe little world to play in.
This week there was a national report that said the number of teen pregnancies is up 3% in the last years. Lobbyists started screaming that this was a result of the Bush policy of teaching abstinence in the schools. They said if contraception was taught, we would not have this problem.
That's like two farmers standing in a field arguing about the best way to keep their cows from getting hit by trucks. One says they should put reflectors on the cow's horns and flashing lights on their tails. Another says they should put hay only in the middle of the field so the cows wouldn't wander near the road.
This is a ridiculous analogy because farmers are not stupid. The fix is to put up a good fence and make sure nobody tears it down. The cows will live safe long lives as long as the fence is where it should be.
Give me a land full of fences. Sure, some will be poorly planned and badly built, but that's better than no fences at all.
Unfortunately after many years of living within these fences, the people could not tell the difference between the fences (commandments of men) and the true commandments of God.
Maybe Adam was the first to erect one of these fences. God told him to not eat of a the tree of life. But Eve was apparently of the impression God had said not to even touch the tree. Perhaps Adam had told Eve not to touch it as a "fence" to keep her away from the temptation.
Ever since fences have been used by societies to restrain the actions of people. And I guess we need to keep these societal fences in perspective and not make them more important than the thing they try to regulate. But it seems like we now live in a time where many fences have been pulled down to our detriment.
For example, Shame used to be a fence that restrained a good deal of bad behavior. The girl did not get pregnant because it would shame her and her family. The shame of getting caught stealing thwarted many a theft. The shame of being exposed as a liar kept people honest with their resumes and tax returns.
Now we've all but removed Shame from our modern society. Homosexuals flaunt their perversion. Addicts and alcoholics boast of their ability to binge. In many high schools a baby is a sign of coolness. The gang-banger wants to get caught tagging to prove his toughness.
We tore down the Shame fence through a series of concerted efforts. The media glorified the wrong folks. We wrote and consumed shameful novels. We willingly swallowed the lie that Shame was the sole cause of our nagging guilt. We tore down the societal fence of Shame, and now we are running around unrestrained.
There were plenty of fences in the past. Shame, Family, Honor, Responsibility, Patriotism, Guilt, Work Ethic, Conviction, Doctrine, etc., etc., etc. Each of these were like posts in a high and wide fence that constrained the worst and guided the best of us. It seems now as if our nation is littered with broken pickets and up-rooted posts and our people are running loose.
Someone once said that kids hate leashes but they love fences. Put a collar and leash on a kid and he'll constantly fight to get free. But give him a big fenced in back yard and he'll enjoy a safe little world to play in.
This week there was a national report that said the number of teen pregnancies is up 3% in the last years. Lobbyists started screaming that this was a result of the Bush policy of teaching abstinence in the schools. They said if contraception was taught, we would not have this problem.
That's like two farmers standing in a field arguing about the best way to keep their cows from getting hit by trucks. One says they should put reflectors on the cow's horns and flashing lights on their tails. Another says they should put hay only in the middle of the field so the cows wouldn't wander near the road.
This is a ridiculous analogy because farmers are not stupid. The fix is to put up a good fence and make sure nobody tears it down. The cows will live safe long lives as long as the fence is where it should be.
Give me a land full of fences. Sure, some will be poorly planned and badly built, but that's better than no fences at all.
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