Paul Derengowski, ThM
Last night I was in a rather spirited exchange with someone who made the comment, “I don’t need policemen; I need firemen to put out fires, not start them.”
The exchange was made in the context of sports officials ejecting coaches, when the coach feels the need to show up the official after the coach had his/her say and the rules were thoroughly explained.
Rather than the coming to the defense of the official, the person with whom I was conversing decided to go off-topic and ask about something wholly unrelated to ejections, but still in the context of dealing with the enforcement of the rules.
It was at that time the comment was made, “I don’t need policemen; I need firemen to put out fires, not start them.”
In essence, the person was saying, I do not need anyone upholding the rules, because feelings are all that count.
Policemen, in other words, are worthless pieces of trash, just like sports officials, since they make sure everyone plays by the rules, which is a bad thing.
Playing by the rules does not make some people feel happy at all, and their happiness is paramount, even if that imposes an unfair hardship on those who are playing by the rules.
It is the classic example of socialistic philosophy, which is relativistic to the point where nothing makes sense, nor necessarily should, so long as everyone is feeling all warm an tingly inside, especially if you just happen to be the crook getting away with murder.
Firemen, on the other hand, do not cause conflict; they extinguish it, which makes people feel good about themselves.
Now, the structure that was on fire might be a total loss, but at least everyone can now hold hands and sing Kumbaya while everyone cuts their losses and starts over.
The whole policeman-fireman analogy, however, is so warped it is almost unconscionable to think about it.
Both professions fulfill specific needs for specific reasons and occasions, and should be lauded for what they do, not played against each other, as if they were in competition over which is better or worse.
The same applies to sports officials, regardless of the level where they are needed to promote fair play, while keeping certain individuals in line, when they want to play outside the lines of the rules and fairness.
Nevertheless, in our narcissistic world of touchy-feeliness, those employed to uphold the law and the truth are viewed as the troublemakers, which leads to the creation of stupid analogies like the one seen above.
What is unfortunate is that too many buy into such nonsense and before long another police officer or sports official is targeted, framed, humiliated, injured, or in the worst case scenario, murdered, especially by those brandishing a camera, so that the video can be uploaded to YouTube, Twitter, Instagram or wherever to show the world just how terrible the upholder of the rules really is.
Equally unfortunate, those who know such nonsense is morally, ethically, and legally wrong will do nothing about it; they simply become part and parcel of the problem.
Jesus made it clear that in the last days that lawlessness will run amok and because of it, the love of many will grow cold (Matt. 24:12).
Of course, Jesus was also talking about a day of trouble that the world has never seen before, as well.
Can you just imagine what that day will be like to the person with whom I was having my exchange?
Why, they will be in seventh heaven.
What they fail to realize, though, is that amid the narcissistic glee, such conditions will immediately devolve into a hell on earth culminating in a one way trip to the Lake of Fire.
And all the firemen in the universe will not be able to put that fire out.
I wonder if they will call 9-1-1 and ask for a police officer to come to their aid?
