Romans 13 and Civil Disobedience
Pastor Austin T Kreutz
Romans 13 is interpreted in several ways. The passage is Paul's exhortation for obedience to the Government. Should we question Paul and his exhortation?
The current demonstrations in Lansing and around the country raise serious issues for Christians. Those who use a strict fundamentalist interpretation will view the passage without consulting other passages in their Bible. This interpretation during World War II, was used by both the Nazi and the Christian Churches. The Nazi proclaimed you must obey us it is your Christian duty. Many in the German church instructed their members to comply with the teachings of the scriptures.
I find that the 'one verse fits all' approach ignores the rest of the Bible. The Bible is not a textbook on ethics. Biblical ethics are often found in tension and opposing points of view. For instance, no verse says, "You shall not abort." However, there are plenty of verses that deal with life in the womb and murder. The conclusion is that abortion is murder.
Back to our original question. How does one act during government overreach when it conflicts with religious and moral conscience? How do you carry out civil disobedience?
The American Revolution was founded on religious conscience and government overreach. As England restricted the self-governing colonial governments, it became more difficult to tolerate the acts it imposed. The pulpits of the time engaged the culture and took a stance using the Bible and Natural Law to judge the actions of Great Britain. So, when King George asserted his divine right as king, the colonists declared their rights came from a higher authority, God.
True Civil Disobedience is nonviolent. It is simply not complying with the government's demands, particularly when they overextend their authority. Numerous examples of this can be found in the Bible. Moses's mother protecting her son, the apostles obeying God rather than man, and Jesus with the leading religious authorities of the day, the Pharisees. All of these examples are a matter of conscience.
Currently, we have seen how the public can be scared into willingly giving up their liberty and rights. The fear of death is being used to control the general public. After some time, those who had been observant began to question the legitimacy of the statistics used in reporting cases and deaths. Health workers are testifying to being pressured into classifying deaths as COVID-19 deaths. The percentage of deaths compared to recovery also brings questions about how legitimate the need is for a lockdown.
When “science” does not line up with reality, and the government continues to confine the public, it is no wonder that people will no longer continue to obey their government. It is at this point that civil disobedience begins to erode an authoritarian Government. Peaceful demonstrations turn violent when desperation replaces hope. It is at that point that demonstrations become revolutions. I pray this will never happen to our nation.