We talked this week about if it is ever right for a Christian to defy authority. I believe God's law supercedes man's law everytime. We are called to stand up for what we believe is right, even if it goes against authority and law. Marty disagreed. He holds to the passage of scripture that says we must submit to authority. The irony of a reformed protestant saying we should submit to authority was not lost but I digress.
If we never resisted authority, we would still be under British rule, salvery would still be in practice and would would cease to claim any independence. So is this just the Catholic rebel in me that wants to storm the gates and set things right? Apparently, I'm not alone.
A prominent evangelical Christian leader is urging Jeb Bush to disobey a judge's order barring the Florida governor from intervening to save the life of Terri Schiavo. D. James Kennedy pointed to Bush "as the only legal authority who can save the life of Terri Schiavo. " Kennedy, president of Coral Ridge Ministries, said Bush "must act and he must act immediately on her behalf."
"He must disregard the order of Judge Greer," Kennedy said. "He has both the authority and the duty to do so under the state constitution." Kennedy said Bush should be commended for his efforts over the past two years -- which include the state legislature's passage of "Terri's Law" -- but he noted those efforts "thus far has proven fruitless." The law later was declared unconstitutional.
"Neither the state legislature nor the courts, state or federal, have been willing to act on behalf of this helpless woman who is now within hours of death," Kennedy said.
Kennedy points out the Florida constitution states in Article I, Section 2, that "[a]ll natural persons, female and male alike, are equal before the law, and have inalienable rights, among which are the right to enjoy and defend life ... ." According to the Constitution, "no person shall be deprived of any right [including the right to enjoy life] because of ... physical disability." After all the "praying, petitioning, and lobbying," it comes down to this, Kennedy said: "Jeb Bush must choose between the clear mandate of Florida's constitution and a judiciary which, in this case, has acted in defiance of that state supreme law."
So whose authority do we submit to what authorty challenges authority? Whatever authority lines up with our Christian beliefs, that's who. If none meet that standard, then we are to respectfully, peacefully and lovingly defy authority and submit to the authority of God.
2 comments:
don’t agree with Dr. Kennedy. We are disobeying the law by trying to push ourselves into this. I don’t believe as Christians that we should be doing this. If all is exhausted we should accept death, (even if it is wrong) and continue to pray for her, trust in God that what may happen is because HE wanted it to. I don’t like it, but I am learning to accept that this is going to happen. Maybe its God’s purpose to have her go, we just don’t know but we have to trust that ultimately HE is still in control. If you look at it this way maybe some out there will understand, maybe not though, Terri Schiavo has touched so many lives already with the outreach she has so this is proof that God is using her for his good.
My heart goes out to her, her family, and all. I pray daily for strength, hope & peace to come and yes even for her husband and the judge who know this is wrong. They will have to answer someday for this. But I do agree with you I do not think we should go above law even when its wrong.
It is totally shocking to me that Christians feel it is ok or their obligation as a Christian to break the law in a case such as this. The Bible states that we are to obey the governing authority over us. The thing is God will use you through prayers to help Terri not through us breaking the law to help her. If God wants her to survive and wants her to not have discomfort or pain during this time, do we not think that He is able and willing to do so? Are ours prayers not enough?? We have to understand that God is allowing all of this to happen for whatever reason, we should do as we are commanded to do and that is pray, not break the law. God has all the power and I don't believe that using us in a manner that breaks the law is God's plan. I think the biggest problem with Christians views on this is that they really don't understand or accept the fact that God is totally in control of all situations and that this is happening because He is allowing it to. We don't have to understand or know why we should just do as we are commanded. Maybe God wants her to die this way, I know that is hard for people to understand but God never said we would know the reason for all things. Does not the potter have power over the clay?? Thanks for your show!
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