And some of the existing laws on the books likely contradict one another, so it would be impossible to obey them all. In fact, if a resident of the United States seeks to read all the federal, state, county, and city laws of the place where he or she resides, even if one reads for twelve hours a day, seven days a week, for one's entire lifetime, one wouldn't finish in a normal lifespan.
Therefore, none of us have even read all the laws. If we haven't read all the laws and don't know them, how can we obey them? The key to maintaining a civilized society is not in passing laws and obeying them, it is in learning common sense and applying it.
Two Examples
As one example, no law exists against eating 100 chocolate chip cookies at one time, but few people would try to do it, due to the known harmful effects from the calories, saturated fat, sugar, etc. It's common sense. And, I confess that although I've never eaten 100 chocolate chip cookies at once, I have eaten far too many at one time before. I learned from my mistake (at least I hope so).
Quite frankly, it would probably be better if no one ever ate a chocolate chip cookie. Eat fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains and grains, beans, nuts, legumes, etc., instead. Of course I can rationalize that chocolate chip cookies do contain flour, a grain.
Furthermore, eating a few of those cookies is a minor mistake (sin if you prefer). I may be better off if I never eat another chocolate chip cookie. But if I do (and I almost certainly will), I hope no one ever seeks to put me in jail or fine me for eating one (or several).
As a second example, no law exists in the United States now to prohibit abortions in the early stage of a pregnancy. But, I think even the most strongly pro-choice woman in the country would prefer to avoid the pain, expense, and health risks of an abortion if reasonably possible. It's common sense.
Personally, I am basically pro-life, but even pro-choice persons prefer preventing an unwanted pregnancy (by practicing sexual abstinence and/or using birth control) to having an abortion. Let's seek to prevent those unwanted pregnancies, rather than just preventing the abortions that are a symptom of underlying problems such as unwanted pregnancies and/or selfish sexual lust. I don't want to put persons in jail or fine them for an unintended pregnancy or for having an abortion. But common sense says to avoid undesired pregnancies and abortions whenever reasonably possible.
Laws and Common Sense
Below is a photo taken in June 2017 of the United States Supreme Court Building in Washington, DC. The United States Supreme Court is the highest court in the country. I hope its nine justices use common sense in determining how to decide the cases that come before them. Perhaps more important is how we individuals use common sense in our daily lives in numerous actions that never get to the Supreme Court.
Laws help us do correctly. Fortunately, we have laws against speeding, driving drunk, stealing, committing murder, bearing false testimony, etc. I'm glad. But enforcing all those laws isn't easy. It is far better if persons learn from common sense that society functions better when we avoid disobeying these laws, and we voluntarily obey such laws. Also, we can all work together to teach (or remind) others who do wrong (in a loving way) the right course of action to take, rather than depending on a few law enforcement officials to do so.
None of us perfectly develop our common sense, and thus we never have perfect obedience to what I call "God's law," doing the correct thing. But the closer we come to doing so, the better off we and society will be. We may have a lot of freedom, but we need to use our common sense to exercise our freedom wisely.
NOTE: This article was last modified on July 28th, 2021.
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