anita's*thoughts

Wednesday, November 30, 2005

What an interesting debate over the fireworks issue. I thought I would sum up the issue as to how I saw it.

Fireworks cause much damage to people, property and pets. This isn’t good. In fact the damage cause by fireworks this year was up 70% on last year! Anything that causes much damage, with the only pay off being the enjoyment to others must be questioned. There is really no other useful purpose for fireworks than a couple of nights in a year providing pleasure and enjoyment. They don’t cure cancer or serve any other purpose.

In Australia this is a non-issue. Fireworks are banned full stop. Why? Because the potential for bush fires and wide spread damage is huge. The negatives of fireworks far out way the positives.

It isn’t the job of the State to deal with sin in people hearts and lives. Their job is to protect people and ensure that the wider community is safe. The state has decided that things like speeding, drugs, alcohol (to minors) and smoking is dangerous. They ban or limit the use of these things because the impact to the user and the wider community outweighs the pleasure of using or doing these things.

Preventative measures are always going to be far better than fire-fighting (literally in this case). It is morally responsible to remove items that cause public harm and prevent other people being hurt. It is not morally responsible to allow items to be used that cause public harm.

Imagine someone knocked on your door and ask you to sign a petition to ban fireworks. His house was burnt to the ground and one of his children didn’t make it out in time. This was cause by a firecracker going through his window. Would you say to him ‘I am sorry my personal freedom would be diminished by banning fireworks’ and shut the door?

As Christians we should be the first to put our pleasure and enjoyment aside if it is going to protect and help others. As Christians we should not leave temptation in peoples way that would to lead them to sin and hurt others. Banning firecrackers isn’t going to deal with peoples sin but leaving them isn’t going to either.

This issue was never about the general use of fireworks. My issue was with the use of them that is inconsiderate and harmful. Someone being rude and inconsiderate woke me up at 3am. It was suggested to love my neighbour as myself. The loving thing to do isn’t to be ok with people’s sin and not be concerned by it and Jesus wouldn’t have gone outside and joined this person. I did love my neighbour- I felt just as sorry for them being woken up as I was for myself.

7 Comments:

That's all very well, but I think you really need to get things in perspective.

Society suffers considerably more from poor eating habits than from fireworks.

When I was talking about your neighbour - I was referring to the guy who was letting off fireworks.

And you say that you don't know what Jesus would have done, and then suddenly you know that he wouldn't have gone out to talk with Mr. Fireworks? Which is it then? And why?

By Dan, at 9:01 am, November 30, 2005

I didn't know what Jesus would have done in terms of fireworks in general.

But then I realised that I was never speaking about general use but the specific use in this 3am situation. It became pretty clear.

If you were talking about Mr 3am then why would you suggest Jesus would have joined him at disrupting the neighhourhood?

By Anita, at 9:48 am, November 30, 2005

What I said was:

"I reckon he would wandered out to enjoy them and to have a friendly chat with his neighbour."

Of course I didn't mean to imply that Jesus would whip out some fireworks and start lighting them Himself. You can't seriously have thought that was what I was meaning.

I'm getting fully annoyed at how you so freely twist, or at least exaggerate, what other people say.

What I suspect he would have done would have been to go out and stand next to your neighbour, Mr. 3am, and in appreciation, said "Man these firworks are beautiful, aren't they?". Then I imagine He'd have told Mr. 3am a wee story which would have left Mr 3am in no doubt as to his sinful condition, recognising a serious need to repent and follow Christ.

That is what I meant.

Just becasue Jesus was a male doesn't mean he was as rude, violent, and/or ignorant as our ruling feminazi's would have us all believe.

By Dan, at 1:35 pm, November 30, 2005

Dan- is this you? It doesn't sound like you.....?

I never ever intended to freely twist, or at least exaggerate anyone. I am sorry that you are annoyed at me. But I am not sure why- there was no evil intent and I wasn't trying to do any such thing. I honestly was just reading it how I saw it. I don't think it is fair to get annoyed with me because I read something differently.

I am sorry that I misunderstood you but yes that is exactly want I thought. By saying that Jesus would have gone out and 'enjoyed' the fire works meant to me he would have been enjoying what was going on. I don't think Jesus was in the habit of 'enjoying' people being up to no good?? As for having a chat- you are right he would have probably done this.

'Just becasue Jesus was a male doesn't mean he was as rude, violent, and/or ignorant as our ruling feminazi's would have us all believe. ' I have no idea what this comment means or how it has any relevance to the topic at hand???

By Anita, at 4:29 pm, November 30, 2005

And I am hurt that you would accuse me of such things esp when I honestly didn't mean do to.

By Anita, at 4:34 pm, November 30, 2005

First of all, as i have previously asked, could you please use the right term? you are not using the word ban in the right manner here b/c what you are wanting is not banning fireworks altogether, you are wanting them....restricted. Or another way to look at it is, from what i can tell, you want to ban personal use of fireworks but not ban the fireworks themselves altogether b/c you said you're ok with having them at big events...ie Christmas in the Park/Symphony under the Stars.

In Australia this is a non-issue. Fireworks are banned full stop. Why? Because the potential for bush fires and wide spread damage is huge. The negatives of fireworks far out way the positives. No, you're wrong...partly. Fireworks in and of themselves are not banned, they are restricted b/c they are still used at big events there, but yes personal use of fireworks is actually banned over there. And just as an aside, Australia is a completely different landscape and far drier than NZ is and ever will be...

By Priscilla, at 4:34 pm, November 30, 2005

As an unrelated aside, I have to say I consider it to be quite petty that some bloggers - you know who you are - will remove/rearrange their links to other bloggers according to what appears to me to be feelings/attitudes related to various discussions on various blogs.

While some of the discussion has been rather warm, if not heated, I still think we're all big enough not to resort to ranking or even 'striking off' our friends.

Come on, guys!

By Dan, at 11:33 am, December 03, 2005