July 6, 2011 in Events,Grace with 48 Comments

Getting Away With Murder

Hello there! If you are new here, you might want to subscribe to the RSS feed for updates on this topic.

Like everyone else, I was overloaded with Twitter and Facebook updates yesterday reacting to the Casey Anthony not guilty verdict. People were outraged. People were appalled. Christians were blasting the judicial system; the judge and the jury. A lot of Christians were speaking as though they were the judge and jury.

I have not followed the Casey Anthony murder trial very closely. I know that there is some pretty incriminating circumstantial evidence. I know that according to what I’ve seen on TV, the case against her was pretty strong. I know it appears that she is getting away with murder. Based on all I’ve seen, I think she is. It is a scandal.

Everything within me says, “I can’t believe she is getting away with this.”

Then there is another voice in my head that reminds me of all that I have gotten away with. The lies I never got caught in. The lust that no one ever knew about. The hate I never showed outwardly. The jealousy I masked with self-righteousness. The consequences of sin I somehow escaped. But she (allegedly) killed her daughter. That is different than my sin. To me it is…then Jesus equates hating with murder and I know I’m guilty.

It is then that my heart remembers the scandal of my own “not guilty” verdict. When I deserved the death penalty, Jesus took it. When I deserved to pay for my crimes, Jesus stepped in and took my place. Grace doesn’t make what Casey Anthony allegedly did right…nothing would ever make that right.

Grace makes me thankful for God’s injustice…that He doesn’t give me what I deserve. It makes me thankful that I am not called to be the judge or jury, because I am at the center of my own scandal of forgiveness. This verdict is a reminder to me of how outraged most people would be if all of the sins of my life were known and the world was told that Jesus found me not guilty.

What are your thoughts, not only about the trial but about grace?

About Justin and Trisha:

All Posts by Justin and Trisha | Personal Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Share By Email

Shelley

Thank you for putting this into words!

http://www.refineus.org Justin and Trisha

thanks Shelley!

http://www.firefliesandhummingbirds.net Chrissy @ Fireflies and Hummingbirds

This is a great post, Justin.

In regard to Casey Anthony, I do believe she’s guilty but I also believe that in light of the fact that most of the evidence was circumstantial, our judicial system worked the way it was meant to. There was no hard proof of anything except the fact that this young woman didn’t seem to mind that her child was missing. I guess we can’t sentence a person to life in prison – or death – for being a lousy mom.

You make a good point, though, when you mention all the things YOU’ve gotten away with. Me, too. How many times have I sinned, and no one knew. How many times I should’ve gotten caught, but I didn’t. We are all guilty of SO MUCH, and yet there is One who is willing to take our punishment. Even with the hard proof of my sins, He still finds me not guilty. How GREAT is THAT!

I was outraged at first over the verdict in this case, but I’ve since moved on, realizing that God has a plan, whether we know it or not. And if justice was not properly served here on earth, I know that on Judgment Day, He will sort it all out.

Pat Rowland

I’m not convinced that you can say the system worked. The system produced a judgement but I don’t think it was just. The facts of the case is she didn’t report her daughter missing for 31 days. I’m not being a hater, it’s just the truth. The tragedy of the whole story is that a 2 year old little girl is dead because of a parent’s neglect. It’s difficult to find & see that there is good in this, but we serve a God that makes beautiful things out of messy things.

Jennifer

The system did work. Not reporting her daughter missing doesn’t prove she murdered her. It just proves she’s an idiot. Lying to police doesn’t prove she murdered her. Weird smells coming from her car doesn’t prove she murdered her. This is why all this evidence is called circumstantial.

What kills me is people saying the US justice system failed. The justice system did exactly what it was supposed to do. It presumed a suspect innocent until proven guilty by a jury of her peers. The burden of proof BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT lies with the prosecution, not the defense. All the defense had to do was create doubt, and they did. Personally, I don’t think I could hand over a guilty verdict as a juror if I had doubt – especially in a death penalty case.

