The Nation’s Rioting, Violence, and Disorder

Richard Hollerman

Along with the rioting and pillaging, many other sins are being committed. Let’s be plain. We are talking about stealing, mayhem, murder, and all sorts of wickedness. We are not only speaking about turbulence, tumults, and disorder.

This rioting has not only occurred in Washington, D.C., the location of the current situation, but it has been found in various places in Minnesota and Wisconsin, Seattle, Portland, Chicago, New York, Atlanta, and elsewhere. We all wonder where will this wickedness end?

Probably many of us wonder about this. We may think that this may reasonably come from other countries of the world. But, no, this wickedness is to be found in the United States of America! America has been the scene of widespread confusion, revolution, and rebellion. This very country that many say is the seat of “law and order” has become the place of anarchy, insurrection, and widespread uprising, and lawlessness.

And we are not speaking only of blacks (“Black Lives Matter”) or of whites, or of Hispanics, or of any other ethnic group. Although we can’t point a finger at certain ethnic minorities, we suppose that most of the rioters are age 15 to 40, but we are not absolutely sure about this. However, even if most of these insurrectionists may be 15, 20, 25, or 30, we are aware that the ages are much more inclusive than this.

If you are in this category of people, you may assume that others are not to be blamed.  You may be blaming the police department, or the wealthy people in your district, or other people on the “other side.” In reality, you—personally—guilty and must accept the blame. Just today, on the internet, there was a short news story of the rioting in Washington, D.C. These protestors in the nation’s capital were chanting, “Burn the Precinct to the Ground.” Amazingly, this chanting was led by a woman!

The rioting went on and on, with crowds of men and women leading the way. In the past, we could count on females to be quiet, calm, and patient. But no more. It seems that in some places, women are just as much to blame as men. And in the past, perhaps many of these rioters would have been blacks, but this is not a given. It is widespread, with people from all walks of life.

We must not think that police are blameless about all of this. No, they make mistakes and many of them are sins. From a Biblical standpoint, they are to be blamed and must face the results of any sins that they have committed. But why do we think that blaming the police takes the blame away from the rioters? In this short video that we noticed, one of the leaders of the rioters and his people actually has a huge bank account, much money, and property in the “white” section! This used to be called “hypocrisy.” Is it still called hypocrisy? Should it not also be condemned strongly?

Think of the sins committed.  This rioting was supposedly caused when a female police officer mistakenly took out her revolver and fired it, killing the criminal, instead of using the taster that she went for. It was a mistake (apparently). Of course, this deserves to be tried. But why would we either forget or overlook other sins of this criminal (we can’t remember his name). He was resisting arrest. (We will soon see below how sinful this is). He was evading capture. He should have been stopped because he was not yielding his rights and had committed other sins of the past from which he had not been tried. I don’t know what ethnic background this dead criminal was. But whatever it may have been, he was guilty and would not have been stopped by the police if he had surrendered to his guilt and sin.

Notice a few of the sins at this location (in Washington D.C.) and elsewhere.

1. Stealing. We know that today this has been called by other names, but it is stealing, pure and simple. The short video showed how many of these criminals were stealing from a Dollar Store and other places. Some may call this pillaging, but God calls this stealing! “He who steals must steal no longer; but rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need” (Ephesians 4:28). Was stealing involved? Indeed, yes!

2. Murder. We know how sinful murder is, from God’s perspective. The Bible says that those who commit murder “are worthy of death” (Romans 1:29, 32). We read that those who commit murder will be sent to hell (Revelation 21:8). This rioting across the country definitely has brought an abundance of killing—of police officers, of rioters, and of others. Let’s remember that we will not be blameless in this regard. The one who kills another or even harms another will be held guilty before God!

3. Deceit or lying. Probably our readers know that this rioting that has been in place during the past 15 months (especially) has been perpetrated by liars. Deceivers! And let’s not forget that all liars will be sent to hell (Revelation 21:8). We also read, “Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD” (Proverbs 12:22a). We know that many of the accusations of the rioters and others have involved outright lies! And this lying is not just the rioters but all others involved.

4. Rioting and Mayhem. In order to remind ourselves of this fact again, let’s realize that we are to be peaceful people, kind people, and patient people. Rioting and such wickedness are for the unbelievers and criminals. Such sins as carousing and strife are sinful and must be renounced (Romans 13:13). Dissipation is to be renounced (Ephesians 5:18). In Scripture, some are denounced as being “detestable and disobedient” (Titus 1:16). “Dissipation or rebellion” are not to be accepted (Titus 1:6). Of course, “dissipation” is to be renounced (1 Peter 4:4). All of this reminds us that these sins and ones like them are to be a thing of the past.

5. Rampant sin. Not only are we to be peaceful, kind, patient, truthful, and harmless, we must also refrain from the kind of rampant sin that these rioters are displaying. One may say that they have a reason for their displays, but ask yourself this: If someone harms another, is it right that they kill another to “get even” (see Matthew 5:38ff)? If one is seeking justice, is it right to demand our “rights” and insist on reparations? If someone has been harmed, is it right that we accept his (or her) dishonesty, his injustice, his unrighteousness, his killing? If one were objecting to police brutality, why would we endorse the criminal’s rampant sin and evil?

From what we see, these criminals set fires, overturn vehicles, throw trash on the street, raise their voices, use bad language, and so many other sins that it is impossible to name them all. If a policeman (or today, we have “policewomen”!) has done wrong, let the legal proceedings continue. He or she must be held accountable for their wrongdoing.

But why sin so grievously in opposition to this sort of sin? Scripture refers to those who “add sin to sin” and this is just what these criminals are doing! (Isaiah 30:1). God’s Word says that “the one who practices sin is of the devil” (1 John 3:8) and this is just what these rioters are doing—they are of Satan!

We must renounce and denounce the rioting in Portland, in Wisconsin, in Chicago, and in Seattle! We must turn from and renounce the sinful rioting in Minneapolis, Saint Paul, New York, Atlanta, and elsewhere. No, we don’t condemn this wickedness and say that it is fine in other nations of the world. It is sinful there as well and the perpetrators will be held accountable and will be condemned there as well as here! (2 Corinthians 5:10).

Have we become insane in forgetting the basic principle at Romans 13:1-2? “Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves.” Please, I urge you to read this injunction again. It is true!

We know that many in America (especially in some of her larger cities) have become more wicked than we might imagine. We’ve even heard that part of these protests include the slogan, “Defund the police!” One city did defund the police to the tune of 3 million dollars but the crime escalated, thus they went back and added 1 million dollars! How can they expect the police to do their job when part of their funds have been removed? If we expect the police to defend innocent victims against criminals, surely we need the police to protect us! (We are in no way endorsing the Christian to become militant in perspective.)

We know that another battle is being fought at the southern border of the United States. Civil authorities expect over a million aliens to enter the country without permission. And these are not simply immigrants (let’s remember that America is a nation of immigrants), but these would be illegal immigrants! Too often, these include people who have paid high amounts to criminals (such as the so-called coyotes) to get them past the agents into America. Thus, much, much evil is at the southern border at the very time that the major cities are being burned!

If you are a follower of Jesus—a true Christian—we encourage you to pray. And not just pray, but do all you can to live a holy and righteous life yourself. Then reach out to others and make Jesus known to criminals to the south and criminals in the major cities. People everywhere need Jesus and His free gift of salvation!