Basic HTML Version
Inthe
\\brld
Tomorrow:
TRl~
STICE!
Why do innocent people suffer in the courts of this world? Why do violent crimina/s
go free? Why is justice such a scarce commodity in this day and age? This
article not only reveals the root cause behind the rank injustice which is part of this world
but also shows how it is all going to be changed for the better in the near future!
ny woman who has
ever been raped
knows the terrible,
almost cruellack of
justice which per-
meates
this
world's legal
systems. Sorne moral barbarían has
assaulted and violated her very body
and caused her terrible suffering. But
are things made right? Are there any
assurances that he will be properly
punished because he
deserves
to be
punished? Are there any assurances
that the poor woman will be spared
further anguish?
The tragic answer to these ques–
tions is no. No court in the world can
undo something which is in the past.
The trauma of the assault can never
be erased. But much worse is the fact
that justice itself may be violated:
The criminal may never be caught; if
he is caught, the chances that he will
get what he deserves- a good belly–
ful of the suffering he has infticted on
others- are slim indeed.
And even worse than ihat, if the
criminal is to be punished at all, the
32
by
Jeff Calkins
unfortunate woman who was raped
will have to suffer again in the court
system. She will have to take time
out during work hours to testify. She
will have to relive the terrible event
again as she describes it to the cou'rt
in her own words. She will have to
state in her own words every gross,
intimate detail of her assai lant's act.
She will be mercilessly cross-exam–
ined by a defense lawyer who will try
to make her look like a liar. She may
have to state the intimate details of
her personal sex life toan open public
courtroom. She may even be forced
to undergo psychiatric examination
to see if she is not given to lying.
But even after all this, the criminal
may still be able to escape the pun–
ishment he deserves if the judge
doesn't have the stomach to send him
to prison. Or, even if he is sent to
prison, the criminal may easily get
off with a Jight sentence or be pa–
roled after a few months.
The prophet Ezekiel was inspired
to hit the nail right on the head when
he declared: " ... the land is full of
blood, and the city
fu// of injustice"
(Ezek. 9:9, RSV). The prophet
Isaiah also stated this same truth
about man's legal system: "Judg–
ment is turned away backward, and
justice standeth ajar off:
for
truth is
fallen in the street,
and equity cannot
enter" (Isa. 59:14).
While the example of rape is prob–
ably the starkest example of injustice
in this present evil world (Gal. 1:4),
other examples, especially when you
are the victim, a re just as poignant.
Whether your home is burglarized,
you are physically beaten on a city
street and sustain painful injuries, or
whether your good name and honesty
are maliciously attacked, it is the
same lega l system which will govern
all these cases.
At its very best, man's legal sys–
tem may succeed in punishing a
wrongdoer and compensating you for
your injuries. But, at the very least,
you will
still
be out large amounts of
your time, and maybe sorne of your
money (attorneys' fees). And in
many cases, there will still be
nothing
a court can do to repair the damage.
For example, according to Scripture,
a good name is rather to be chosen
than great riches (Prov. 22:1 ). And
yet, if your good name and reputa–
tion are held up to ridicule in the
The
PLAIN TRUTH May f979