Obey the government?

[the_nuge]

Romans 13:1 Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.

1 Peter 2:13-14 13 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, 14 or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right.

Please, help me with these passages.

A few years ago, when I questioned our countries imminent involvment in a war, my fallen-away, born-again mother-in-law referred me to the first passage above. I took out my NAB and read it and asked her “Well, what about the communists? According to your interpretation of this passage, the people in communist countries are supposed to bow to their “authorities” and quit worshiping God.”

Well that stumped the both of us, until it came to me that this was a letter from Paul to the Romans. Probably Paul was telling his Romans they had to obey their government, not all of us everywhere, everywhen have to obey all governments. This pretty much satisfied me. My mother-in-law said she’d ask her preacher (though she didn’t have to submit to any interpretative authority, mind you ) and we let it go.

Then my parish priest brought it up in Mass a few months ago, same interpretation: “You’re supposed to obey the government, it says so in the bible”. Which, you know, I don’t have a problem with (to a point) with a democratic government, but there are other forms of government that I would feel compelled to fight, especially from within…

So whats the Catholic take on this? How are these passages to be interpreted and do they apply to the modern world?

Thanks,

 

[Timidity]

the_nuge:

So whats the Catholic take on this? How are these passages to be interpreted and do they apply to the modern world?

TO sum it up in a very unofficial statement, it boils down to “All authority comes from Heaven, therefore you must obey all Earthy authority except in those things that are directly counter to Heaven.”

For more detail, read the Catechism, under the Fourth Commandment.

 

[the_nuge]

Timidity:

TO sum it up in a very unofficial statement, it boils down to “All authority comes from Heaven, therefore you must obey all Earthy authority except in those things that are directly counter to Heaven.”

For more detail, read the Catechism, under the Fourth Commandment.

Thank you Timidity.

usccb.org/catechism/text/pt3sect2chpt2.htm#art4

2254 Public authority is obliged to respect the fundamental rights of the human person and the conditions for the exercise of his freedom.

2255 It is the duty of citizens to work with civil authority for building up society in a spirit of truth, justice, solidarity, and freedom.

2256 Citizens are obliged in conscience not to follow the directives of civil authorities when they are contrary to the demands of the moral order. “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29).

2257 Every society’s judgments and conduct reflect a vision of man and his destiny. Without the light the Gospel sheds on God and man, societies easily become totalitarian.

 

[T.A.Stobie_SFO]

Where the government requires anything that is moral, we are obligated to obey.

 

[LRThunder]

the_nuge:

Please, help me with these passages.

A few years ago, when I questioned our countries imminent involvment in a war, my fallen-away, born-again mother-in-law referred me to the first passage above. I took out my NAB and read it and asked her “Well, what about the communists? According to your interpretation of this passage, the people in communist countries are supposed to bow to their “authorities” and quit worshiping God.”

Well that stumped the both of us, until it came to me that this was a letter from Paul to the Romans. Probably Paul was telling his Romans they had to obey their government, not all of us everywhere, everywhen have to obey all governments. This pretty much satisfied me. My mother-in-law said she’d ask her preacher (though she didn’t have to submit to any interpretative authority, mind you ) and we let it go.

Then my parish priest brought it up in Mass a few months ago, same interpretation: “You’re supposed to obey the government, it says so in the bible”. Which, you know, I don’t have a problem with (to a point) with a democratic government, but there are other forms of government that I would feel compelled to fight, especially from within…

So whats the Catholic take on this? How are these passages to be interpreted and do they apply to the modern world?

Thanks,

We are supposed to submit to the government, up to a point. Peter was brough before the Sanhedrin and they forbade him to witness. Obviously their command contradicted the Lord’s command to be a witness.