Give or Take, a Matter of Respect

Way back in the mid 1960's, our state government introduced a new road law to clarify the situation of two cars arriving at an uncontrolled intersection at the same time. It was colloquially known as the 'Right of Way' law (we drive on the left hand side of the road in Australia).

I was going for my driver's license in 1966 (18 years old), with a simple oral test at the local police station before the actual driving test. The policeman asked me about the 'Right of Way' rule, to which I answered, "The driver of the car on the right has right of way". He rephrased the question and asked me again, to which I gave the same answer. When he asked the same question a third time, I had to control myself, and gave the same answer. He then clarified the rule for me. The driver on the right does NOT have 'right of way' - rather the driver on the left is obliged to give way to the driver on the right. Its the difference between taking and giving.

I once read this quote, "Whats the difference between a socialist and a Christian? The socialist says "what's yours is mine", but the Christian says "what's mine is yours". The economic outcome might be similar, but it comes to down to whether one respects the other's free will.

What that policeman said to me over 50 years ago has stuck in my mind ever since. It saddens me when I read of people standing up for "their" rights, but trampling over other people's rights in the process. They seem to interpret the "land of the free" as the "land of the me".

What would society be like if the 'Bill of Rights' was redraughted as 'the Bill of Civic Responsibilities', where everyone had the civic responsibility to allow other people to have their own opinions and speak their mind, etc?

The same principles apply in marriage. It saddens me to see so many men especially, that treat their spouses as property to be owned and to be punished if their don't obey or do their bidding. Worse, the effects of family violence flow through to the children and the grandchildren - "The sins of the father will be visited on his children to the 3rd and 4th generation" (Ex.20:5, Num.14:18, Deu.5:9). I was moved to word our wedding vows as "giving" each to the other, instead of "taking" a spouse.