Our society will forgive just about anything: a lying, adulterous President; a famously immoral basketball player (take your pick—accused rapist, compulsive illegitimate father, or shockingly well-traveled philanderer); a life-taking, drunk-driving Senator; an angry, tirading, foul-mouthed actor who chews out his kid, his waitress, a police officer, or whoever is on his set; a businessman who runs up debt, then files for bankruptcy (the equivalent of a financial “reset” button, like I used to hit as a kid when my video game wasn’t going my way), leaving his creditors high and dry; a bimbo who sleeps around and leaves a trail of videos and pictures that will tempt and ensnare thousands or even millions of men. Other examples abound, unfortunately. Some things, however, are still unforgivable. We’ve not entirely lost our ability to be outraged. See the Michael Vick saga.
To state the post’s opening sentence more accurately, then, “our society will forgive just about anything people do to other people.” That’s why Michael Vick is still having a hard time, despite serving…well…hard time. Because he hurt dogs. And we can’t have that, now, can we? His case says more about society than Vick, despite the fact that his actions were despicable. We value life, just not human life.
That’s no exaggeration. Case in point: Cleveland Browns WR Donte’ Stallworth drove his car after a night of drinking and killed a man. But, unlike Vick, he’s not getting any jail time—none!—and he’s missing just 1 year of NFL action. That’s crazy. It’s crazy that a sports league (protecting profits) is tougher on criminals than the State (which is supposed to be protecting citizens). And it’s crazy that killing dogs is punished more aggressively than killing people. That’s the world we live in.
It’s not just about sports. It’s about values. It’s about truth. It’s about God. Reject God and His truth and we’re left with no moorings whatsoever. So if you kill a kitty the government will put you in the klink, but if you kill a baby the government will help you pay for it. It’s like the eclectic bumpers you spot (not all that rarely) that sport two stickers, one boasting “Pro-Choice and Proud” and another pleading “Save the Planet.” Ridiculous.
Michael Vick probably wishes he had just raped or killed somebody. We’d be over it by now.
What we need—Vick, Stallworth, and the rest of us, me included—is real forgiveness, the forgiveness of God. And that’s provided only in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Filed under: Abortion, Contemporary Issues, Ridiculous, The Gospel | Tagged: Abortion, Donte Stallworth, Michael Vick, The Gospel |
My Two Cents 
Excellent point. Our news had the Stallworth and Vick stories side by side a couple nights ago. I was thinking of a couple of poignant segues. :-p
Couldn’t have said it better. :)
I also agree with you. But some people (not you, as can be inferred from the hints in your post) see Stallworth’s easy time and conclude that Vick should have had an easier time. That’s the downward cycle in society that is resulting in increasing leniency. We should be careful in the comparison not to make Stallworth’s punishment the standard and therefore lament Vick’s rough road. In this comparison, Vick’s punishment should be the standard and the outcry should be over Stallworth.
Again, yes, I see that in you post. Just wanted to be more emphatic.
Well said.
So well said, in fact, that I’ve scrapped my intended post on this issue and I’m going to link this post – just like Justin Taylor does!!!
Dude. bare-knucked.
Bare-knucked?? That a good thing? :)
Didn’t one of the Three Stooges used to say, “knuck, knuck, knuck?”
very well written.
“bare-knucked”??
sounds like an old southern preacher talking about Adam and Eve in the garden…:-)
be that as it may…. great piece, Chris. I’ve thought the same thing many times. I wish Vick all the success in the world – and not just because I’m an Eagles’ fan :-).
1. That would be “Nyuck nyuck nycuk.,” Curly’s line.
2. No nudity involved.
3. Short for “bare-knuckled” – i.e. no gloves, just bare-fisted pow-pow-pow.
Thanks for the clarification, Dan!
Vick interview provokes howls of protest.
See:
[…] I was going to do that, but then I read this post and just decided to link to it instead […]
what about the woman in cleveland who drowned two rabbits and posted photos online. that may have been cruel, but she is facing one year in jail, the store was closed down, and still stallworth walks!!? justice is not equal.
Being a Greek expatriate in the UK, I have no idea who Mr Vick is, or what horrible crime he committed (other than hurt some canines?).
Having said that, I agree with everything you say, Chris. We live in a world where a bunch of guys that can kick a ball straight or simply look good on camera get paid ten times more than a person who sacrifices their time and energy to save people’s lives.
I dread to think what that means.
IMO, an even greater contrast is the difference in the way the Vick case has been handled as compared to the news of Pitino paying for his mistress to have an abortion. Vick is a murderer, but Pitino is a family man and a victim. A great tragedy isn’t it, that our culture is horrified by the senseless killing of animals and indifferent to the cry and the massacre of the unborn.
[…] This article pretty much sums up exactly how I feel about this whole Michael Vick issue […]
Yo Chris, I always knew you were an Eagles fan!
(Late thought)
Hm… thinking of a new blog-name: Bare-knuckled Christianity.
Or a book title!
Hmmm….
“We have a great book (or sermon) title. Now we just need a text. And content.”
Yikes.
BTW, Dan, the “L” you included this time, making it “bare-knuckled” instead of “bare-knucked,” is pretty important. I thought you were talking about being “nekkid” in your first post, too. :)
Yes. I was more missional this time, for folks E of the Rockies.
We live in a messed up society, no doubt. How is it that the most fanatic animal rights people are usually pro-abortion? Why are the highest paid people all in some form of entertainment while some of the lowest paid are most important? Why does the law protect animals and plants more than people? Reminds me of Gen. 6:5.
[…] Leave a Comment Sometimes people get a bad wrap. Whether it’s deserved or not, a bad reputation in the public eye is hard thing to get turned around. Just ask Michael Vick. […]
[…] on Vick: Burress Gets 2 Years Posted on August 21, 2009 by Chris I suggested in a post last week that the variance between Michael Vick’s doing time for killing dogs and Donte’ […]
[…] Pastor Chris Anderson might observe that, had al-Megrahi tortured a dog or a cat, he’d still be locked up […]