Witness Protection

Crazy hypothetical: Witness Protection*

You have just witnessed a major crime. The authorities want to put you in witness protection. These are your options.
#1. You can go by yourself and be absolutely guaranteed that everyone you care about including yourself will be safe. The person that committed the crime will most likely be convicted. You however will never be able to talk, see, and have contact with anyone or anything from your old life again. You must change everything that can that can connect you to your old life.

#2. You can go with your family. You and your family will be 90% likely to survive. Any friends or associates you leave behind will have a 75% chance of survival. The person that committed the crime has a 50/50 chance of being convicted. You will be able to live with your family but never be able to talk, see, and have contact with anyone or anything from your old life again. You must change everything that can that can connect you to your old life.
#3. You can stay where you are at and testify. You will be protected but someone in your family or friends will die. Your life will not have to change, but the conviction rate for the criminal will be a lock.
#4. You can refuse to testify. Your life will not change but there will still be a danger that you will be killed to keep you silent. Your friend and family will be protected but the criminal will absolutely go free.

What do you choose to do? Does the crime committed affect your decision? (IE Corporate crime vs. a murder) What change in odds would affect your decision? What if you were the one that had to die?

*Crazy Hypothetical is a mental game that gives you a conditional choice that gets you thinking about a subject. I used these for several years as discussion starters in Bible class. This is one of my favorite because it all the different consequences. It is a great way to start thinking about subjects like sacrifice, justice, and family.

Comments

Until Midnight

In Acts 20, there is the tragicomic event surrounding a young man by the name of Eutychus. He did what a lot of folks before and after him did, he fell asleep during a sermon. Unfortunately, he was setting in in the third story window at the time. So instead of nodding off and hitting the pew in front of him, he fell to his death. The good news was the apostle Paul was delivering the sermon and had the ability to bring him back. I don’t know, however, if we can judge Eutychus too harshly. The sermon had gone on till midnight. Paul wouldn’t finish it up till daybreak. That’s a long lesson. I know some folks that might want to jump out of a window if I had a lesson that long, yet these Christians wanted to be there to hear Paul. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not pushing for all night sermons but I think we might need to adopt these folks' dedication. They knew that Paul was only in town for a limited time only and they were determined to ...

The Right to Arm Bears

In the book of 2 nd Kings 2, we have one of the most unusual, violent and curious passages in scripture. It involves the prophet Elisha siccing a couple of bears on some kids that were mocking his bald head. As a guy that is a little light on top that has been around some surly kids, I can feel for the guy. But seriously a bear attack? On kids? What is going on? ….young lads came out from the city and mocked him and said to him, "Go up, you baldhead; go up, you baldhead!" When he looked behind him and saw them, he cursed them in the name of the LORD. Then two female bears came out of the woods and tore up forty-two lads of their number. 2 nd Kings 2:23-25 It might help to explore the passage a bit more. The baldhead statement: This was an identifying mark of the prophet as opposed to Elijah who was hairy (1st Kings 1:8) a jab to say you are not him. The taunt to go up: Elijah has just been taken into heaven by the Lord a sight seen by ...

The Mighty Gulf

It is hard to get people on two sides of an issue to come together. Each has their own viewpoint, their perceptive, their own foibles, their own understanding. To gain any common ground there must be something in common. Something or someone that can bridge the gulf between the two. Could there be a greater gulf than there was between God and man? How could a holy perfect God find a way to connect to the fallen, imperfect mankind? How can one without temptation connect to those who are beset by it? How could limited mortal beings understand an omnipotent eternal God? In 1 Timothy 2:5, we read, “ For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus .” The phrase mediator here describes a person that bridges the gap, a go-between. Jesus was one who could stand in both worlds. A perfect holy one who can understand our temptations, a man who would die yet live eternally, One who was God yet became flesh and dwelt among us. ...

Ecclesiastes 12:10

Search This Blog