We Live in a Litigious Society

Think back in your minds for a moment. What was America's favorite TV pastime circa 1994 and 1995? Indeed, it was watching the "Trial of the Century," the O.J. Simpson case. The case of the Heisman-winning athlete who stood accused of killing his former wife and her friend. It was CNN's shining moment. They really dished it out. They made a drama out of it, complete with dramatic theme music and graphics. It was a drama complete with stars, such as the late Johnnie Cochran, Jr, the defense attorney who dramatically put the glove on, saying, "If it doesn't fit, you must acquit," and Marcia Clark, the prosecutor--and Lance Ito, the judge who eventually burst into tears after all the pressure. It was a side show complete with commentators, such as Roger Cossack and Greta Van Susteren, who later achieved celebrity in her own right. And who could forget the famous house guest, Kato Kaelin. A friend of mine who was watching it with me one day got so put off by it that he said, "For crying out loud, this is about two people who are dead!" But by catapulting the daily servings of the Simpson case to the general public to the most watched TV show of the time, America has proven one thing: She is fascinated by courtroom drama.

This can be further proven by the plethora of courtroom TV shows that exists today: There is "Judge Judy," "Judge Hatchett," "Judge Alex," "Judge Greg Mathis," "Cristina's Court," and the classic "Divorce Court," just to name a few. People spend their off days watching this stuff. Time and time again the scenario is the same: Party A is suing party B because of a perceived tort, or wrong. Usually they sue to get a large amount of money, usually for pain and suffering.

Most of the time, we just want to avenge ourselves, and satisfy our thirst for money. We watch all this on TV, and we get the idea that we should do the same. For example, we get the news from a routine visit from the doctor that we have less than 6 months to live, and that we are about to succumb to lung cancer. So we claim getting back at Big Tobacco to be at the top of our "bucket list." So the following Monday, we call an attorney, and we prepare to sue Big Tobacco for our terminal illness. We know good and well that we will be too dead to enjoy any compensation we receive in these matters, but we want to do it anyway. But what we fail--or refuse--to realize is that since about 1965 the Surgeon General has told us that lighting up is not healthy for us, and can lead to death. But we do it anyway,and seek to blame someone else for the consequences of our mistakes.

We don't stop there. Our foolishness in this regard goes on to take an even more sinister tone. Consider this classic scenario of fraud: One Saturday Mrs. Miller decides to go to the local Save-A-Lot. She enters the door, takes a buggy. She notices a spot on the newly-mopped floor that hasn't quite dried yet. In a well-practiced, well-thought out attempt to hustle a few extra thousand bucks, she falls, and arranges a meeting with her attorney to discuss damage collection. It happens quite often. Although such behaviour is against the law, it is quite difficult to prove.

What it all boils down to, then, is that we look to man to provide for us, to solve our problems, and to punish persons we perceived to have hurt us. In the Word of God it says, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay" (Romans 12: 19). Also, in Philippians 4: 19, the Word says "And my God shall supply all of your needs according to His riches in glory." What we need to do is to stop seeking revenge, and being obsessed with money, and seek after God.