The Doctrine of 'Zero Tolerance’ policy   This policy has gain popularity and support over the past two decades, approx., and one needs to ask if it is something a Christian can support and if it is Christian. We have all heard and read the news stories where athletes or normal working people committed some error and they were immediately dismissed from their job or team.   The Duke lacrosse team situation comes to mind here as players, coaches and families were punished long before a guilty verdict was read (it never was read as all charges were dropped and a team was penalized for nothing).   This desire to please supporters, other business and to appear like one does not tolerate wrongful acts has made those in charge lose sight of their perspective their judgment and many other characteristics that help leaders to be full of character and integrity.   It is sad to see as coaches, college presidents and other people of influence refuse to stand up for what is right and make sure the process is handled fairly, wisely and with justice.  I remember when the a couple basketball players on the Arizona State basketball team were simply accused of a crime and were immediately dismissed by the coach.   Such acts do not teach our youth, immigrants or even parents the right ways to do things nor does it teach them to adhere to the constitution where it declares ‘ all are innocent until proven guilty’.  The people on the suffering end of this type of thinking, and observers, learn that it doesn’t matter what one does and it doesn’t matter what the  governing document says, what takes place in reality is something opposite and justice is thrown out the window for the approval of a vocal few.   When one says they abide by a particular rule of law or even the Bible, then they need to stand with those documents and act in accordance to what they say or all you do is undermine yours and their message to the world.   For Christians this is extremely important as souls are on the line and people are watching very closely to see if you follow what you say you believe.  We believers cannot afford to side with the world in any given  policies like the ‘zero tolerance’ idea because it goes against what God said in Micah 6:8:   “He has showed you , O man, what is good and what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”   We also see Jesus demonstrating this for us when he encounters the woman caught in adultery, healed on the Sabbath and on the cross when the thief repents and is granted forgiveness.   Christians forget that they belong to God and that their mission is not to preach and follow the same ideas as the world but to proclaim and enact God’s ways which are not the same as the world.   So when the world invokes a ‘zero tolerance’ idea or a ‘3 strikes your out’ policy the Christian needs to stand up and say ‘that is wrong, this is what we should do’.  If the world doesn’t listen then the Christian needs to defend the victim of injustice and fight for the proper judgment.   Christians are new people and they are different from the world because God and Jesus are different and they need to act differently, implementing justice as God sees it, mercy as He sees it and above all forgiveness as Jesus commanded.   There is no room in the Christian life for worldly ideas and strategies, they do not solve the problems of life, only God’s way will make the impact against sin that is required to solve these problems we encounter in society.   It is time to stand up and make a difference, teaching what God wants and not compromising to appease or please the secular world.