I haven’t received a lot of feedback on these ideas. Debate and conversation is a good way to test ideas to see if they stand up. In response to this post, here are a few of the responses from Facebook.

1. “That is a VERY short sighted and offensive meme and corresponding blog post. There are brothers and possibly sisters in Christ in this group who serve the public in law enforcement. Perhaps the lack of response to that blog post should give a clue. How is what you say about fellow image bearers edifying?”

I think it’s very edifying to  claim that it is inadvisable for Christians to be police, assuming it’s true. Of course, no argument against the proposition was offered by this older woman.

2. “Maybe ‘no good cops with jurisdiction near abortion clinics.’ Otherwise, I agree completely.”

I certainly agree that that is all the article proves. But, you could go through and show how there are enough unjust laws in this country that no jurisdiction would be left with an excuse. This country has gone so pagan that I don’t see how a Christian can remain a cop unless they are there to work against the whole system.

3. “This was truly an awful article. I feel sorry for you.”

Maybe this guy is a cop? He never returned to offer any further brilliant insights.  Unfortunately five people liked this vapid comment.

4. “I think the writer makes a great point.”

I can’t help but agree.

5. “I would just ask that everyone be respectful during this. Let me explain, I live in Australia and I worked as a Police Officer for a while. Through this time I never saw a conflict between my beliefs and my actions. After I finished that job, I began to feel different. I would get flashbacks of incidents I went to, would be unable to stand in crowded rooms and began to distrust even my closest friends. Yesterday I went to a specialist who diagnosed me with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The first thing I did was approach my brothers in Christ, who just began to spout the same kind of stuff here.

I mention this as while I understand the issues being mentioned, please be respectful while speaking on this issue. I love the Pub, but sometimes when these issues come up, I feel far from welcome.”

Cops having an us vs. them mentality is one of the problems. That is a mentality of an army occupying enemy territory. If his Christians friends start saying the same things as he hears elsewhere, maybe he should take a hint.

6. I know of At least one good cop: he’s a captain and an elder in my church.

I bet some of the guys in the video where Christians and elders at a church. You’ll pardon my doubts as good cops don’t remain cops for long.

7.  “The first few minutes of the video below debunks the fantasy that a large percentage of cops are good.” Bill, this line alone should have told you that the author of this post is not reasoning well. I am a police officer, and I cannot tell you exactly how I would have responded to that call because I do not have all the information regarding those specific circumstances. Many times the officers know information that the rest of the public does not, and that is a factor in why an officer made a particular decision.

But to be fair, enforcing unjust laws is something every Christian cop has to be sensitive to. As our government moves further down a path of unrighteousness, it should concern any Christian who is an agent of enforcement for that unrighteous government. However, sinful behavior is something anyone in any profession is tempted with. How much lying, stealing, etc. go on in the business world on a day to day basis that Christians who work in offices have to deal with?

In my time as a cop, only once have I had to make an objection to an order based on conscience, and it landed me in the chief’s office the next day. But, it was worth it, and I’m glad I took a stand for my convictions. By and large, as a cop, I spend my time and energy on worthwhile pursuits- enforcing violations of God’s moral law, holding criminals accountable, and protecting innocent people so they can go about their lives peacefully. There is not an abortion clinic in my jurisdiction, and for that, I am thankful.”

The fact that he can’t adamantly condemn the cops in the video shows he has a bias problem. I’m glad he has refused to follow orders in the past, but I think if I were a cop, that is something that would come up quite often, not just once in a long career.

Also, for the government to use the sword to enforce God’s moral law isn’t how it was intended. There are things that are a sin that aren’t criminal. He doesn’t lock up people for lying. But I bet he does lock up people for drug crimes. Doing or selling drugs is a sin, but it isn’t a crime in God’s law. And I bet he’s written a speeding ticket or two in his day, which is enforcing the arbitrary laws of men. Not to mention that in God’s law, there are no police.

8. Cops don’t arrest protesters because they are protesting abortions. The ordinances and laws enforced were not written with abortion in mind. Those same laws could be used to protect religious organizations as well. Just because the anti-abortion protester is against abortion doesn’t mean their actions are right in the sight of God. You don’t get a free pass from being Christ like just because you are anti-abortion. Just like other activists, many anti-abortion protesters intentionally break laws and create conflict with police so the can play the victim and make recruitment videos.

 

He included his happy “serve and protect the citizens” picture. It’s as if a cop can never criticize another cop. It’s quite sick. I have video proof that 100% of 50-100 LAPD cops are evil cops, and cops can’t bring themselves to admit it. It’s as if they’re reading a highly-edited cop version of the Bible.

Neither can they say what they would do in that situation, leaving me to wonder if they would do exactly what the LAPD did that June day in 1989.

9. My self along with twenty other Christians were out at the abortion mill today in Riverside California and we had two encounters with the police and they were very kind and favorable towards us and our cause. I think there are proper ways to protest the abortion mills and we ought to comply with the established laws of the city that we are in.

Generally, if you do exactly what the cops say, you’re OK. Some of them (though far from all) might even be familiar enough with the 1st Amendment to let you exercise your right to free speech on a public sidewalk. Of course strict obedience to every cop’s whim is what communism was built on.

There is another conversation that brought up an interesting, albeit fallacious, point that I will save for another post, but I think it’s obvious that no one  really even tried to argue against the post, and the proposition remains intact after some scrutiny. But I’m always looking for more feedback.

One thing that is discouraging is that this is a Christian Facebook group, and judging by the comment likes, there is a lot of unreasonable support for the cops. Of course, when you grow up in a police state, and it’s all you know, maybe your arguments in favor of the police state aren’t rational.