Stinkin' Thinkin'

When I works, I works hard.  When I plays, I plays hard.  When I thinks, I goes to sleep.  However, I was outside the other day wondering just how far we will have to de-evolve before we realize we are moving in the wrong direction.  Why are libertarians so willing to decriminalize possession and sale of dangerous drugs?  Well, because it is so expensive to keep people locked up who choose to detach themselves from reality on a regular basis.  The argument is usually somewhere along the line that if we decriminalize to possession, use, and sale of these psycho-active substances then we free up law enforcement to do more important jobs.  We save billions in tax dollars for penitentiaries and jails.  Further, we free up the crowded court system.  The Libertarians would argue that prohibition of alcohol didn't work, so our prohibition of drugs isn't working either.  One other aspect of the argument is that the users hurt no one but themselves.  A parallel is drawn again to prohibition in pointing out that the illegal alcohol importation, manufacture, and sale during the prohibition era only made certain criminal types rich and powerful.  We could go on infinitum with these arguments, but I think we miss the point.

Without true debate and adequate facts, any argument can sound solid.  But remember, all movement to allow unrepentant men to handle their own affairs moves away from lofty expectations and achievement toward the base reality of the human condition.  Unintended consequences always follow.  I contend the arguments on both sides are very difficult to defend when examined in the light.  Why?  Because we are not attacking the problems of mankind at their root.  Why do we want to free ourselves from reality?  Because, the answers to our problems are difficult to find using either common sense, or collective knowledge.  Because we do not like what we see in the mirror every morning.  Because we are afraid of what others are thinking of us.  These go on and on, and the combinations are endless.  But, the real problem is, mankind was created to worship God and have communion with him.  We have a longing for something more in life than what we are experiencing.  That "something" is the reconciliation of our spirit to the spirit of God.  Because we have a will (our God given ability to choose for ourselves), we can choose to feed our basic, selfish, biological needs without regard to God or others.  If you remember the creation story, you will recall that Adam and Eve were in the perfect setting and in right relationship with the Creator God.  They bought the one sided argument provided by Satan and chose to satisfy their selfish human needs.  Many times when Christians are given the choice we choose the carnal urging and stray from God's higher expectations and purposes for our lives.  For those who remain unrepentant (non-Christians), it is the only choice short of repentance.  So, we are in need of the salvation God provided through Jesus Christ.  This is the only lasting solution to the difficult problems plaguing all men.  We can try all the governmental and psycho-social solutions man can conjure up and still find ourselves in the mire.  Our best human efforts in solving these problems are akin to putting band aids on major wounds.  Sickness is cured when the root of the medical problem is found and treated.  Then the process of restoring ones health begins.  We must be responsible as individuals in order to effect any lasting change.  We must obey the plan God has laid out for us to follow.  Anything less will end with an unsatisfactory outcome.