And if you’re ever wrongly accused of a crime, God forbid, you better hope and pray you’re presumed innocent as well. This is why in the US, we try in the courtroom, not the media. Talk to Amanda Knox or Eric Volz and then tell me we don’t have the best court system in the world.

Do I think she is guilty? Yeah, I do. But my following the trial closely would have made me an unacceptable juror. I judged her before they even found the child’s body.

It’s horrible, but I take solace in the fact that that baby is in the arms of an eternal and loving God and no one can harm her again. As for her mother, we need to keep the faith that God will deal with it as he sees fit.

http://www.refineus.org Justin and Trisha

Thank you for sharing your thoughts!

http://www.refineus.org Justin and Trisha

so true pat…it is very sad. God does redeem and restore in ways that blow my mind. praying for that in this situation.

http://www.refineus.org Justin and Trisha

Love your thoughts! He will sort it all out. So glad I don’t have to!

http://www.inspiredpieces.blogspot.com Donna Michelle

My thoughts remain the same…. That God will handle this in His own way and in His own time. The justice system may have failed but He will not. Whatever Casey Anthony’s life may be from here on out is up to God not man. The laws of man are never the final word. Only God knows what is in store for any of us… guilty or innocent. Yes, I too was upset that there was not justice for little Caylee but there is comfort knowing she is with our Lord. As for the family left behind… what is between them and God is what will determine their fates.

http://www.refineus.org Justin and Trisha

so true Donna.

http://www.walkingwithcourage.blogspot.com Emily

Excellent post!
http://www.createmargin.com Barry Leathers

Justin,

Excellent post. I’ve had similar thoughts in the last 24 hours and you expressed them perfectly. I still wouldn’t trade our justice system for anything. If we err, I’d much rather the guilty go free than the innocent be punished. This is exactly what Jesus did for us – we got to walk right out of the courtroom. Thanks for the post and keep up the good work!

http://www.refineus.org Justin and Trisha

Thanks, Barry!

B. Stone

Great reminder! I couldn’t agree more. Thanks!

http://www.refineus.org Justin and Trisha

Thanks!

Deborah H

My thoughts are I don’t get to have a thought about it. Guilty. Not Guilty. It’s not mine, in the end, to decide. As I sat thinking about her verdict (I, like you, did not follow very closely. These sorts of situations depress me & I guard my heart from them.) I was slammed with this thought: It doesn’t matter what the world declares her, God offers her forgiveness if she truly desires it. For whatever it is she has done/will do.

And that humbled me beyond belief. God will forgive her…even if she’s a murderer. God will forgive her…even if she’s an abuser. God will forgive her…even if the world never does.

God forgives me…for being judgmental. God forgives me…for having a bad attitude. God forgives me…for dragging His name through the mud over and over and over because I’m too proud & too weak to take a stand.

Caylee isn’t with us anymore. She is safe. Protected. Happy. She’s home. We shouldn’t continue to mourn for Caylee…we should mourn for the people responsible though. And we sure better love them.

http://www.refineus.org Justin and Trisha

Great thoughts! Thank you!

http://tuesdayswithjesus.blogspot.com Donna Schultz

I couldn’t agree with you more. Only God and Casey
Anthony know the whole truth. I was more outraged yesterday at the Christian responses to the not guilty verdict on FB and Twitter. Thinking about it today, if Casey Anthony were to repent for all of her sins (only God knows what they are), fall on her knees and make Jesus the Lord of her life, our Heavenly Father would be quick to forgive, show her mercy and change her life. That gives me hope. It gives me hope for every person that I am praying for, every person that I long to see saved and serving Christ. I praise God for His Cross and the mercy that He has shown me in spite of the heinous things I’ve done. Who am I to judge and be so self-righteous?

http://www.refineus.org Justin and Trisha

Praising God with you for the cross!

Tisa Holt

It is interesting to me that friends of mine, who’ve had abortions, are appalled at what Cayce did. They say that if their child was missing for two minutes they’d tear up the town looking for her, not go out dancing. Is it not the same? Is it not killing a child in both cases? How can we not see that it is the same?
For it is only by God’s relentless grace and unconditional love that we are forgiven. We are all headed straight to Hell until God saves us like a Knight in shining armor, riding His white horse, coming to save the day and rescue us from ourselves. We all have done wrong and need forgiveness. I am no different. I am reminded daily that I am in desperate need of a Savior! She is no different. Cayce needs our prayers. She needs Jesus in a big way. It’s hard to pray for someone like that, I know, but Jesus came so that NONE would be lost!

http://www.refineus.org Justin and Trisha

I too am reminded of my desperate need for a savior.

http://aaronconrad.com Aaron

Great post and reminder Justin. As I watched it all unfold yesterday, from the announcement to the responses online, I kept thinking back to Pete’s sermon on wanting to make things right a few weeks ago. There will be a day. There will be a time when all things will be made right. As a father of 3, I am sick by what I see, read, hear about this case. I can’t begin to imagine. However there will come a day when each of us will stand before God and, as you said, I’ve got my own laundry list I’m not real proud of. While murder isn’t on that list, there is enough “messy” to convict me. Jesus paid the debt. God cancelled the bill through grace. I find that as shocking as any verdict that could ever play out in the courts.

http://www.refineus.org Justin and Trisha

Good stuff Aaron…thank you.

Wanda Burkhalter

I thought of this very thing….and that God knew
the outcome of the trial for Casey Anthony before
it ever was to begin.

I do think there was circumstantial evidence
against Casey….but the jury made their decisions.
God knows what has been, what is and what is to come
for her. I hope Casey has an opportunity to come to know Christ Jesus
Personally-as her Savior and Lord, if she hasn’t already?!?

http://www.refineus.org Justin and Trisha

Agreed. Thank you!

michael schertz

Well said couldn’t agree more
http://honeyandlocusts.wordpress.com John Gardner

I totally agree, and have also been thinking a lot about God’s grace in light of this trial.

I’ve also been thinking a lot about the strong reaction most people seem to have had about the verdict. I wrote down a few of my observations this morning. Here’s the basic summary:

1. We have to balance our God-given desire for justice with the understanding that perfect justice is a “not yet” promise, not an “already” promise.

2. Our reaction to this trial lacks perspective; how can we get so worked up over one tragedy and yet largely ignore other abuses of children, not to mention the thousands of children murdered legally by their mothers every day via abortion?

3. William Blackstone was right: “Better that ten guilty persons escape than that one innocent suffer.”

I fleshed each of these out here (http://honeyandlocusts.wordpress.com/2011/07/06/on-justice-and-casey-anthony/), and welcome your interaction there as well!

http://www.refineus.org Justin and Trisha

Thanks John.

http://basketcase-adventures.blogspot.com/ Sarah

I didn’t follow the trial closely enough to give an opinion about the verdict, but I so agree that the way God has forgiven all of my sins is scandalous. I’m so thankful we don’t get what we deserve, that “He does not treat us as our sins deserve, or repay according to our iniquity.”

My prayers are with everyone affected by the loss of Caylee.

http://www.refineus.org Justin and Trisha

“He does not treat us as our sins deserve, or repay according to our iniquity.” Amen!

http://eileenknowles.blogspot.com Eileen

My thoughts exactly. Thanks.

http://www.refineus.org Justin and Trisha

Thanks Eileen.

http://pinkdaisyjane.com Heatherly

I saw an interesting interview last night where a legal consultant said that although there may have actually been enough circumstantial evidence to convict, we as a society are so used to seeing forensics on tv {both real and fictional} that our perception of “enough evidence” has changed. Interesting.

In regards to grace: thank you, Jesus. I am grateful that I have been forgiven for all of the awful things I’ve done.

Jennifer

Thank you!! there is NOTHING WRONG with overwhelming circumstantial evidence. It is admissible and is termed “common sense” even legally.

http://kittyfowler46@hotmail.com kittyfowler

amen, our pastor said the same thing…….we all hav e to stnad n bow in front of our maker one day n casey ‘mother wil too, the bible teached us not to judge, we have all sin n came short the glory og god,,,,,,, i hope as christian we can turn our minds to what is right n not dwell on if she is right or wrong,.casey is in the arms of our loving god,,,, thank you for sharing your thought, this really help people deal with their own feeling, i was also shocked that she is free too,

http://www.refineus.org Justin and Trisha

Thanks so much!

Patricia Keith

only thing a little baby girl still died and no remorse on the part of her mother, but God does know and in His time….

http://www.refineus.org Justin and Trisha

I agree with that…and it’s very tragic and sad.

http://29lincolnavenue.com Stacey

I have a bit of a different take here – and find myself at least encouraged that the community is outraged over a 2 year old child being tossed in a swamp, a mother who did not do everything she could to help authorities find her in a timely manner, and clearly behaved badly. I think, it shows we still have a little (little emphasized) hope.

Yes – there is grace. Yes, there is forgiveness for all who call on the name of the Lord. Of course there are spiritual lessons here. We are all sinners saved by grace.

But a broken community over little girl who suffered and died needlessly is just that. Broken and hurting. In need of comfort, and praying for God to bring some sense to it all.

http://www.refineus.org Justin and Trisha

I don’t disagree…but I think this is more about the media than it is about the child. If it were about the child we would be outraged every day with over 300,000 children who are involved in sex trafficking in this country alone. The community was broken, but our media was captivated by the sensational story, not the little girl.

Jennifer

I sincerely know that I have too “gotten away with murder” and a hundred other horrible sins, private and even some public, like angry displays, etc. HOWEVER…the Holy Spirit broke my heart and brought me to my knees at the cross…where there IS ROOM for Casey Anthony, right beside me.

However our earthly world MUST have judgment, and punishment, and sometimes THOSE are what drive us to remorse and repentance. I hope and pray that Casey WILL be tormented by her sin (as I was), and that she will join me in humble acceptance of grace and mercy from Our Lord Jesus Christ.

But as our culture moves toward paganism, it should come as no surprise that first the unborn and then the young are murdered, and the murderers sanctioned. Every culture except Israel and Christian has employed ritual child sacrifice.

I’m mad because COMMON SENSE and CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE are admissible, and those jurors confused a “shadow of a doubt” with “reasonable doubt.” What did they need, a YouTube video of Casey doing the deed? She seeks no grace… she seeks no mercy — she has no remorse (yet). THAT is what makes us different from her — don’t confuse the two.

http://www.refineus.org Justin and Trisha

Great thoughts.

Kari Saunders

While I agree with your sentiments and yes I also am a sinner saved by grace and very thankful for the mercy that the Lord has extended to me – i believe that there is a place for justice. I believe that God has placed that in our hearts for He is the Just Judge. So my heart cries out for justice for little Caylee. And in the end justice will triumph – good will triumph over evil. Even in Revelation the martyrs cry out for justice for those who have killed them and yet God waits. Psalm 37 is all about not worrying about the person who seemingly gets away with evil – but God sees and God will judge. Now my prayer is that she would come to know Jesus as her Lord and Savior but I also know that if she doesn’t there is a higher court and one day she (like all of us) will stand before our Maker. My only hope is that this verdict doesn’t resonate with other young women who think that they too can get away with the unthinkable

http://www.refineus.org Justin and Trisha

I too believe their is a place for justice. I wasn’t saying that her being found not guilty was justice. I just think the judgment I find so easy to give to others, I should be as willing to give to myself.

Kelly

I think it was very hard being on that jury and to realize there was reasonable doubt. I think many of us believe she did it. But the fact is that she and God know the truth. I love that this was written for us all to think of our many faults within ourselfs. We all sin and as a Christian we are forgiven…….I love Jesus and am so thankful for being forgiven. God bless

http://www.refineus.org Justin and Trisha

Amen!

http://www.traylorlovvorn.com Traylor Lovvorn

Great post guys! We were at the beach when the verdict was given and Melody and I spent a good bit of time talking about justice and how we are so thankful that we get grace and not justice for our behavior.
Pingback: Never Beyond | Refine Us

Getting Away With Murder

Search

Speaking Engagements