“By proof we feel
Our power sufficient to disturb his Heav’n,
And with perpetual inrodes to alarm,
Though inaccessible, his fatal Throne:
Which if not Victory is yet Revenge.”
— John Milton, Paradise Lost
I think that Milton had it right. Satan knows that he cannot win the battle. But, his revenge involves not victory, but the perpetual upheaval of the Kingdom of God and of his throne. I do not think that Satan necessarily harbors any hope of winning the final battle. But, his revenge comes in the massive destruction which he causes and will cause, and in the number that he prevents from sharing the joy of God in his kingdom.
Sadly, human revenge is often the same. If you notice, most revenge movies do not restore the person lost (most revenge movies involve a dead loved one). Rather, they are intended to cause maximum damage to the person or the corporation that was involved. It is only when a revenge movie strays from revenge over a loved or injured person that you catch the disproportionate nature of revenge. It is the same way in real life. All you need to do are look at some of the lawsuits filed. Generally, the financial damage that they propose causing to the other person or corporation is way outside any realistically proportional punishment. The motive is not compensation for pain, rather the motive is often pure revenge.
Yes, I know that a person whose inattention to safely leads to another person’s broken arm should pay all hospital costs involved and any loss of income. But, often the injured person will additionally sue for amounts of money that often equal years of salary for the person whose inattention allowed the accident to happen. At that point you can tell that revenge has become the motive. Sadly, we have allowed our tort law to become an extort system which facilitates an attitude which makes Satan most proud, revenge.
Tort law itself is not wrong. We need to have a way to deal with civil wrongs. Not everything is criminal. If your car is backing into a parking spot and you accidentally bump the car behind you causing a dent, that is not a criminal matter. It comes under tort law. You can look at the Old Testament to find several examples of tort law. But, when you look at the Old Testament, you can see that damage awards are capped. For instance, a thief that had committed the crime of robbing a cow would also be liable to a tort judgment of five cows as damage punishment (see Exodus). Interestingly enough, a sheep was only four sheep, one less than a cow. There are other examples of tort law in the Old Testament, many of them not involving any criminal act, but they were all capped.
Revenge, however, has no cap. It is amazing how many people will claim that an emotional or physical injury is so great that the other person must be punished with a punishment so large that they are essentially sentenced to a lifetime of misery. That is what makes revenge so dangerous. Revenge has no relationship to justice. It is a disproportional desire to damage the other person for the sheer pleasure of watching them suffer. In fact, I would argue that the first murder, Cain killing Abel, had a large measure of a revenge motive behind it.
But, you know what the main problem with revenge is? It is the sin that we often do not see as sin. Revenge winds its ways through many of our darkest fantasies, and we encourage it. Revenge raises its head whenever we feel injured, and we often do not rebuke it. Revenge poisons out attitudes and we allow it. We often argue with ourselves that just fantasizing about some revenge but not doing it simply relieves our stress. And so we sin and poison ourselves. Yes, revenge is most dangerous and foul, even when not committed.
When dealing with corporations, or egregious violations by individuals, such as gross malpractice on the part of professionals, there is often the ability to collect “punitive damages” beyond what is what required to make the victim “whole”. The theory is that the possibility of such damages will act as a further deterrent to gross negligence or willful misconduct.
Revenge, I think, operates on another level, one perhaps that expects emotional closure from the awarding of such damages (or, in the case of criminal law, from seeing a severe punishment, such as capital punishment, inflicted).
I was not thinking of corporations, but rather of individual on individual revenge. My discussion on corporations would be somewhat different. You are correct that the liability laws that pertain to corporations have a deterrent function built into them.
One of your better pieces! I did pause and think (tongue in cheek), “I wonder if he’s being sued?” 🙂
ROFL, no I am not!
Great post. Recently the History Channel did a mini-series on the Hackfelds & McCoys. It was a very powerful story. I described it to my FB friends as a 6 hour sermon on hate.
This may sound rather silly, but you should really check out the first two episodes of the new My Little Pony TV series (it’s a two-part opening episode.)
It deals with revenge and reconciliation, and does so in a surprisingly intelligent and even Christian way for a kids show. I won’t say anymore, lest I give any of the plot away.
Your fellow Alabaman, Fisher Humphreys,
has some good words about forgiveness
its what you do instead or revenge
http://fisherhumphreys.com/sermons.html
click on forgiveness
One other thing about revenge is that the perpetrator of revenge thinks justice is being done. But usually it isn’t. For an extreme and very real example, I thought back to when North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il died. Sure, he did lots of terrible things. But at the same time, he grew up in an extremely messed-up society and environment. Can we honestly claim that we would’ve been much better had we been in his position? Can we truly read his heart? So, the truly right level of punishment for him should be left to God himself. We don’t have the wisdom or the information. Finally, since the world is fallen, why are we (or is it just me) tempted to be upset when “perfect” justice eludes us? Such is unfortunately something that we should expect from time to time.
Someone has said that we want justice in regard to the behavior of others, mercy when it comes to ourselves.
But, often the injured person will additionally sue for amounts of money that often equal years of salary for the person whose inattention allowed the accident to happen. At that point you can tell that revenge has become the motive.
Not only Revenge, but Get Rich Quick. Lawsuits are considered a Get Rich Quick/Money for Free.
“I want everything of yours
And I want it all for FREE!”
— Lady Gaga
One other thing about this old thread. My father told me a while back that if we think deeply about it, NOTHING good ever came from revenge, whether it’s “successful” or not. So even from a purely utilitarian perspective, it’s a bad idea.