MovieChat Forums > Law Abiding Citizen (2009) Discussion > The Problem with the Law

The Problem with the Law

posted 8 years ago by josephson
2 replies | jump to latest

Whether you people are religious or not, there is an inherent problem with the LAW.

Without a higher law coming from a higher being (a being that is Just, Holy, Inerrant, All Wise, All Knowing, All loving, and All compassionate), then every single man made law is
inherently imperfect and flawed.

What makes something right and something wrong? Because a piece of paper a few mortal men sitting on high horses decided to jot down as what is right and wrong? No, all the Law is, is merely some people's perspective over everyone else's. Basically, whoever has the power to assert their will the greatest is the winner and therefore decides what is legal and what is illegal, what is moral and what is immoral.

For example, on Planet A, if 99.8% of the people love apples and believe in apples, then the law would be that apples are good and apples are moral and right. Oranges would then be deemed illegal, immoral, and wrong.

But on Planet B, 99.8% of the people love oranges and believe in oranges. All their laws written up state that oranges are legal, moral, and good.

So then, who is right and who is wrong? One planet says apples and another planet says oranges. No mere mortal could step in and weight their opinions and decide the final outcome that apple is legal and good and oranges is illegal and evil. He's just a mere mortal who has an opinion. Nothing short of "God" could step and settle the matter once and for all. Only God could do that.

If God therefore did do that already and stated long ago that Apples are evil but Oranges are the true good, then we can make a law that isn't just man-made mortal and imperfect and flawed....but a THE LAW, would truly be law.

So if we are to make a Planet C, the question is, which law will they make? Planet A or Planet B? Planet C would make their law based on which of the two previous planets succeeds in exerting their will and ways the most effective. That's how Planet C will make their laws.

It's that simple and that inherently wrong. It's merely about whoever has the perspective that successfully asserts itself more and greater than any other perspective. It excludes any notion of what actually is good and evil or right and wrong. It has nothing to do with that. It only has to do with who controls the ability to make others think what they think.

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[–] TheMan18 (12520) 4 years ago

But then on a basic level of things including human rights, and with murder, violence, brutality etc present in humanity and humanity's need for protection, would you not say that law is at least somewhat necessary for our survival and well being? Does it really matter who has what religion in this case, isn't morality on a general level NOT about religion and its believes and God and whatnot but about our basic rights including rights not to be mistreated violently or even killed by dangerous criminals?

I agree that law isn't perfect and has a lot of improvements but still...

I doubt that you would last another day like that were laws just to disappear. And certain crimes really DO need to be punished and not JUST because the law exists and says so, its for our well being.

[–] TheMan18 (12520) 4 years ago

Also, why is religion such an important factor in determining morality and the formation of law in the process? And what has it really got to do with anything?

I like to think that even as a non-religious person I can recognize the need for law and order and I don't think religion does or should play any important role in it.