Monday, February 25, 2008

Lack of Education is not the Problem

There are certain areas in which a lack of education is the problem, and for which education is the cure. Moral behavior is not one of them.

When it comes to issues of morality - obeying the law, and so forth - the core problem is one of character. If it is in a person's nature to abide by the law, they will. If it is in a person's nature to flaunt the law, they will.

The story that is on this link (link) is a great example. The poor person arrested in that story is a leading educator on the very topic in question. The person knows the subject inside and out. The result? The person still apparently (and the person has not been convicted) disobeyed the law.

This, of course, flies in the face of the very raison d'etre of the rahibilitation program that the person headed up. Education doesn't rehabilitate. That's why recitivism rates are so high. It is not nurture that is the root of the problem but nature.

It may make those prone to break the law more careful in how they do so, or more clever at avoiding arrest/conviction. It will, however, generally not alter a person's attitude toward the matter.

The causal basis for law-abiding or law-flaunting behavior is deeper - it resides in heart. Only God can change the heart. That's why God's grace is the solution for those who are involved in crime of one sort or another. When we break the law, we ought to pray to God for grace to overcome sin. When our brothers and sisters break the law, we ought to pray to God for them. And to those outside the faith, we ought to preach the gospel, and pray for its success.

Let us so do,

-Turretinfan

2 comments:

Andrew said...

Amen Turretin Fan! These things seem so obvious to those of us who take what scripture teaches seriously. It is tempting to get frustrated by the world at large when they don't get it, but I have to remind myself that their minds are "depraved". I heard MacArthur teach, and I agree, that this means the mind of the un-regenerate person is dysfunctional. It doesn't operate correctly. So we shouldn't expect people to get this if they aren't regenerate should we?
Good post.

Howard said...

I have a question for you about atonement and the eastern church fathers. Would you mind emailing me your address so I can converse with you?