As Christians we often do not think about how we can change the laws and governments. Most of the time we let things slide by and we let laws pass that are against our moral judgments simply because we do not think. Christians should be thinking about the type of society we are living in today, and we should be resisting the narrow and bigoted humanist views. This means that we should be using the appropriate forms of protest available to us.
As Christians we should never take the law into our own hands, but when we can no longer flee or protest then we must use force in our defense. Take abortion for example. In the case of abortion we should aggressively support a human life bill, we must actually enter into the courts seeking to overturn the Supreme Court’s decision, and we should take political and legal action against hospitals and abortion clinics that perform abortions. This is an example of Christian using force to change the system. The same thing can be done with the current issues of homosexual marriage. That is exactly what the gay-rights activists are doing... Instead of doing something about it Christians just sit on the sidlines spitting insults and opinions at the current movement without taking action at all.
The government cannot be put in the place of God for Christians. At any point in time where a Christian obeys the government and disobeys God then he is replacing God with his government, and that should never be. What we need now is all Christians to stand up against the other worldviews, and to take the steps necessary to break the hold which the humanist view has on government, law, media, the schools, and even our own families. That would fulfill not only the scripture, but it would also fulfill what the law originally intended, freedom for all. If we choose to obey the government over God, then how can we possibly be loving the Lord our God with all of our heart, mind, and soul?
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When Paul instructed believers in Rome to obey the government (Romans 13:1), he was referring to a totalitarian system ruled by tyrants. Yet, the apostle encouraged “submission” to the authority ordained by God for humanity.
At the same time the Bible lauds persons who were not submissive. Rahab (Joshua 6), Hebrew midwives (Exodus 1), Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, and Daniel (Daniel 3 and 6), and Peter and John (Acts 4 to 5) all resisted governmental authority.
How do we rightly interpret this seeming contradiction? The Scriptures teach that God instituted government for human good — to maintain social order, punish evil, and provide services to the citizenry (Romans 13:1–7). The believer is to be a supportive citizen (Matthew 22:21).
However, if the government requires obedience to a law that violates the higher law of God, it may be God’s will for the Christian to resist. Rosa Parks refused to obey a law that required African-Americans to sit at the back of the public bus. Martin Luther King, Jr., was jailed many times simply for entering “Whites Only” areas of public places or for peacefully marching in protest to these laws.
The exploitation in the Terri Schiavo case from BOTH sides is sickening. A few days ago a soundbite from CRN radio had Randall Terry comparing Mary Schindler and Terri Schiavo to Mary watching Jesus die on the cross. Christ died for all of us but to compare these two situations literally made me gag. Then we have supposed "men of god", like D. James Kennedy openly encouraging elected officials to thumb their nose at the laws under which we live. This just gives more fodder to the liberal media that Christianity is a religion of reactionaries and closed minded people.
Where does it stop? If I don't like what the courts have told me 23 times, am I entitled to break the law because of MY personal reasons? What kind of legal system would we have if this was allowed to happen? The Schindlers took this case to court and the rulings have been consistent, I believe their time would be better spent with Terri in her last hours than filing appeal after appeal.
Since the bible calls for BOTH submission to authority and obedience to God rather than men, we need to strike a careful balance.
There are examples of God approving civil disobedience in Scripture. The Hebrew midwives were commended when they would not carry out Pharaoh's orders to kill the newborns. The apostles continued to preach Jesus when ordered by the Jewish authorities to stop. Rahab was honored for helping the spies at Jericho.
At the same time, the bible tells us that the king is God's agent, appointed by Him to do his will. We are called to submit to authority in the context of the family, the church, and the State.
First, the passage in Romans
does not authorize the government to do what ever it wants to. That is
taking the passage out of its context. "We ought to obey God rather
than man." The government is to be obeyed only if it "praises them who
do well and punishes those who do evil."
The founders of the USA believed this position, and fought the
Torries who believed we were to obey King George even untotheir own
slavery and death.
Second the governor of Florida is not subject to every judge in the
state if there is reasonable cause for investigating a crime. Otherwise
any man, once elected judge could commit any crime he wanted to and get
away with it.
Third, the judge has already violated Federal Law in rejecting
Congressional authority as if it didn't even exist. Why is it ok for
State Judge Greer to disobey the law, but not Gov.Bush?
I would just like to add a comment that we must also look at other parts of scripture too. For example, Acts 5:29 where Paul says, "We must obey God RATHER than men!"
In the case of Terry Schaivo, her so-called husband has chosen to KILL her probably because she has become a burden to his life. If he is following God's laws, he should be honoring his marital covenant vows to her to love her in sickness and in health until death. Apparently, he is trying to speed up the death process so he can get on with the next marriage. Exodus 20:13 is very clear and Exodus 20:14 and equally clear.
Norman Geisler has written a tremendous book on ethics called 'Love Your Neighbor: Thinking Wisely About Right and Wrong.' It includes a great chapter on civil disobedience which is biblical and balanced. It takes a volatile and much misunderstood subject and shows what God says about it.
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw/102-2085712-9684969?initialSearch=1&url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=love+your+neighbor+norman+geisler
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