Civil Disobedience

 

Do you believe there is ever justification for disobeying the law of the land?  If you were living in the Islamic republic of Afghanistan or in Communist China and the government forbad you to worship God or to teach your children about God, what would be your reaction?  Would you defy the government and live according to your convictions?  These may sound like purely theoretical questions, but they are not.  It is a criminal offense in Afghanistan to seek to convert Afghans to Christ.  You could go to jail or even to the graveyard.  China has, for centuries, persecuted those who claimed to believe in Christ.  Would God approve of civil disobedience under the circumstances I have described?  Will you please think with me today on the topic: “Civil Disobedience?”

 

Civil disobedience became an everyday occurrence during the civil rights movement.  Some of the men, like Rap Brown, involved in civil disobedience were simply criminals looking for opportunities to loot, to rampage, and to seek revenge.  Some of the radicals in the movement were real problems for leaders like Martin Luther King, Jr. and Andrew Young.  Dr. King and his confederates believed in nonviolence, but deliberately violated the laws they considered to be unconstitutional and unfair.  I did not always agree with Dr. King’s political views or his religious views, but what if a Rap Brown or a Malcolm X had enjoyed popular appeal throughout the nation?  It goes without saying that many people--both black and white--would have died.  And hundreds of millions of dollars of property would have been destroyed.

 

Dr. King, hundreds of other leaders, and their supporters disobeyed segregationist laws because they believed that no unjust law should be obeyed.  Dr. King led thousands of blacks and others against segregated eating establishments, against segregated schools, and against every other injustice that he thought ought to be corrected.  He was willing to suffer the consequences of his actions.  He went to jail in a number of southern cities.  On occasions, he was whipped, ridiculed, and abused in countless other ways in one city after another.  Whether you agree with Dr. King’s goals and methods--and I did not in some cases--he was an example of one who stood by his convictions, one who was willing to suffer and to die for those convictions.  His actions and those of his fellow demonstrators permanently changed the face of America.  Discrimination can no longer be countenanced as a part of our national heritage.

 

The consistent message of the Bible is: Obey the laws of the land.  On one occasion, some Pharisees tried to trap Jesus Christ by asking, “What do you think? Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or not” (Mt. 22:17)?  The Roman government was one of the most despised governments in the history of the world.  The Roman government had been especially oppressive toward the Jews, even though it pretended to protect all people.  Our Lord knew the motivation behind the Jews’ question.  They wanted to impale Jesus on the horns of a dilemma.  If he approved of paying tribute to Caesar, he was no friend of the Jews.  If he disapproved of paying tribute to Caesar, the Jews would use the Roman government against him.  From their viewpoint, Jesus could not win.

 

Jesus Christ requested the Jews to show him the tribute money which had the figure of Caesar and a superscription on it.  Christ asked the Jews, “Whose is the image and superscription?” (Mt. 22:20).  They told him, “Caesar’s.”  He then said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s; and to God the things that are God’s” (Mt. 22:21).  It ought to be obvious that Jesus recognized a proper realm for civil government.  He knew society could not operate for the welfare of its citizens without some form of government.  But our obligations to our government must not conflict with our duties to the kingdom of God.  What Jesus was teaching is very plain: We live in two realms--the civil and the religious.  Civil government is vital to the welfare of all people--Christians and non-Christians alike.  God’s kingdom on earth--the church of the living God--must be the very heart of Christian living.  We cannot--we must not--allow our allegiance to the United States of America to overshadow our love for God and our work in his church.  And, contrary, to what some religious leaders seems to imply, the United States is not God’s kingdom on earth. 

 

Not only did our Lord recognize a proper role for civil government, so did the apostles Paul and Peter.  Paul commanded Christians to submit to governmental powers.  The government serves as a minister to all people for good (Rom. 13:1-7).  The apostle Peter urged his fellow Christians: “Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme: or unto governors, as unto them who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them who do well.  For so is the will of God, that with well doing you put to silence the ignorance of foolish men” (1 Pet. 12:13-15).  Paul encouraged Christians to pray for those in political power so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty (1 Tim. 2:1-2).  If all governments were always so evil--if Christians must always oppose all governments--why would Paul command us to pray for kings and all others in positions of authority?

 

Do these inspired examples and instructions leave any room for civil disobedience?  Or must we place our duties to God above our duties to the state?  Benito Mussolini wrote: “Everything for the State. Nothing against the State.  Nothing outside the State.”  Mussolini and many ancient Romans made a god of the state.  Talking of civil disobedience to such people would have been blasphemous.  If they believed in God at all, they relegated him to a place inferior to the state.  In their view, rebelling against the state would have been rebelling against their god.  The death penalty would have been the punishment for treason.

