Have you ever read the warning labels on certain products and wondered why such a label was necessary? My guess is that our assessment was a bit more harsh because the warning seemed so ridiculous and unnecessary. However, the following examples show us why those labels had to be made.
The most frequently told story about this is the case of Liebeck v. McDonald’s Restaurants. In 1994, Stella Liebeck, 79, ordered coffee from a McDonald’s. When she spilled it in her lap, it caused 2nd and 3rd degree burns, resulting in hospitalization and skin grafts. She wanted to settle with McDonald’s for $20,000 to cover medical costs but Ronald refused to settle. Liebeck won her case and a settlement of $2.8 million which was later reduced by a judge to $640,000. I bet McDonald’s wishes they would have agreed to $20,000. Now, coffee cups have a warning: Coffee may be hot. I sure hope so if I ordered a hot coffee!
Why would a ceramic cereal bowl have the warning “Adult Supervision Required” stamped on the bottom? Wouldn’t you think a bowl is harmless. Evidently not. Adult supervision is required because a toddler might weaponize the bowl, smashing it on their sibling’s head. They might knock it off the table, sending shards of ceramic all over the place. And we won’t even consider the possibility of drowning in your milk.
Harmful if swallowed. This warning appears on a lot of items. But is it necessary to put it
on a fishing lure? It would seem so because in 2012, a Michigan child got into his dad’s tackle box and thought the lure looked tasty. Surgery was required to remove it. Here’s my question: we know that children put things in their mouths that they shouldn’t. But if a child is swallowing a fishing lure, do we really think they are old enough to read the label? And if the parent needs this kind of warning, should they even have a fishing lure…or anything sharp for that matter?
Let me share one more and I want to present this as delicately as possible. I think we all know what a toilet bowl brush is used for. Does the packaging really need a label that says, “Not For Personal Hygiene?” Well, a few years ago in a U.S. prison, an inmate had a mental episode and decided to use the toilet bowl brush instead of the Charmin, Cottonelle, Scott, White Cloud, or whatever brand might have been offered. The inmate developed serious internal injuries, thus prompting what should be a completely unnecessary label. Would a prisoner ever see the packaging? Of course not. Would an inmate having a mental episode read the packaging if it were available? No. But because of this event, companies rushed to protect themselves from lawsuits.1
Have you ever read verses in the Bible and thought, “Why is this even necessary? Doesn’t everyone know better? Obviously not! According to 1 Timothy 1:8-11, “But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully; (9) Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, (10) For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine; (11) According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.”
Romans 2:14-15 tells us that even people who did not have the law still had and have God’s law written their hearts. “For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: (15) Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another.)”
The natural question this generates is why? Why do people with the law of God written on their hearts still need to be told? Why did God have to spell out that which seems so obvious?
2 Peter 3:5 says, “For this they willingly are ignorant of…” The context of the passage goes on to explain specific things that man has chosen to be ignorant of concerning God and His Word. This ignorance is on full display about other things the Lord has said. In fact, Romans 1:21 makes the indictment even more pointed. “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.”
Choices are made all the time in life. A lot of things are simply a matter of common sense. Where did we get that common sense? God gave it to us as an expression of His law written in our hearts. Will we use it? Will we do the right things with it?
While products constantly update and upgrade the warnings on their products, God isn’t going to do that. We have His Word, it is complete, and we are expected to comply with it. Let’s do that today.
“For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.” (Psalms 119:89)
1https://www.oddee.com/9-really-stupid-warning-labels-that-are-there-for-a-reason-77375/
Images are taken from https://pixabay.com/, https://www.pexels.com/, or https://unsplash.com/images or created in Windows Copilot. According to the websites, they are Royalty Free and free to be used for our purposes.
