What
should we, as believers, do when faced with a law that appears to conflict with
biblical principles that impact our ability to freely practice our religious
beliefs?
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(This is the
second part of the whole story by Adventist Review about civil disobedience and
a believer. Please find the first part HERE)
I believe that
the Bible gives guidance on this issue. Following the counsel of Jesus, we
should “render . . . unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s,” recognizing
and supporting the government’s right to legislate on secular matters and
comply with those laws when possible.
But we must also
remember our duty to render unto God as our first priority. This means that
when laws are in conflict with biblical mandates, our allegiance to God should
always come first.
This brings me to a term that is often used but has many different definitions: civil disobedience. Using the following definition, I believe that we as Christians at times are called to civil disobedience.
Civil disobedience for the purposes of
this article can be defined as “purposeful, nonviolent action or refusal to
act, by a Christian who believes such action or inaction is required of him or
her in order to be faithful to God, and which he or she knows will be treated
by the governing authorities as a violation of the law.”
Civil
disobedience is warranted any time the government commands what God has
forbidden or forbids what God commands.
Looking at the
two biblical accounts given at the beginning of this article in Daniel 3 and 6,
we see both examples of when civil disobedience is warranted.
In both
instances the decision to act or refusal to act was purposeful—the decisions
not to comply with the law were not based merely on individual preferences, but
because compliance would be in direct contradiction to the teachings and
commands of God.
Furthermore, and
this is a crucial point, in both instances the decisions were made knowing it
would be seen as a violation of the law, and there was a willingness to face
the penalty—death.
Daniel,
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego didn’t try to argue that the law didn’t, or
shouldn’t, apply to them. Instead, they were willing to be subject to the
penalty that breaking the law entailed, even though the laws were unjust.
While the right
to hold a religious belief is absolute, the right to practice that belief is
not.
So, does
engaging in civil disobedience mean not following the New Testament counsel to
be subject to authority?
No, it’s
important to note that the apostles’ guidance in the New Testament doesn’t say
that we, as believers, are to always obey government authority, but that we are
to be subject to it.
As John Yoder, a
Mennonite theologian and ethicist explained: “The conscientious objector who
refuses to do what his government asks him to do, but still remains under the
sovereignty of that government and accepts the penalties which it imposes, . .
. is being subordinate even though he is not obeying.”
Even though
Peter and Paul preached subordination to a government authority, they disobeyed
their local leaders by continuing to preach the gospel when they were told to
stop, leading to their arrest and imprisonment (cf. Acts 5; 12; 16).
Also, Jesus
anticipated that spreading the gospel could and would at times result in being
handed over to authorities to be beaten and punished, and prepared His
followers for this (Mark 13:9-11).
Early Adventist
pioneers also understood that at times civil disobedience may be called for while recognizing that this also meant being subject to the law and its
penalties.
Ellen White counselled
that at times civil disobedience was necessary. “When the laws of men conflict
with the word and law of God, we are to obey the latter, whatever the
consequences may be.
The law of our
land requiring us to deliver a slave to his master, we are not to obey; and we
must abide the consequences of violating this law.”
As believers, our
default position should be submission to authority and when possible, obedience
to the laws of the land if they are not in direct conflict with our ability to
follow the commands of God.
But when we were faced with a conflict that requires obedience to government or submission to God, our first duty should always be to Him, regardless of the cost.
Please find the first part HERE
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