 

The book of Acts gives us one very impressive example of civil disobedience.  The apostles Peter and John were visiting the Jewish temple in Jerusalem.  As they approached the temple, they saw a lame man lying at the Beautiful gate of the temple.  The man had been lame since birth.  Begging was his only means of supporting himself.  When the lame man saw Peter and John about to enter the temple, he asked them for a gift.  The apostle Peter said to the lame man, “Look on us.”  He was expecting to receive a gift; so he listened to what Peter said.  Peter told the lame man that he and John did not have any money, but they had a gift for him.  “In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.”  Peter took the lame man by the right hand and lifted him up.  Immediately his feet and anklebones received strength.  “And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking and leaping, and praising God” (Acts 3:1-9).

 

The Jewish leaders in Jerusalem were disturbed over the healing of the lame man and because the apostles “preached through Jesus the resurrection of the dead” (Acts 4;2).  The leaders seized the apostles and put them in a safe room until they could have time to examine what they were teaching.  The Jewish leaders demanded to know by what power, or by what name the apostles had healed the infirm man.  Peter explained: “Let it be known unto you, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him does this man stand before you whole.  This is the stone that was rejected (or despised) by you builders, which is become the head of the corner.  Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is no other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:7-12).

 

The problem for the Jewish leaders was to decide what to do with the apostles.  The Jewish leaders conferred among themselves, saying, “What shall we do to these men?  For that indeed a notable miracle has been done by them is manifest to all who dwell in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it.  But that it spread no further among the people, let us warn them, that they speak henceforth to no man this name” (Acts 4:15-17).  It ought to be obvious that the Jewish rulers were far more concerned about their position and about their income than about learning and obeying the truth.  The Jewish leaders commanded Peter and John not to speak anymore in the name of Jesus.  Peter and John answered: “Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than God, you be the judge.  For we cannot but speak the things that we have seen and heard.  So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no basis for punishing them, because of the people: for all glorified God for that which was done.  For the man was above forty years old, on whom this miracle of healing had been performed” (Acts 4:18-22).

 

The apostles could not obey the dictates of the Jewish council.  They went right on preaching the word and healing the sick.  When the high priest learned what the apostles were doing, he became very angry, laid hands on the apostles and put them in a public jail.  But God had other plans for the apostles.  He sent an angel to open the prison doors and to bring them out.  He then commanded them: “Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.”  Peter and John complied with the command of God’s angel.  When officers came to check on the apostles, they were no longer in prison.  When the Jewish leaders learned that the apostles had escaped from prison, they were concerned about what would come of it all.  The captain and the officers brought the apostles before the Jewish council.  The Jewish leaders asked the apostles, “Did we not give you strict orders not to teach anymore in this man’s name? And, behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us” (Acts 5:17-21, 24, 27-28).

 

If the Jewish authorities thought they could intimidate the apostles, they were badly mistaken.  The apostle Peter’s answer to the Jewish leaders has served as a great inspiration to thousands of men and women who have been threatened because of their commitment to the cause of Christ.  Peter very boldly said: “We ought to obey God rather than man” (Acts 5:29).  In the eyes of many people the word “ought” may not carry the force of the word “must,” although it is a translation of the same Greek word.  “We must obey God rather than man.”  But how does one harmonize Peter’s response to the Jewish leaders with what he said about submitting to civil rulers (1 Pet. 2:13-17)?  The answer is very simple: We must obey civil rulers unless they require us to violate the law of God.  For example, if the United States government forbad Christians to worship God, we would have no choice but to disobey our government.  We cannot disobey our God for any reason--political or otherwise, that is, if you want to go to heaven.

 

But would modern governments actually take away men’s rights to worship as they believe they ought?  Our world is so much more sophisticated, educated, and tolerant than the governments of ancient Rome, of Babylon, and of Egypt.  The sad truth is: There are governments all over the world that allow men and women to worship only as the government wishes.  I have already mentioned Afghanistan.  It is one of the most cruel, barbarous, malicious, and intolerant governments on the face of God’s earth.  If you are not a Muslim, you and your family members are in constant danger.  The Afghanis cut the throats of those with whom they disagree.  They disagree with everyone who is not a Muslim.

