What is the purpose of establishing rules you don't enforce?

Johnny4ChristJesus

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My belief is that a community only functions to the extent that people conform to the general expectations of the community.

So, what is the value of establishing rules, if you don't enforce the rules when they are violated?

I work in a professing Christian facility that I see rules established but not enforced all the time. So, I am wondering, am I simply wrong and rules are only set up, for the gullible ones of us who believe we are to follow rules, with the expectation by rule-makers that most of us will conform and therefore the overall community will function the way they want anyway?
 

SkyWriting

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My belief is that a community only functions to the extent that people conform to the general expectations of the community.

So, what is the value of establishing rules, if you don't enforce the rules when they are violated?

I work in a professing Christian facility that I see rules established but not enforced all the time. So, I am wondering, am I simply wrong and rules are only set up, for the gullible ones of us who believe we are to follow rules, with the expectation by rule-makers that most of us will conform and therefore the overall community will function the way they want anyway?

Two different answers.

1. Grace

You are asked to treat others well. Your option.


2. Law
Law is exactly that, moral rules that become so universal that
they get written into law. There are three times as many
unwritten laws as there are formal laws.

3. Enforcement of those laws is step three. Basically laws about Laws, #2
 
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Sketcher

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Depends on the institution, and the rules. There are some things that you cannot let go, anywhere. Other things, it's more of a gray area, the rules are for the purpose of stopping egregious abuse and they have to be worded strictly in order to provide the right pretext for action when egregious abuse happens.
 
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Sparagmos

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My belief is that a community only functions to the extent that people conform to the general expectations of the community.

So, what is the value of establishing rules, if you don't enforce the rules when they are violated?

I work in a professing Christian facility that I see rules established but not enforced all the time. So, I am wondering, am I simply wrong and rules are only set up, for the gullible ones of us who believe we are to follow rules, with the expectation by rule-makers that most of us will conform and therefore the overall community will function the way they want anyway?
Laziness mostly. Just because you’ve been put in charge of enforcing rules doesn’t mean you like it. It’s an unpleasant task and most people don’t want to do it.
 
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Johnny4ChristJesus

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Laziness mostly. Just because you’ve been put in charge of enforcing rules doesn’t mean you like it. It’s an unpleasant task and most people don’t want to do it.

I agree. And, it is more unpleasant for those who do enforce what they are told to enforce when others who are in the same position don't.

So, should we all stop enforcing, because we don't like enforcing them? What would happen to the community if we did?
 
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Johnny4ChristJesus

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Depends on the institution, and the rules. There are some things that you cannot let go, anywhere. Other things, it's more of a gray area, the rules are for the purpose of stopping egregious abuse and they have to be worded strictly in order to provide the right pretext for action when egregious abuse happens.

So, if I hear you correctly, the rules are just put in place to guard against the more egregious behavior, not really what they plainly state and therefore, they aren't really to be enforced unilaterally--just when we think someone went way too far over the line. Is that what you are saying?
 
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Sketcher

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So, if I hear you correctly, the rules are just put in place to guard against the more egregious behavior, not really what they plainly state and therefore, they aren't really to be enforced unilaterally--just when we think someone went way too far over the line. Is that what you are saying?
In some cases, with some institutions, yes. Other rules at the same institutions are more hardline because they need to be. Other institutions may have a different philosophy.
 
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Johnny4ChristJesus

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Two different answers.

1. Grace

You are asked to treat others well. Your option.


2. Law
Law is exactly that, moral rules that become so universal that
they get written into law. There are three times as many
unwritten laws as there are formal laws.

3. Enforcement of those laws is step three. Basically laws about Laws, #2

I'm confused about your point. If I am in charge of a community and I hire people to enforce the laws I establish and they decide that they are going to pick and choose which laws they will enforce, are they doing their job--if they were hired to enforce a consistent set of rules across the community?

And, if I make the rules and don't make sure I oversee the enforcement of those rules, do I have the right to complain about people not following them?

Are those hired to enforce the rules authorized to choose to give grace? If I don't have the power to make the rules and wasn't given the authority to choose who I was going to enforce them on and who I wasn't going to enforce them on, or what rules I was going to enforce, do I have the right to give grace when I choose to, without consulting the authority source?
 
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Johnny4ChristJesus

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In some cases, with some institutions, yes. Other rules at the same institutions are more hardline because they need to be. Other institutions may have a different philosophy.

I can understand what you are saying, but I guess I don't see how one avoids claims that they are "playing favorites" or prejudice in their enforcement, if they don't enforce them across the board.
 
