Mercy

At the end of his clemency speech before leaving office, Governor George Ryan quoted Abe Lincoln who said:

"I have always found that mercy bears richer fruits than strict justice".

The Bible echoes:

"Mercy triumphs over judgment"

I agree.

People of a religious persuasion, who believe in God and Judgment Day, should therefore be more inclined to mercy.

So it's disappointing to see Muslims burning down embassies, Christians torching abortion clinics and religious people misbehaving in violent, vicious ways.

There is so much to do: food for the hungry, water for the thirsty, help for the helpless. But yet we exert so much energy, effort and emotion for the unimportant things.

What's important then?

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." (James 1:27)