God & Government: A Manifesto
God & Government: A Manifesto
- As a devoted follower of King Jesus, my Lord, my Savior, and my sovereign God, I pledge the following to the governing authorities, which are ordained by God: I will be a good citizen living in subjection to governmental authority, even a pagan one (Rom 13:1-7; 1 Pet 2:13-17). I will responsibly engage the political process. If allowed, I will vote, seeking to bring my Christian convictions into the public arena (see Prov 14:34).
- I will live internationally like Joseph in Egypt, Daniel in Babylon, and Jesus Himself on earth. My ultimate allegiance is to Christ and His kingdom.
- I will obey the state but worship only God. And I will thank God for all the good He does through the government, praying always for all who are in authority (1 Tim 2:1-5).
- I will acknowledge that all governmental authority is established by and comes from God (Mark 12:17; Rom 13:1,4,6). I will acknowledge that all government serves in some measure the purposes of promoting good and punishing evil (Rom 13:3-4). Bad government is almost always better than no government.
- I will pay all taxes levied upon me by my government, recognizing its right to do so (Mark 12:17; Rom 13:6-7).
- I will engage in “civil disobedience” only when my government prohibits me from doing what the Bible commands, or when it commands me to do what the Bible prohibits.
This last point, while true, needs some further clarification.
- The law being resisted must be unjust and immoral, clearly contrary to the will of God, and not just inconvenient or burdensome.
- Legal means of changing the unjust situation must have been exhausted. Civil disobedience is a method not of first resort, but of last resort.
- The act of disobedience must be public rather than secretive or hidden.
- There should be some hope of success, as my intent is to produce changes in laws and institutions.
- As I consider civil disobedience, I must be willing to accept the penalty for breaking the law.