The criminal justice system is often characterized negatively in the public eye. When pop culture icons are found with illegal drugs, the media sees the laws as bad, not the people who broke the law as bad. The number of people incarcerated in the United States is surprisingly high, and the prison system tends to be black, young, and male. I like that they recognize the huge amount of people who are in prison, because it raises the question of whether or not the justice system is doing a good job, in a country that has the highest number of incarcerated people in the world. Dr. Blabla said that "it is better to be rich and guilty, than to be poor and innocent", meaning that corrupt wealth and prestige are commonly seen as better to experience. The Scriptures talk a lot about punishment and justice, such as Exodus 34:6-7. , which speaks of God being steadfast in love and slow to anger, but punishing those who sin in God's sight. God often punished the Israelites because of their worship of Baal and other foreign gods. God gives the law so that they can understand that they are sinners and so that they can realize that they need redemption. I think it's interesting that they use Scripture to support the justice system in America, because it shows that our values are not based solely on our human outlook on life. This doesn't even mean that Christians can't disagree on different issues, but it does mean that it is possible for Christians to find ways to apply the Bible to the criminal justice system. Christians can also help people who are locked up by giving their children food, shelter, and education, and by doing so Christians can drastically impact the lives of these people who find themselves in the criminal justice system. When people of God encounter people in the justice system, through the power of God amazing things can happen. I love that they talk about it, because it shows that Christians not only have a mandate to visit those in prison, but they should also help these people by bringing them the life-changing gospel.
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