The Ineffectiveness of Law, and the Perils of a Christ-less Nation

By David Hobbs

Here is a letter to the editor I wrote that was published in our local paper (the Appeal-Democrat) on Jan. 18, 2013. I am including it here because of all the letters I have written, this is the one I felt God's presence most strongly in writing it. He did not dictate it, but Holy Spirit was feeding me the ideas as I was writing. I was so caught up that if I couldn't come up with the right word to say, I would pray desperately for the word (desperate not to break the flow) and it would pop into my mind (neat experience!). While the initial idea of the ineffectiveness of laws to control human behavior was standard doctrine from the Bible (logos), where it went from there (rhema) was smarter than myself, which is a good way to tell when God gives you something.

Dear Editor,

There is a blindness in our society that’s breathtaking. It has to do with the power of laws to accomplish things—as if all we had to do to prevent tragedies like Sandy Hook was outlaw multiple clips and assault weapons and require strict background checks. It is already illegal to shoot students and teachers on school property! Did that prevent it from happening? Those guns were stolen, and you don't need a background check to acquire guns by stealing! Why would more laws produce a different result?  How about our drug laws, have they curbed the drug epidemic? 

We try to create desired outcomes with laws yet fail every time. Ever heard of New Year’s resolutions (laws we enforce on ourselves)? How do they work? 

The real problem is the sinful nature of man. Laws can reveal that rebellious nature, but cannot change it. Only God can change the human heart. But wait, isn’t God the One we kicked out of our schools and try to exclude from public life? 

The mass murderers aren’t concerned with human laws because they think they can escape justice by killing themselves when their rampage is over. How are more laws going to change that? But how would it affect them knowing that right after their killing spree they would be standing before an all-holy God? You see, they can and do evade man’s justice, but they can never escape God’s justice. Within moments of their death they are suffering in agony that will never end. Wouldn't knowing that be a greater deterrent than a hundred new gun laws? Yet we can’t teach that in schools because we kicked God out—remember?

Connecticut Shootings

By David Hobbs

I must admit to some ambivalence to the tragic news of the shootings in Connecticut. On the one hand I grieve over the innocent children, so suddenly and horrifically cut off from this world, leaving behind traumatized parents, siblings, friends, extended family members, even the entire community. On the other hand, I also grieve over the national hypocrisy so blatantly on display to everyone but the participants.

There has been an outpouring of such overwhelming sadness it could almost be called an “orgy of grief.” There is even talk of never reopening the school where it happened. Yet where is the national mourning over the 20 babies brutally aborted 180 times every day of every year for the last 40 years since abortion was legalized? Where is the grief over them?

Our national blindness is staggering. And yet no one dares mention that the emperor has no clothes.  “But Brother Hobbs, Brother Hobbs, those babies in Sandy Hook were cruelly shot, numerous times.” Tell me an abortion that is not violent and vicious! Partial birth, where the skull is punctured and the brains vacuumed out? D&E, where the baby is dismembered and the pieces vacuumed or removed with forceps? Saline solution, where a powerful saline solution is injected into the womb and the baby is chemically burned to death before evacuation?

We respect the grief of those involved in Sandy Hook, but how about the grief of God over the brutal deaths of 53 million babies in just the U.S. in the 40 years since Roe Vs. Wade? Each baby was given conception by the Holy Spirit and entrusted into the care of man. Each one came with gifts and talents, potentialities for greatness, callings and a destiny it could achieve with proper nurturing and care. Think of the baby Jesus, entrusted into the care of Mary and Joseph, with the calling and destiny to save mankind. Though Jesus was unique, yet He is also a picture of every baby that comes into the world—a gift of God to mankind for its good. The Bible confirms this: “Behold, children are a gift (or heritage) of the Lord,
 [t]he fruit of the womb is a reward.” [Psalm 127:3 NAS].

“But Brother Hobbs, Brother Hobbs, abortions are not my fault; don’t blame me!” Neither is Sandy Hook, yet we all grieve over the loss and look for ways to prevent its reoccurrence. Approximately 15,000 abortions have happened (U.S.) in the week since the shootings took place. Who is mourning them?