Friday, August 10, 2007

God's Law (6) v Mediocre Law

A major problem with human laws is that they encourage mediocre behaviour. Because they provide a minimum standard for everything, people live just within the law, rather than thinking about what they should do. People drive to the speed limit, rather than thinking about the driving conditions. Employers just pay the minimum wage, rather than thinking about what their employees are worth. Business people just do the minimum the law allows rather than thinking about what is right in their situation.

Human laws often have unintended consequences. Many laws like (like anti-trust laws) are passed to correct problems created by other human laws (such as limited liability laws).

A key feature of God’s law is that it does not try to do too much. It restrains the worst evil, but that it all it can do. It cannot get rid of all evil, and it certainly does not make people good. God’s law is humble, but what it does do, it does perfectly.

No comments: