“Contributory negligence” means is that if one person is harmed as a result of the carelessness of another person, the perpetrator is LESS to blame if the injured party was also careless…
When I was a young university student, over twenty years ago, I studied a little law.
Now, while I did not want to practice law, I certainly was interested in studying the subjects associated with it. I enjoyed – very much – the lateral thinking nature of the subjects, which focused on approaching a problem from a variety of angles to make sure that every part of the problem was addressed.
I also liked – very much – the way that other things also contributed to the discussions and that there was never a right or wrong answer. There was always an answer that said, it is right if… Or it is wrong, but…
I remember the first time I was asked to write a legal essay, I was fascinated by the idea that the answer was supposed to contain the sentiment that there was no correct answer, and that it was the strength of the argument and the presentation of the evidence that was being assessed rather than the final outcome.
For any lawyer who reads this, such a thing is of course common sense. After all, if there were only one right or wrong answer, then there would never be a court case at all. There would be no need for a Judge or Jury and nobody would ever bother going to Court because they would already have the answer and would not need anyone to formulate the answer for them.
And because this is not the case – and courts and judges and juries do exist – nothing is black and white in law.
One of the first areas of law that I studied was the tort of negligence. And this is an interesting example of law. You see, there is a thing called “contributory negligence” and what that means is that if a person is harmed as a result of the carelessness of another person, the other person is LESS to blame if the injured party was also careless… In other words, a careless person can contribute to their own misfortune, even if it was another person’s carelessness that initiated the harm.
And I have been thinking about that today, because God is the Perfect Just Judge. And in the moment of my judgement – at the instant of my death, while my family mourn me and cry around my body and pray for the repose of my soul, the Just Judge will have decided for me…
And when that happens I do not wish to lament as Saint Gemma Galgani lamented, “Oh, my soul, how much longer do you wish to be so stingy with Jesus? Why so negligent towards Jesus who made You? Why so lazy towards Jesus who redeemed you? Who do you want to love, if you do not want to love Jesus?”
For it seems that the Saints were not contributing to the neglect and negligence with which God Himself is so often treated…
For with prayer, I stand on Holy Ground where everything is clear. Here. At the Foot of the Cross.
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