Despite Rome’s achievements, however, her legions were unable to conquer one insidious enemy: corruption. Finally, corruption hastened Rome’s downfall.
Felix, one of the most corrupt governors of his day brother Pallas was one of the richest men of the ancient world, and his wealth—calculated at $45 million—was accumulated almost entirely by bribery and extortion.
His fortune, however, pales into insignificance when compared with the billions of dollars some corrupt 20th-century rulers have hidden away in secret bank accounts.
Since corruption has remained entrenched for so long, must we assume that it is just part of human nature?
Or,Can something be done to curb corruption?
The obvious first step in curbing corruption is to recognize that corruption is destructive and wrong, since it benefits the unscrupulous to the detriment of others.
Eliminating corruption across the board requires a second, much more difficult step: a change of heart or, rather, a change of many hearts. People everywhere must learn to hate bribery and corruption. Only then will graft disappear. To this end, government should “encourage a general sense of civic virtue and it support toward the inject for a ‘seed of integrity into the workplace.
Why did Paul refuse to condone corruption? Because he wanted to do the will of God, “who treats none with partiality nor accepts a bribe.” (Deuteronomy 10:17) Moreover, Paul doubtless remembered the specific instruction found in the Law of Moses: “You must not be partial or accept a bribe, for the bribe blinds the eyes of wise ones and distorts the words of righteous ones.” (Deuteronomy 16:19) King David likewise understood that Jehovah hates corruption, and he requested that God not count him among the sinners, “whose right hand is full of bribery.”—Psalm 26:10.
Those who sincerely worship God have additional reasons for rejecting corruption.
“By justice a king gives a country stability,” wrote Solomon, “but one who is greedy for bribes tears it down.” (Proverbs 29:4, New International Version) Justice—especially when practiced from the highest official down—brings stability, whereas corruption impoverishes a country. Interestingly, Newsweek pointed out: “In a system where everyone wants a piece of the corruption pie and knows how to get it, economies can simply implode.”
Even when economies do not collapse completely, lovers of justice feel frustrated when corruption flourishes unchecked. (Psalm 73:3, 13) Our Creator, the one who gave us our inherent desire for justice, is also wronged. In the past, Jehovah has intervened to stamp out blatant corruption. For example, he bluntly told the inhabitants of Jerusalem why he would abandon them to their enemies.
Through his prophet Micah, God said: “Hear, please, this, you head ones of the house of Jacob and you commanders of the house of Israel, the ones detesting justice and the ones who make even everything that is straight crooked. Her own head ones judge merely for a bribe, and her own priests instruct just for a price, and her own prophets practice divination simply for money . . . Therefore on account of you men Zion will be plowed up as a mere field, and Jerusalem herself will become mere heaps of ruins.” Corruption had devastated society in Israel, just as it corroded Rome centuries later. True to God’s warning, about a century after Micah wrote those words, Jerusalem was destroyed and abandoned.—Micah 3:9, 11, 12.
No man or nation, however, needs to be corrupt. God encourages the wicked to leave their way of life and change their way of thinking. (Isaiah 55:7) He wants each and every one of us to replace greed with unselfishness and corruption with righteousness. “He that is defrauding the lowly one has reproached his Maker, but the one showing favor to the poor one is glorifying Him,” —Proverbs 14:31.
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