Ye of Little Fear

I was flabbergasted by a conversation that happened at lunch the other day.  It began with a colleague saying, "Do you mind if I say something controversial?"  "It's about time," I thought to myself.  He began to express his disbelief and disgust about the 60 Minutes interview with Antonin Scalia, one of our Supreme Court Justices.  Apparently Scalia justified torturing suspected terrorists with the "punishment" clause of the 8th Amendment, saying torture is not technically punishment. 

I didn't see the interview so I had to concede that torture is usually given as punishment for not saying something the authorities want them to--at least that's what I know from watching every episode of 24.  But that's not what my colleague was really discombobulated about.  He believes Scalia is a raving lunatic on the level of George W. Bush, and can't begin to understand where conservative, constructionist philosophy is coming from.  He is also deathly afraid that Bush and his evil dictatorial regime can't be stopped. 

I tried to communicate to my friend that School House Rock says that in our system we don't have to worry about that.  His two elected senators, for example, (Kennedy and Kerry) are supposed to check and balance lunatic presidents.  I sensed a passionate frustration with something more than just Republicans.  On a deeper level, my friend fears the human propensity for evil, especially when humans have extraordinary political power.  Moreover, I sensed a fear that evil would be taking over the world rather than just being a nuisance like a mosquito.  His understanding of evil is that those with little power or money aren't to be feared, but those with lots are (because their evil can affect so many "innocent" people).

It's hard to find common ground with someone who has this world view.  I believe evil is already much more prevalent than mosquitoes, and the hope we have is not in any politician or wave of political change.  But law and order are good things, and in most cases punishment is a deterrent to crimes.  Bad guys should be punished and good guys should be rewarded.  I think justice is a lot simpler than my friend does.

As far as my friend's fears, I guess they are justified--perhaps even too minor.  If the world is already being run by "the prince of this world," (John 12, 14, 16) then my friend should be afraid beyond afraid.  His hope against the pervasive evil that goes around killing innocent children and raping women is in a more democratic government?  Woe is he.  I've got good news for him, though.  The "prince of this world now stands condemned."  (John 16:11)  There is hope.