German blood runs in my veins. I have read about Hitler and his evils with the Holocaust. What happened with the extermination of the Jews, handicapped, homosexuals, and foreigners ought never to have happened. We learn from this WWII history lesson what people are willing to do when they elevate a man too highly and follow him without question.
Though I am a German in ethnicity, I do not take the blame for what happened in WWII. Though I’m a Christian, I don’t take responsibility for the Crusades and witch hunts. Unfortunately, people make the argument that if men will do abominable things in the name of religion, then all religion must be bad. If you follow this line of thought logically, and if you were an atheist or humanist, would you take the blame and the punishment for atheists Pol Pot and Stalin? Would you read the stories of these men’s atrocities and decide that you would never become a humanist? If wicked leaders used money rather than religion to further their ends, is money therefore evil?
When the government learns of a company’s wrongdoing, an attorney launches an investigation, reviews the books, and interviews many employees and officers in the company and out. Then charges are filed only against those who are suspected of wrongdoing. Instead of sentencing every employee in the company, only the convicted are punished. We should investigate and isolate when we are tempted to smear a whole group.
History teaches us what can happen when men abuse religion for personal gain or follow mob mentality. But history also teaches us what happens when people are used by God for good. Christians established the first hospitals, colleges and universities, spread reading and writing throughout the world to translate the Bible into many native languages, staffed many homeless shelters, and have been in the forefront of supplying help in many disasters. And, of course, they enjoy the love of the true God and Savior, Jesus Christ.
What Do You Think?
a. Twenty-one people died in a small community during the Salem witch trials, and 150 people were jailed. Through the work of many courageous, persistent Christians, the trials were halted, the jailed were freed, and laws were passed against trying people for witchcraft. The story includes a gullible judge, dishonest opportunists, and people of integrity – all supposedly sharing the same faith. Shouldn’t this question be reworded to say, “Weren’t the citizens corrupt who were abusing the legal system to get back at their enemies?”
b. If someone at your job was caught cooking the books, how would you feel if the news reporters said that the whole company was corrupt?
c. When crime is found in a corporation, does the government try the suspects in individual trials, or does the government charge the entire company as a whole? If individually, shouldn’t we take the same approach in other circumstances?