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Sketcher

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I can understand what you are saying, but I guess I don't see how one avoids claims that they are "playing favorites" or prejudice in their enforcement, if they don't enforce them across the board.
Oh, it leaves room for that. But the counterpoint to that is that the circumstances between the incident involving the "unfavored" and the "favored" are different and when those differences are highlighted, the "unfavored" may not have a case. Also, there's principles at work like some people are better at not getting caught than others, and the other person doing worse and/or more frequent violations doesn't justify your own violations.
 
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Johnny4ChristJesus

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You need to say a bit more about what kind of rules and in what context.

It varies. From my perspective, some are really stupid and some are very serious. It seems that generally the ones who don't enforce the stupid ones also don't follow the very serious ones. I guess once you decide you aren't going to obey authority, anything can be intentionally overlooked.

But, if we aren't going to enforce rules, why have them at all?

For instance, telling people they can't wear hoodies or hats inside. Could be considered a stupid rule. But, if some enforce it and others don't, it creates equity issues. If others aren't going to enforce the rule, and those who created the rule don't enforce their enforcers enforcing it, why have the rule in the first place? I guess I just don't understand the purpose of having the rule in place at all, then.
 
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Johnny4ChristJesus

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Oh, it leaves room for that. But the counterpoint to that is that the circumstances between the incident involving the "unfavored" and the "favored" are different and when those differences are highlighted, the "unfavored" may not have a case. Also, there's principles at work like some people are better at not getting caught than others, and the other person doing worse and/or more frequent violations doesn't justify your own violations.

You are right. Others violations don't justify my violations. So, why bother to ever enforce any rule that all don't enforce, then?
 
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Sketcher

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You are right. Others violations don't justify my violations. So, why bother to ever enforce any rule that all don't enforce, then?
Depends on the rule and why it's there.
 
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Sparagmos

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I agree. And, it is more unpleasant for those who do enforce what they are told to enforce when others who are in the same position don't.

So, should we all stop enforcing, because we don't like enforcing them? What would happen to the community if we did?[/QUOTEI was just opining on the OP’s question.
 
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Johnny4ChristJesus

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Depends on the rule and why it's there.

Does it really? How often is it that we don't know why the rule was put in place in the first place? If each individual "supervisor" can decide what is an important-enough rule with a good-enough justification for us to enforce it, how does the community function?
 
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Sketcher

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Does it really? How often is it that we don't know why the rule was put in place in the first place? If each individual "supervisor" can decide what is an important-enough rule with a good-enough justification for us to enforce it, how does the community function?
Yes it does. Rules are created for a reason, and resources are limited. Before I can say whether or not resources should be allocated to enforcing a rule in X, Y, or Z circumstance, I need to know what the rule is and why the rule was made.
 
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SkyWriting

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I'm confused about your point. If I am in charge of a community and I hire people to enforce the laws I establish and they decide that they are going to pick and choose which laws they will enforce, are they doing their job--if they were hired to enforce a consistent set of rules across the community?

And, if I make the rules and don't make sure I oversee the enforcement of those rules, do I have the right to complain about people not following them?

Are those hired to enforce the rules authorized to choose to give grace? If I don't have the power to make the rules and wasn't given the authority to choose who I was going to enforce them on and who I wasn't going to enforce them on, or what rules I was going to enforce, do I have the right to give grace when I choose to, without consulting the authority source?

Yes. Laws are not applied evenly, nor are written with that intent. Nor are they enforced evenly for each case, and are not so intended.

For example, there are some 5 levels of Murder and enforcement is a bargaining chip that is negotiated between parties to avoid "the trouble" of a trial.
 
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SkyWriting

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Does it really? How often is it that we don't know why the rule was put in place in the first place? If each individual "supervisor" can decide what is an important-enough rule with a good-enough justification for us to enforce it, how does the community function?

There are Jaywalking laws that are used only when the situation merits it.
In other (less traffic) situations people move more freely across the street.
The community functions better becasue all laws are not applied needlessly.
 
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SkyWriting

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My belief is that a community only functions to the extent that people conform to the general expectations of the community.

So, what is the value of establishing rules, if you don't enforce the rules when they are violated?

I work in a professing Christian facility that I see rules established but not enforced all the time. So, I am wondering, am I simply wrong and rules are only set up, for the gullible ones of us who believe we are to follow rules, with the expectation by rule-makers that most of us will conform and therefore the overall community will function the way they want anyway?

The rules are to establish order. If you can say "Feed the poor" and it doesn't disrupt the system, then, on occasion, give away the company food to the poor. But it might disrupt the system if done every day, and you might have to create a "legal" channel for feeding the poor.
 
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