Is Legislation the Answer?

I read an article today by a guy who almost got ran over by a driver who was texting while driving. Many states are now implementing laws against this, but as I read his story it seemed to beg the question: Do we really need lawmakers to tell us that this kind of thing is dangerous?

Just to be perfectly clear I am not saying that this is a bad law to adopt. My point is that any thinking person knows this is very risky—to allow yourself this kind of frivolous distraction while driving is asking for trouble. (Confession: I have done this too, knowing that it was a really stupid thing to do!) So, if we are "educated" and "common sensible" enough to know this, why do so many people still do it??

I see it everyday on my way to and from work. I'm beside of or just behind someone, traveling at around 70 miles per hour, and all of the sudden they begin to share my lane, or they brake because they realize that all of the sudden they are "on top of" the person in front of them. We've all seen it. You can tell when you pass them—they aren't looking at the road when you pass them ... they glance up and then back down, looking down for much longer than is advisable. They are distracted and they pose a huge threat to the safety of everyone traveling within a mile of them—atleast! You know that on the Interstate cars can pile up quickly. So is the answer to add another law to the books?

It seems that Americans put alot of faith in education and subsequent laws based on what we know to change people's behavior. Does it really work? If the above scenario weren't enough, we have the examples of education and laws on sex, drugs, cheating, steroids, and alcohol, just to name a few things that we are constantly trying to steer the next generation of kids to stay away from that don't seem to be working. In Africa right now, there is, and has been, a huge push to "educate" people about how HIV and AIDS is transmitted in hopes that they will stop some of the practices that have contributed to rapidly spreading the disease. For example, there are those in South Africa that believe if HIV infected men have sex with virgins they will be cured from the virus. (So you know I am not making this up, here is one example. You can Google search and find many more!)

Education and laws are not bad things. That is not what I am saying, but I think that education and subsequent legislation are not "the" answer. If you have read this blog at all, you won't be surprised that I think, correction—I know, that the only real hope that we have to "do the right thing" is a relationship with Jesus. Granted, even those of us who have one still mess things up, but without an understanding of God's love for us, we are particularly helpless to apply the truth that we already know.

I have heard the saying time and time again, "If they (he, she) only knew better, they would do better!" I suppose that is why we have so many laws. They are supposedly designed to educate people what is right and wrong, and penalize people who do "wrong" so they won't do it again. The problem is ... it doesn't work. Governments make laws and people like you and me figure out how we can "get around them," or more to the point—break them. We are arrogant ... we all think, at least at times, that "it (the accident, the addiction, the STD) won't happen to me."

We don't necessarily need more legislation ... we need Jesus. We need to take responsibility for our actions, confess our sins, apologize, and repent—turn from being "law breakers" to living in a way that honors a holy God, and in a way that honors those with whom we interact. I believe the only way we can do that successfully is to acknowledge Jesus and walk the way that he walked.

Is education a bad thing? NO. Is legislation that is designed to protect us bad? Normally, no. But these things in and of themselves just deal with the symptoms of a sinful heart. Jesus is the only one who can cleanse the heart and give us a clear conscious that allows us to "do the right thing."