By Dr. Marianne Furtado de Nazareth –
The world has been hit by COVID-19 and the state of Karnataka and India at large has come out with rules and strictures about how we as a society have to shut down for a week, to see how best we can contain the spread of the disease. We have to follow the rules and most of us do because we are responsible citizens of a country, faced by an unseen enemy.
Being a professor in college one comes across all kinds of students. Some students who find following the rules of the institution and my rules of behaviour in class very simple and they just respectfully accept. There are some students who deliberately do not want to accept and intentionally and calculatedly defy the rules. It takes a year most often for them to realise, that there is zero tolerance for such behaviour in college and they learn to toe the line.
In community living too rules are made to ensure that everyone who lives in the building adhere to preplanned rules, so that all residents in the building feel comfortable living together. But here too you get the odd resident who calculatedly, enjoys consciously breaking the rules. He or she believes rules are meant to be broken and that gives them some sort of superior high. Large overblown egos are generally behind their behaviour and they refuse to accept the set of rules which are necessary to make living together an amenable experience. Finally it’s sad, but it’s the court or the police, that decides to whip them into line.
The question I surmise which is in their heads is — why should we follow rules? Well, rules help to have a disciplined society and that all who accept rules, make it easier to live along with others. If one does not follow rules and does whatever they wish to do, then there will be chaos all around. For example on our roads, if we don’t follow the traffic rules then no one will be able to reach their destination on time and several accidents will take place and many lives will be lost.
In the Bible, it is quite clear in Romans 13:1-7: “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience.”
To define a rule — it is a set of guidelines which has been established in all countries and communities and has been accepted by all. The types of rules can differ from one country or community to another. The rule differences are affected by factors like beliefs, social interactions, policies, and the type of government. Violators are dealt with according to the penalties that come with the violation of the rules. Therefore, rules are a beneficial tool to guide and monitor the interactions between the members of the society.
There are rules that are considered informal like the ones that are set in a home or schools. Breaking these guidelines will result in consequences like being grounded or detention. On the other hand, there are codified rules and are expected to be followed by every member of the community. Breaking these regulations will have more serious consequences like going to jail or paying a fine.
Rules are a set of instructions and guidelines to help advise people’s behavior. They are important in maintaining order and structure in society because they tell people what to do or what not to do. Different rules apply to different situations. For instance, school rules include a dress code and no talking and disturbing the class. Rules at home may include no television during dinner or everyone has to clean up after a meal. Traffic rules tell people how fast they can drive or where they can park. People obey rules because they don’t want to pay the consequences of breaking them which could entail large fines. In college cell phones are confiscated and not returned for a month. You will never find a student breaking that rule, ever.
The consequences for breaking rules vary depending on the circumstances. For instance, when someone breaks a traffic rule he or she will receive a ticket or a fine. If someone breaks a school rule, he or she may become suspended or receive a detention. When kids break the rules of the house, they might get grounded. Consequences prevent people from breaking rules, and one of the reasons to follow rules is to avoid paying the fine.
Another reason to follow the rules is because of safety or common sense. For example, at swimming pools, one of the rules is usually “no running.” This is because running near the pool can cause someone to slip and fall. Although many people might want to run to have fun, it is better not to. If it wasn’t a rule, more people might end up running around and hurting themselves. Many rules become laws because they are very important for the safety and well-being of people in society.
Rules are basically guidelines for behavior that apply to different situations. It is good to respect the rules because that way people avoid getting into trouble or causing problems. Even rules that seem to make no sense should be followed mainly to avoid the consequences but also to show respect for other people. When rules are properly set and followed, they provide a stable environment and human co-existence in a community, resulting in peace and order.
Again in Deuteronomy 21:18-21 “If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey the voice of his father or the voice of his mother, and, though they discipline him, will not listen to them, then his father and his mother shall take hold of him and bring him out to the elders of his city at the gate of the place where he lives, and they shall say to the elders of his city, ‘This our son is stubborn and rebellious; he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton and a drunkard.’ Then all the men of the city shall stone him to death with stones. So you shall purge the evil from your midst, and all Israel shall hear, and fear.”
The bible is harsh you may say, but I think this passage is an exaggeration to get our attention. Rules are meant to be adhered to, to make life and living easy for all of us. And that’s all there is to it.
Cartoon courtesy: Fr. Benny Palliparambil
Dr Marianne Furtado de Nazareth,
Former Asst. Editor, The Deccan Herald, &
Adjunct faculty St. Joseph’s College of Arts and Science, Bangalore.