Is there a Difference Between Victims and Criminals? Are Victims and Criminal Concluded Evenly?
This question: “Is there a difference between victims and criminal?” may seem to be so obvious that nobody, nowhere, at any time, will expect to hear it, and nobody will care to think about it to provide an answer for. In the face of all this obvious perception, I have raised this question, and I am convinced that there is a multitude of people who are not convinced of making distinction between the two practically; however, they may believe that there is a manifest difference between the victims and criminals theoretically. Who are they? Actually, they are those who believe that death is the end of everything, that both good deeds and misdeeds have no significance after one dies, that criminals go unpunished, and good people go unrewarded. Thus, in the wake of death, serial killers or saints, tyrants or kindhearted ones, rapers or the raped, criminals or victims, are the same, regardless of what they were and what they did. This idea is rampant among the atheists, agnostics, cynical or skeptical individuals, and those who are theists theoretically but not practically. This idea elaborates that those who have spent their time in corruption have the same share as those spending time doing good. Those who are murdering are the same like those who are saving lives. Or the award of those who give charity is counted similar to that of those who rob the people’s property. Generally speaking, the distinction between those two categories will be clouded or lost if we think that as soon as they die, their cases are wrapped up permanently.
In the face of law, of course, definition between law-abiding citizens and lawbreakers has been established, so that the criminals are prosecuted and their punishment is calculated by the severity of their crime. However, there have been a lot of instances that criminals have escaped the punishment. For example, they have been on the loose, or they may have been replaced by an innocent mistakenly, or they may have been exonerated by obstruction of justice, nepotism, or any other ways. Thus, we see that law is not always perfectly has been practiced, and therefor criminals could have escaped it. To conclude, it is not the perfect standard to be able to deal with every single criminal. As a matter of fact, justice will only be perfect and immaculate when every single criminal is punished according to his or her crime.
If you work for someone the whole day, and you are refused to receive your wage at the end of the day, how do you feel? Don’t you feel that you are mistreated, oppressed, ripped off, or deprived of what is yours? Certainly, you do. And aren’t you different from those who have spent their day futilely? Certainly, you are. This truly happens when those who have spent their life usefully, and as soon as they die, their good efforts be gone by the wind. If so, aren’t they similar to those who have lived lavishly out of the robbery? If death will be the end of all things, then the party who have lived lavishly out of the robbery have had the better luck than those who have spent time doing good. If so, their goodness has not been paid off at all. In theory, it is believed by everyone that good deeds are good and useful only in this life. There are people who believe that good deeds continue to pay off the life after, but there are also many who think good deeds are good only in this life, not in the life after, because they do not believe in the after life. Thus, it is safe to say that they only in theory believe that good deeds are good because they are useful, though they do not benefit from them financially. Those who believe in the life after, they practically believe that good actions are practically paid off by God by offering a heaven full of food and fruit and other facilities and services to fulfill our desires. The manner God pays off the good deeds is practical, being at odds with a multitude of people who consider these good deeds only theoretically, insignificantly, nominally.
In the same way that there is a purpose for creation, so is for sickness, health, poverty, failure, etc. If creation belongs to a well-founded design, everything having been created makes sense. If there are things that we cannot make sense of, in fact, our mind is short of its understanding, even if there are happenings that involve loss of lives, disasters, and diseases. In the same way that the universe is governed by fixed laws, our actions and behaviors are also geared to follow a path that is right and proper, and deviation thereof means transgression. Thus, right and wrong conducts are created, and so are their rewards and retributions. If good deeds go unrewarded, they are reduced to nothing: a work unpaid, an attempt failed, or a battle vanquished.
Human is not a dish to be broken and left in oblivion as meaninglessly as its broken pieces, nor a recipe to be eaten and lost in the stomach inconsequentially, nor a footprint to be lost and forgotten, nor a sea wave to appear and disappear momentarily, nor a leaf falling off the tree that eventually dissipating and desiccating, nor a pebble on the seashore. Human beings are intelligent, decent, conscientious, and responsible creatures to serve a purpose. As they are vested with intelligence, soul, and dignity, they are accountable for their actions, behavior, and decisions. Their deeds, good or bad, will not be lost, and they are consequential.
Are you convinced that there are justice and law and order and tenets among human beings, creatures of God, but not in the kingdom of God? What makes you to come to such a belief? What about those crimes that have escaped human justice either by neglect, or by prejudice, or by nepotism? What about the crimes having been committed against humanity in the course of history? What about the crimes that have never been made public?
And now do they who have spent time and efforts helping humanity expect nothing? What about those who have given sacrifices for the sake of humanity? What about those who have sacrificed their lives to save lives? What about those who have struggled to be good and to do good to bring justice, beauty, harmony, and wisdom? All their times, efforts, and sacrifices of no avail?
Do you think it makes sense that the first group who are composed of criminals should go unpunished, and the second group who are good people should go unrewarded? Do you think the whole universe is made out nonsense so that no distinction should be made between good and bad, humanity and inhumanity, sacrifices and grudges? Do they both go on the same boat destined to the same fate and destination? Do you think this universe is a jungle guarded and run by the mindless?
In the same manner that nature changes by wearing different seasonal clothes, displaying its childhood, youth, and old age by means of color, human beings also go through different stages of life. Their lives involve various changes, colors, and meanings. Abundance and poverty, health and sickness, pain and suffering are few phenomena they encounter in the course of, accompanied with various challenges, escapades, experiences, and opportunities, and failures. The way the spring gives strength to the earth to revive, youth brings energy to life. The way winter stores the earth with water, old age prepares life with what is vested in it. Poverty similarly pushes life into new challenges, or for example, pain gives life new perspective and understanding. Thus, all these experiences fill up life with meaning and value and insight.
In fact, God’s table of rewards is beyond our imagination and expectation. Fairness and generosity are two important elements of the table. To be awarded with these rewards, our work is not compared to what we do on earth, and we are repaid by our bosses and masters. God’s injunctions are easy to perform, but His reward very big. His reward is based on truthfulness, honesty, simplicity, goodness, and purity, being freed from any deception, trick, hypocrisy, corruption, prejudice, and other ugly aims and plans.
Our every single action including good and bad will go in our record. Nothing will be erased, twisted, or changed. Do you think human misdeeds causing innocent people pain and miseries will get off scot free? Do you think these misdeeds are footprints, waves of the ocean, raindrops, or bird droppings not to be accounted for? God’s sovereignty is complete and perfect: the smallest goodness will not be left unnoticed and unrewarded, with ultimate justice and fairness.