Patriotic Loyalties Meet Spiritual Duty

    Back in February I asked the question, “If you had lived in one of the colonies in 1776, would you have been a patriot or a loyalist?”  Nineteen of you thought you would have been on the side of the American patriots, while three of you indicated you would have been loyal to the British.

    The reason I asked this question is somewhat complicated.  I’ll shorten the explanation by simply pointing out that I had had a couple of conversations with different people about whether or not Christians were always obligated to obey the law, or if there are issues that are only spiritual concerns, making government involvement (or interference) irrelevant?  Over the years I have often heard people answer by pointing out a passage in the Bible which states, “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established.  The authorities that exist have been established by God.  Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves” (Romans 13:1-2). 

    While this seems like a plain enough answer, there are some other aspects of this issue that people need to consider.  For instance, not too far from that passage I just quoted is another, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God” (Acts 4:19).  And I have noticed that many of my Christian brothers and sisters are also quite patriotic, often extolling the virtues of our democracy and the men who bravely sacrificed so much to give birth to this great nation.  But, wasn’t this country born from rebellion against the governing authorities?  I am somewhat confused that so many think they would have been on the side of the American revolutionaries instead of those who remained loyal to the established government.

    Have you ever read the Declaration of Independence?  I mean, carefully read it?  This great document asserts that the dissolution of a people’s connection with an established government may become necessary for the purpose of assuming “…the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them…”  It goes on to proclaim that “…all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights…”  These are important statements because they are the foundation for the defense of a rebellion: If a government becomes so oppressive that it begins to deny the equality God has given to all people, then it is “…the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government…”  Furthermore, governments don’t derive their powers from God, but from “…the consent of the governed…”  I should note that Thomas Jefferson, the author of this treasure, did not believe rebellions against established authorities should be entered into lightly.  He clearly states that this is a last recourse, when the government has become so despotic that its evils are no longer sufferable.  Yet, when that condition is met, we not only have a right, but a duty to throw off that government.

    There seems to me to be a disconnect between the verses so often quoted by good, patriotic American Christians and the foundational document we hold so dear.  Was our American Revolution justified in God’s eyes?  Should we have been loyal to the king if we had lived back then?  What about today?  Under what circumstances may we in good conscience disobey the established authorities? 

    Obviously, I am not going to answer these questions in this post.  It would be much to lengthy.  Besides, I would first like to hear from you.  I know, there are 20 people who are “followers” of this blog, and according to the stat counter there are another 10 or 20 who read it from time to time, but I rarely get any comments from any of you.  Please weigh in on this.  I am most anxious to read your thoughts.