 

There are many other countries where those who claim to be Christians are persecuted, such as India, Morocco, Nepal, China, Cuba, and Russia.  It is particularly troubling to me that Israel has not been friendly in recent years to people who try to convert others to Christ.  The United States leaders have betrayed our country by allowing anyone to enter this nation regardless of their religious affiliations and not demanding the same privileges for our people.  We have given Israel billions and billions of dollars, and yet they do not allow missionaries from our nation to have complete freedom to preach what they believe.  The United States ought to stop the flow of money to Israel until she opens her borders to missionaries from America.  The same is true of other countries, whether in the Middle East or elsewhere.  Did you know that the leaders in Saudi Arabia would not allow American soldiers to bring Bibles to their country?  If the United States had not protected Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern countries, their people would now be under the iron foot of Saddam Hussein.  But some of those countries will not grant religious freedom to anyone other than to Muslims.  That is clearly immoral.

 

Could the United States ever become like Hitler’s Germany, or Pol Pot’s Cambodia, or Stalin’s Russia?  Our Constitution guarantees churches freedom from governmental interference.  So why should Americans worry about the erosion of religious freedom?  It could not happen here, could it?  My friends, our Supreme Court and other governmental powers have already removed some of America’s religious freedoms.  There are some jurisdictions in our nation where men and women are not allowed to meet in private homes to study the Bible or to have religious devotions.  Some schools allow homosexual clubs, communist organizations, and similar radical groups to meet on campus, but will not allow Bible clubs to meet.  And let a child mention the name of Jesus on a term paper or in a class discussion and the teacher calls in the Un-American Un-Civil Liberties Union and maybe even the police.  Do you remember how the press reacted to George W. Bush’s admission that Jesus Christ was his favorite philosopher?  How dare a man running for the presidency mention Jesus Christ in a campaign speech or in an interview!  If president Bush had said that John Dewey or William James was his favorite philosopher, the press would likely have praised him for his great wisdom.

 

I shall furnish you some modern examples of people who defied the civil powers of their countries in order to live by their beliefs.  I shall not vouch for the correctness of the doctrinal positions of the people I shall mention.  But we should be able to learn from their courage in defying their governments.   Corrie Ten Boom, with the help of John and Elizabeth Sherrill, wrote a fascinating, yet disturbing book, The Hiding Place (New York: Bantam Books, 1971), which tells of the perils Corrie Ten Boom and her family faced during the Nazi take-over and control of Holland.  Corrie Ten Boom, her sister Betsie, and their father continually hid Jews in their Dutch home to prevent the Nazis from killing them.  For their courage in trying to save the lives of their fellowmen, the Ten Booms were sent to concentration camps.  They were treated worse than vermin.  Corrie Ten Boom’s sister, Betsie Ten Boom and their father died from malnutrition and from physical abuse.  Corrie Ten Boom survived the terrible ordeal of some of the worst concentration camps the human family has ever known. 

 

Were the Ten Booms justified in disobeying the Nazi government in order to save the lives of their fellowmen?  What would you and I have done under similar circumstances?  The Ten Booms knew they could be executed for their conduct, but they believed they had no choice except to protect the Jews from extermination.  While I reject Corrie Ten Boom’s charismatic beliefs, I honor her for her courage, compassion and convictions.  If there had been more people like her in Holland, in Poland, and in other countries the Nazis overran, more lives could have been saved.  The human race might not have suffered the devastating loss of 6,000,000 Jews.  I am fully aware of the views of the neo-Nazis, skinheads, white supremacists and other radicals who think the Ten Booms deserved to die for saving the Jews, but no honorable person could take that position.

 

Mikhail Khorev spent fifteen years in a Soviet prison because of his unwillingness to cease preaching what he believed.  In his book, Letters from a Soviet Prison Camp (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1986), Khorev lists the trumped up charges the Soviet government brought against him.  Please listen.  The group of which he was a member sang too loudly.  They were guilty of permitting the children to be present in the worship services.  Khorev preached too loudly.  The group was also charged with arranging a procession in the street (p. 24).

 

I close today with a few suggestions regarding civil disobedience.  As Christians, we must pray for the president, our congressmen, our senators, our Supreme Court Justices and all others in positions of authority.  We do not know how prayer changes people’s lives and political situations, but we know it does.  “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (Jas. 5:16).  We must make sure we send to Washington and to our state capitols men and women who will protect all our rights, including our constitutional right to worship God as we believe we ought.  If and when the government passes laws that restrict our privilege and obligation to serve the living God, we must protest, even if that means defying the laws of the land.  We must not allow anyone or anything to prevent our worshipping and serving the God of heaven.

 

Winford Claiborne

The International Gospel Hour

P.O. Box 118

Fayetteville, TN 37334

 

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