Christians have long debated whether there is a moral responsibility to resist injustice, largely because the Apostle Paul writes in Romans 13 to “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers.” The Bible, however, is full of examples where the higher powers were resisted by men of God.

Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt against the Pharaoh’s dictates, and a new nation under God was established.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to worship a false god and were cast into a furnace for it.

Daniel prayed to God against the king’s orders and was thrown into the lion’s den.

If all authority is appointed by God, as Paul writes, then they are to act justly. This is part of the social contract, making unjust laws no laws.

The social contract is derived from what men call the Law of Nature, which is the basis of all morality as given by God through the Ten Commandments. The Law of Nature commands that we love one another and do no harm to others’ life, health, liberty or possessions. The social contract is the consent of society to submit to a governing body that protects them against the transgressors of the Law of Nature. Herein is the establishment of laws, judges, and the power to enforce the laws.

We are instructed in Romans 12:21 to “Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.”

The very next verse says to be subject to the higher powers, for they are put in place by God. Overcome evil, but obey authority.

Context lends insight. 1 Peter 2:13-14 says, “Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake… as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.”

Then Peter writes in verse 16, “[Live] As free, and not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.”

In Acts 4 and 5, Peter and the Apostles were forbidden by the “rulers of the people, and the elders of Israel” to teach in the name of Christ. Peter and John’s response was, “Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, you judge.”

They were thrown into prison. When they were let out, they were forbidden again to speak about Christ. Acts 5:29 gives the answer to such a command: “We ought to follow God rather than men.” This, among many examples.

Isaiah 10:1 says, “Woe unto them that decree evil statutes, and who write unjust decisions; to deprive the needy of justice, and rob the poor of my people of their rights, that widows may be their prey, and that they may plunder the fatherless.”

Isaiah 1:17 instructs: “Learn to do well; seek justice, relieve the oppressed, bring justice to the fatherless, plead for the widow.”

My conclusion is that when life, health, possessions and liberty are no longer protected under the social contract, and when government becomes tyrannical, acting against the interests of the people, the people not only have the legal right but also the moral obligation to resist unjust laws and unjust authority. The Bible is our witness.

Posted in The Daily Jot

The pandemic emergency in which American citizens ceded their civil rights to government mandates and lockdowns must end now. Enough damage has been inflicted upon individuals, businesses and the economy by the government, big pharma, a propaganda media machine, divisive politicians and Supreme Court justices that are so out of touch they can’t even accurately cite their own government’s statistics.

Delta is receding. Omicron is mild and is providing immunity. It’s time for the government and the leftist politicians to put away their harmful and hateful fear-mongering agendas and do the right thing: End the pandemic emergency and focus on responding to the aftermath of the crisis they created.

There is going to be much to fix. The economy, ransacked by reckless and ill-advised leftist policies, must be addressed. The aftermath of lockdowns, outrageous deficit spending, irresponsible imaginations about green energy and climate control, and job-killing decisions—all contributing to out-of-control inflation will take years, maybe decades, to resolve.

Foreign policy, which was so focused on mandates and migration, allowed for state actors such as Russia, China and Iran to advance their evil agendas somewhat under the radar. These are delicate and complicated international minefields that must be navigated carefully and firmly; otherwise, they will result in death and destruction for many.

The most challenging issue will be the long-term effects of the government health policies. Vaccines may have prevented some people from dying, but the side effects are just beginning to surface. CDC mandated treatment protocols and financial incentives for hospitals also may have caused more deaths than the vaccines saved. Incoming studies from reputable institutions are indicating alarming unexplained death rate increases in people 18-49, myocarditis, blood clots, and other organ and brain issues in the vaccinated population.

A Columbia University study concluded that VAERS deaths are 20 times higher than estimated (up to 400,000 deaths in the US) and that the risks of COVID vaccination outweigh the benefits in children, young and middle-age adults, and in older age groups with low occupational risk.

The authors said, “no one, especially those with good intentions and high hopes but who were misled by less-than-rigorous science, wants to acknowledge the possibility that the COVID vaccines and their boosters may be causing more harm than good overall. The sooner the taboo surrounding research and discussion of vaccine-induced injury and death is lifted, the sooner public health policy can be adjusted and resources can be mobilized to identify and develop therapies and interventions.”

Government and big pharma historically reject health issues tied to vaccines. But given current technology and data analysis, it may be more difficult to deny.

Proverbs 13:10 says, “By pride comes nothing but strife, but with the well-advised is wisdom.”

Wisdom will be needed to meet the challenges ahead. It will be a difficult journey.

Posted in The Daily Jot

Sources:

Columbia Study: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/355581860_COVID_vaccination_and_age-stratified_all-cause_mortality_risk