THE SABBATH WAS MADE FOR MAN
Discovering the Roots of Civil Disobedience
“Good morning boys and girls. How are you all today?”
It is Sunday morning at First United Mainline Church in Middle America. The children in the congregation have come forward for the “kid’s connection.” Many adults admit it is their favorite part of the worship hour. As the children take their seats on the alter steps next to the minister, she pulls from behind her back a number of plastic signs.
“When we read these signs,” she says, “can you tell me who might put up one of these signs?”
She shows the children the first sign. It states, “NO PETS ALLOWED.”
Lots of hands go up and before the minister can choose one child to answer, many blurt out, “Some apartments don’t allow dogs because the poop on everything.” Another children respond, “Dogs bark too loud and keep people awake.”
“So, are you saying this rule is a good one in certain places?
All the children respond with a resounding “yes.”
“How about this sign?” The minister holds up a picture of a STOP sign. Immediately many hands go up and voices blurt out, “It means that cars have to stop.” They all agree this sign is important for the safety of people on the roads, in cars, and riding bicycles.
“One last sign,” she states and holds up a banner that reads, “REMEMBER THE SABBATHDAY, TO KEEP IT HOLY.” The children look puzzled. She reminds them that this is the seventh commandment but still no response. She gives a brief rendition about the importance of resting and coming to church on Sunday. She then asks the children, “Can you think of anytime when it might be good to break the rules?”
With all their parents watching and listening, the children feign ignorance.
“Do any of you know what an ambulance is,” the minister asks? Most of the children nod indicating knowledge.
“Well suppose that an ambulance just picked up a small child who had fallen off his bike and broken his arm. The ambulance was rushing the child to the hospital with its sirens blaring when it comes upon a STOP sign. What do you suppose the ambulance driver should do?”
All the children agree. The ambulance driver should drive right trough the STOP sign with its siren going full blast.
“The STOP sign is a very good rule and very important,” the minister states, “but there are times when rules get in the way of helping people.”
Man Was Not Made for the Sabbath
Are rules made just to be broken? Sometimes. Even our children are not immune to civil disobedience. They know the importance of rules but they are aware also of the necessity of breaking them under certain circumstances. As adults, we often tie our responses to circumstances to our religious beliefs and mandates. This becomes all the more difficult to sort out when we discover the array of biblical mandates that appear to address different issues. We offer a few here as well as some context in which these mandates are played out.
Reading from the Scriptures
Jesus clearly had difficulty accepting the admonition that work, especially “good works” must be forbidden on the Sabbath, despite the clear directive of the religious laws. But is it an act of religious disobedience?
“One Sabbath Jesus was teaching in the synagogue. A woman there
had an evil spirit that had kept her sick eighteen years; she was
bent over and could not straighten up. When Jesus saw her, he
called out to her,’Woman, you are free from your sickness.’
He placed his hands on her, and at once she straightened herself
up and praised God
The official of the Synagogue was angry that Jesus healed on the
Sabbath, so he spoke up and said to the people, ‘There are six days
in which we should work; so come during those days and be healed,
but not on the Sabbath.’
the Lord answered him, ‘You hypocrites. Any one of you would
untied his ox or his donkey from the stall and take it out to give
it water on the Sabbath. Now here is this descendant of Abraham
whom Sarah has kept in bonds for eighteen years; should she
not be released on the Sabbath?”
…Luke 13:10-16
Peter appears a bit confused when it comes to interpreting the ministry of Jesus concerning breaking the rules.
“Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether
to a king as the one in authority, or to governors as sent by him for the
punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right”
…I Peter 2:13-14
The writer of Acts portrays Peter in a different light when it comes to civil disobedience. He writes that when Peter and John were commanded not to preach the gospel, their response was:
“We must obey God rather than man.”
…Acts 5:29
· What response do you have to the following scripture text? “The Sabbath was man for man, not man for the Sabbath” (Mark2:27).
· “God spoke all these words to Moses” (The Ten Commandments, Exodus 20). Are there any circumstances whereby any of the commandments can be broken? Which ones? Why?
· In Matthew 12:7, Jesus explains his “lawlessness” to his critics by stating that “(God) desires mercy, not sacrifice.” How do you understand what Jesus meant by this reference.
· When Jesus admonishes the hypocrites in Luke 13, how does he distinguish between work and acts of good works?
Civil Disobedience: Opposing Viewpoints
No greater credence is given to the concept of civil disobedience than that of the writer Henry David Thoreau.
“It is not desirable to cultivate a respect for law, so much as for the right. The only obligation which I have a right to assume is to do at any time what I think is right.”
Others are less quick to jump on the civil disobedience bandwagon. Peter Suber raises the following objections in his discussion of the Philosophy of Law (Originally appearing in Christopher B. Gray, Philosophy of Law, An Encyclopedia, Garland Pub. Co., 1999.II.110-113)
Civil disobedience cannot be justified in a democracy. Unjust laws made by a democratic legislature can be changed by a democratic legislature. The existence of lawful channels of change makes civil disobedience unnecessary”
“We must obey the law under contract with other members of our society. We have tacitly consented to the laws by residing in the state and enjoying its benefits.”
Civil Disobedience: A Context
Civil disobedience is never more than an exercise in loquacity so long as it remains out of context and unchallenged. Unless the Christian deliberately chooses non-involvement, a difficult position to maintain in our complex society, one has to weigh mounds of evidence and piles of circumstances in order to form and “informed” Christian perspective.
Throughout recent history, there have been numerous examples of civil disobedience in American society – Martin Luther King Jr., the anti Vietnam War struggle, Operation Rescue. Those who support civil disobedience and cite religious grounds, appear to focus on two common elements. (1) There is a specific, direct conflict between God’s law and human law, and (2) when choosing to obey God’s law, believers are willing to pay the consequences for disobedience.
A recent example of the common elements is visible in the work of Operation Rescue. Operation Rescue describes itself as a community of God-fearing people who peacefully, but physically place themselves between the killers (abortionists) and the intended victims (unborn babies). They justify their actions by citing biblical mandates such as proverbs 25:11-12:
“Rescue those being led away to death. Hold back those
staggering toward slaughter. If you say, but we know
nothing about this, does he who weighs the heart
perceive it? Does he who guards your life know it?”
Proponents of Operation Rescue argue that because abortion is immoral and unbiblical, they must exercise civil disobedience. Opponents of Operation Rescue say that breaking the civil statues is biblically permissible only when we are forced to chose between God’s laws and human laws (Source: Probe Ministries, Kerby Anderson Commentaries)
For Your Consideration
· Henry David Thoreau believes that people should not participate in injustice, but they do not have to actively promote a just world. What is the difference between these two perspectives?
· Is the concept of civil disobedience compatible with a democratic government?
· Proponents of civil disobedience state that it is the right to break an unjust law when there is specific conflict between God’s ;aw and man’s law. What do you see as the “specific conflict” in these acts of disobedience
1. Civil rights movement in the U.S.
2. The anti war movement (Vietnam era).
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