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tence"
means
a ten-year sentence.
they'll probably think twice before
committing crime.
Ultlmate Responsibility
In summary. effective teaching in
the home during the formative years
coupled with a strong deterrent to
crime in the form of meaningful
punishment by the criminal justice
system would go far in eradicating
crime. The institution of speedy and
firm punishment for criminals
would have the most immediate ef–
fect in slowing crime. Correcting the
home situation would involve a ma–
jor, long-range reeducation effort
over many years, but in the end
would pay the biggest dividends.
To both efforts there would un–
doubtedly be much resistance on
the part of so-called "progressive"
thinkers who would view the de–
basement of traditional parental
roles as a good thing. and would see
stern punishment as "cruel" or "vin–
dictive."
There remains. however. the ulti–
mate consideration of inner motiva–
tion- why man, left to himse lf.
inclines to crime in the first place.
The Bible reveals the
ultimare
cause of crime: "The heart is deceit–
ful above all things. and desperately
wicked ..." (Jer. 17:9). Why?
Because Satan the devil- the very
personification of evil and law–
lessness- is the "god of this world"
(JI Cor. 4:4). He has deceived
al/
narions
(Rev. 12:9) and peoples into
pursuing a self-centered way of life
which leads to unhappiness and
strifc: He is revealed as "the prince
of the power of the air. the spirit
that now worketh in the children of
disobedience" (Eph. 2:2).
Six thousand years of recorded
human experience have demon–
strated that mankind as a whole has
utterly failed to resist Satan's way of
vanity. jealousy. lust and greed - of
wh ich crime and violence are the
natural consequences.
At one point in history. the situ–
ation became so critica! that God
was forced to start all over again.
"The earth [in the days of Noah]
also was corrupt before God. and
the earth was
filled with vio/ence"
(Gen. 6: 11). Man's thoughts werc
"only evil continually" (verse 5). So
the antediluvian world was wiped
The
PLAIN TRUTH April 1977
"Judgment is turned away
backward, and justice
standeth atar off: for truth is
fallen in the street, and
equity cannot enter."
lsaíah 59:14
out by a great Flood. and all but
Noah and his family perished.
But Satan was still around. and
mankind. after the Flood. quickly
reverted to its old ways once again.
Significantly. Jesus Christ proph–
esied of these "latter days": "As the
days of Noah were, so shall also the
coming of the Son of man be"
(Matt. 24:37). Today's ever-rising
leve! of crime and violence is fulfill–
ing those very words!
The Ultimate Solution
The Bible also speaks of a time-not
far distant-when Satan will be
bound and cast into an abyss "that
he should deceive the nations no
more" (Rev. 20:2-3). Of that time
the prophet lsaiah says: "Nothing
will hurt or destroy in a ll my holy
mountain. for as the waters fill the
sea. so shall the earth be full o f the
knowledge of the Lord" (lsa. 11:9.
The Living Bib/e).
Jn the final analysis. crime is a
spirirua/
problem. Human nature.
the Bible reveals. is a "criminal" na–
ture, since it is "not subject to the
law of God. neither indeed can be"
(Rom. 8:7). The solution to crime
lies in the
conversion
of a carnal.
lustful. resentfu l, spitcful. hateful
human
heart-changing
the na–
ture of selfishness, lust and hatred
into one of giving. loving. sharing
and serving!
Today. God is keeping
hands off
this world. He is not yet
ENFORCING
His laws on anyonc. but allowing
each individual to go his own
way- to exercise his own free moral
agency. The failure of governments.
churches. education and the fami ly
to understand and to practice the
lmvs of God
is at the root of the
worldwide crime problem! But the
time is coming. and you are hearing
the
announcemenr
of it in the pages
of this publication. when God's mil–
lennial rule over this carth will com–
pletely abolish crime! Whether
legislators like to admit it or not.
God's powerful method of deterrent
for crime is capital punishment!
("The wages of sin is
dearh
"-
Ro–
mans 6:23.)
God says: " l will put my law in
their inward parts, and write it in
their
hearrs"
(Jer. 31 :33). No human
being. concentrating on the wonder–
ful things of God's Holy Spirit- of
goodness. gentleness. meekness.
kindness. merey and love- could
ever bru talize another human
being!
God's Kingdom
is the final
solution!
Butwhataboutnow?
Believe it or not. the
ONLY
interim
solution is the realization of govern–
ment and crime-fighting agencies
that swift. sure. consisten!
punish–
ment,
measured
exacrly
to
suit rhe
crilne.
will bring crime into reason–
ably controllable proportions. Lack–
ing such absolutely guaranteed
punishment- swift detection: swift.
sure prosecution; sure convictions
based on solid evidence; and just.
consistent sentencing-we will only
continue to see our international
crime wave grow worse.
O
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