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| AP Photo/Stefano Medici |
Who is she? Does this photo look familiar? It probably is, if you are familiar with the dramatic Trial of Amanda Knox last year, an American student convicted of murder by Italian court, but later acquitted, declared innocent and was free.
Today as I was reflecting on the alleged infallibility of Christian leaders' decision, I was reminded of where I originally got the idea from. I borrowed the statement 'no one is infallible' from a lawyer. Last year, I learned about the 'infallibility' of leader’s decision after my exposure to media coverage, specially the internet, about Amanda Knox Trial. As I dig into my files today, I found something I had written concerning the trial of Amanda Knox.
Today as I was reflecting on the alleged infallibility of Christian leaders' decision, I was reminded of where I originally got the idea from. I borrowed the statement 'no one is infallible' from a lawyer. Last year, I learned about the 'infallibility' of leader’s decision after my exposure to media coverage, specially the internet, about Amanda Knox Trial. As I dig into my files today, I found something I had written concerning the trial of Amanda Knox.
Knox had become a media sensation after her
arrest on November 6, 2007—four days after Meredith Kercher’s body was found in
the apartment they shared in Perugia, Italy. Kercher, 21, a British student was
brutally stabbed to death, and Knox, an American student convicted and
sentenced to 26 years in prison for murdering her roommate.
In
2009, Knox appealed for the verdict. As the trial getting closer and the anticipated
verdict would soon be announced, Dalla Vedoda, the defense lawyer on Amanda
Knox Trial said, "Knox has been
crucified in a public square, subjected to the most sinister of
speculations". He pointed out that
the lower court that had convicted Amanda had made a mistake. "That's
exactly why we have appeals — courts can make mistakes," he said.
"Nobody is infallible."[1] The lawyer
called this mistake as a “tragic judicial case” for convicting an innocent
person who was crucified in the public square by media.
Is
this all about lawyer’s tactics? Even if Knox was sentenced to 26 years in
prison, she appealed for the verdict, and the court acquitted her of murder in
October of last year. She was freed and returned to Seattle. There were some
speculations surrounding the trials whether Knox was guilty or innocent.
Others questioned the credibility of the judicial system in Italy. One thing is
certain, no one is infallible-even the court will make mistakes. In February
this year, Italian prosecutors launched appeal against Knox acquittal. Whatever will become of this appeal is going to be another court debate.
If
nobody is infallible, why do some Christian leaders think they are? Leaders are
fallible beings; therefore, their decisions are not infallible. Because
leaders believe they represent God, they fall into the trap of thinking that
their decisions are also infallible. Such infallibility trap is obvious when
leaders are not willing to bend on ecclesiastical decisions they make, and other
non-biblical issues they formulated. The decision is often imposed with the notion that
submission to leadership authority is required biblically, requiring subordinates
to submit willfully or they are classified as unruly.
Oh,
the trap of human pride hidden behind the curtain of being God’s representative!
Death to self, expressed in humility is lacking among leaders who claim God's
anointing. Oh that everyone learns from his mistakes! Leadership authority does not, in any way, imply infallibility of
decisions.
[1]
Defense: Knox 'crucified' in the media.
ALESSANDRA RIZZO - Associated Press.
http://news.yahoo.com/defense-knox-crucified-media-114637080.html (September 30, 2011)
