Thugs
Good Morning,
Romans 13:9 “… Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”
vs. 10 “Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.”
Most of us have seen movies depicting the early 1900’s when thugs forced people to give them money for “protection” and if they did not give the money, their store might be vandalized or worse. We have also heard about Castro, who took over Cuba and basically forced people to work Sundays, killed pastors, took private homes and businesses, and committed an endless string of atrocities while forcing the people to do as he commanded. He wanted the nation to be run his way or he would hurt them.
Across time, bullies and thugs have demanded certain control or money, lest harm would come to those who did not comply with their demands; we call them terrorists, thugs, gangsters, or sadly in some situations, union workers.
When a store employee wants to get a raise and says he will not return to work unless he gets it, the store owner has a choice of doing what the employee asks or lose the employee, forcing him to hire a replacement. That is all reasonable and logical. If his store, his person, or the new employee is threatened, the situation has acquired a gangster, a thug, or a terrorist. When that employee states that he will get enough help to shut down all business, the supply of water, the supply of food, or even transportation unless his demands are met, the scenario has turned into one of terrorism.
Make no mistake about this – all of society will suffer greatly when this is allowed to continue.
The business belongs to the owner; he should set the prices and the pay. The employee runs his own life; he chooses where to work and where to live. If he does not like where he works, he finds a different job. If the business owner forces the employee to work, controls where, when, and the pay involved, yet allows the employee no other choice or alternative, it becomes slavery. The situation may go either way.
To threaten to leave a job is a right, to an extent. When that employee harms society, his right is now in question. When the police all walk off the job at once, their action becomes dangerous to society. They were entrusted with life-saving responsibilities. One man might retire, but for all to organize to leave together and endanger society is wrong. You may differ in opinion, but read on – a Bible truth will be revealed .
The balance is dangerous and delicate. Oh, how the world would improve with, “THE GOLDEN RULE,” with which we were raised. My family was not a church-attending family, but in school and society (in general), that golden rule was well-known and often mentioned. We were urged to do unto others as we would have them do to us.
When a group of workers go on strike, they choose not to go to work, which is their right. They may picket, which is also their right; but what would happen if someone else walked in to work there? They might have their tires slashed or worse – that is wrong – those workers have no right to harm others.
Sadly, the love of money is still the root of all evil, and the willingness to hurt anyone or force society to do what he wants makes him no better than Hezbollah. Terrorism in the cloak of union rights is still wrong. An endless string of “but what about” questions and disdain for the level of evil the business owner may use to run his company is sometimes a part of the story, but the bottom line is this: who will you hurt? Who will you cause to suffer? What innocent people are you willing to rob of their daily needs or safety, just so you get more money?
Again we see how the Bible will fix society. To take from innocent, unrelated people to get what you feel you deserve is simply being a gangster. It is done in courts and picket lines, and all of it will be judged by the Lord, Who suffered to help others.
Matthew 19:19 “…Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”
Pastor