Daily Retreat 11/12/08
2008 Nov 12 Wed: Josaphat, bp, r, mt M
Ti 3: 1-7/ Ps 22(23): 1b-3a. 3bc-4. 5. 6/ Lk 17: 11-19
From today’s readings: “But when the kindness and generous love of God our Savior appeared, not because of any righteous deeds we had done but because of His mercy, He saved us through the bath of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.... The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.... Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine? ”
Legitimate Authority
Several times in the New Testament, Christians are urged to be law-abiding, peaceable, and upright citizens, and that is indeed why Christianity is generally welcomed by civil authorities.
The role of civil disobedience in the context of the Christian faith must thus be clearly understood. If a civil law obligated Christians to do something contrary to the teachings of their faith, then the law certainly should be disobeyed, always remembering (as Peter points out in Acts 5:29) that "it is better to obey God than men."
However, our faith is not to be used as an excuse for ignoring whatever law we personally take issue with. In fact, there is a clear distinction between disobeying a law which would obligate one to do something immoral, and protesting a law which is contrary to Christian principles but yet does not force the person to be a direct accomplice to it. Although trespassing, withholding taxes, and even violence are sometimes used to protest clearly unjust laws, since such methods cannot be justified by appeals to scripture, Christians should opt for Christian methods of peaceful, non-violent, law-abiding protests.
So, for instance, in those countries where the government forces sterilization to limit family size, citizens should disobey such unjust laws. However, in countries such as America, where abortion is allowed but not compelled, peaceable protests are certainly in order, but there aren't biblical grounds for actual civil disobedience in this matter. The Roe v. Wade ruling, indefensible as it is in what it legally sanctions, still does not actually force people to take part in such violence. Note, however, that the proposed dreadful legislation sophistically billed as the “Freedom of Choice Act” would radically change that for the worse, by criminalizing all restrictions and objections to abortion.
Ti 3: 1-7/ Ps 22(23): 1b-3a. 3bc-4. 5. 6/ Lk 17: 11-19
From today’s readings: “But when the kindness and generous love of God our Savior appeared, not because of any righteous deeds we had done but because of His mercy, He saved us through the bath of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.... The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.... Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine? ”
Legitimate Authority
Several times in the New Testament, Christians are urged to be law-abiding, peaceable, and upright citizens, and that is indeed why Christianity is generally welcomed by civil authorities.
The role of civil disobedience in the context of the Christian faith must thus be clearly understood. If a civil law obligated Christians to do something contrary to the teachings of their faith, then the law certainly should be disobeyed, always remembering (as Peter points out in Acts 5:29) that "it is better to obey God than men."
However, our faith is not to be used as an excuse for ignoring whatever law we personally take issue with. In fact, there is a clear distinction between disobeying a law which would obligate one to do something immoral, and protesting a law which is contrary to Christian principles but yet does not force the person to be a direct accomplice to it. Although trespassing, withholding taxes, and even violence are sometimes used to protest clearly unjust laws, since such methods cannot be justified by appeals to scripture, Christians should opt for Christian methods of peaceful, non-violent, law-abiding protests.
So, for instance, in those countries where the government forces sterilization to limit family size, citizens should disobey such unjust laws. However, in countries such as America, where abortion is allowed but not compelled, peaceable protests are certainly in order, but there aren't biblical grounds for actual civil disobedience in this matter. The Roe v. Wade ruling, indefensible as it is in what it legally sanctions, still does not actually force people to take part in such violence. Note, however, that the proposed dreadful legislation sophistically billed as the “Freedom of Choice Act” would radically change that for the worse, by criminalizing all restrictions and objections to abortion.
posted by FrPitstick | 11/10/2008
<< Home