Example for Students on Morally "Neutral" Law

[Kevin_Andrew]

I’m teaching my Sunday school class about the fact that we are morally obligated to obey the laws of our government/society/etc, so long as they obeying them does not mean doing something immoral.

What I’m trying to think of is an example of a law which requires or forbids you to do something, that were there not a relevant civil law, would be morally neutral.

The best I can come up with is the census. If it were optional, I don’t think you would have a moral obligation to participate or not, but since the civil law requires at least informing them about how many people live with you, you are morally obligated to do so.

Can anyone think of a better example?

 

[FCEGM]

I’m teaching my Sunday school class about the fact that we are morally obligated to obey the laws of our government/society/etc, so long as they obeying them does not mean doing something immoral.

What I’m trying to think of is an example of a law which requires or forbids you to do something, that were there not a relevant civil law, would be morally neutral.

The best I can come up with is the census. If it were optional, I don’t think you would have a moral obligation to participate or not, but since the civil law requires at least informing them about how many people live with you, you are morally obligated to do so.

Can anyone think of a better example?

I think your example is a good one, but I don’t think calling the census a “moral obligation” is correct; our obligation to comply is legally coercive, not morally obligatory.

 

[Kevin_Andrew]

Well, isn’t that the point? Because we are legally obligated to participate in the census, we are also morally obligated. My understanding has always been that so long as we are morally obligated to disobey a law, we are morally obligated to obey that law. Do I have that wrong?

 

[kentuckyliz]

Voter registration, driver licensing, filing income taxes if required to do so, etc.

But also explain how neutral can be abused for evil purposes, like the poll tax and literacy tests for voting. Or over-heavy taxation–the number of the beast 666 in Revelation refers to the heavy taxation burden of Solomon, which was stepped up by his son, and let to the failure of the united kingdom of Israel. [Solomon was wise but foolish–in spite of specific warnings, he accumulated horses (military power), foreign wives (and their pagan idols that turned his heart away from the God of Israel), and wealth through taxation and conquest and tribute.]

Heavy tax burdens can cause creative, talented, hard-working people to give up and work less, or to move to another country (taking ALL their revenue with them).