Vancouver resident Lee Hemen offers his thoughts on those in our society today who feel they are the judge and jury of others
Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are those of the author alone and do not reflect the editorial position of ClarkCountyToday.com
I was binge watching Star Trek Voyager season 4, episode 10, called “Random Thoughts.’’ IMDB relates that “Voyager visits a planet with a telepathic race that outlaws negative thoughts. When they arrest B’Elanna for an angry thought released into their society and condemn her to a dangerous neurological procedure, Tuvok uncovers a black market dealing in violent thoughts.”
She is accused of being guilty of having wrong thoughts that result in others being harmed by them. Sound familiar? It should because this is what is occurring right now in our society today. We are allowing an extreme minority of vocal people to become our thought police. Whatever offends them, whatever makes them feel uncomfortable, or whatever they deem as hurtful, hatred, or harmful is all that matters and you are not to even voice your thoughts or think them because if you do you will suffer the consequences.
Jesus taught that “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. (Matthew 7:1-2 NIV)” In other words be careful how you hold others accountable because you could very well face the hangman’s noose you have fashioned yourself.
Those today that are so easily quick to tweet their brand of justice and be the judge and jury of others simply under the guise of their version of societal justice will face their own justice. And they may not like how they will be judged. Jesus went on to state, “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. (Matthew 7:3-5 NIV)”
Those today who declare themselves to be another’s judge and jury are hypocrites and guilty of what they think might be harmful. If we allow them to continue we will be part of perverting our very freedom to think, speak, or formulate opposing ideas without fear of reprisals that result in our imprisonment, loss of job, or adherence to the thought police.
Lee Hemen
Vancouver
