What is the Catholic view on the law

  • Thread starter Thread starter josephback
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
J

josephback

Guest
What can law do? What can’t it do? What is the relationship between the law and the state? Catechism references appreciated. Thank you:)
 
Dear Josephback,

Please define “law”. Dogma of the RCC Church? Canon Law of the RCC? Ten Commandments? Six laws of the RCC?

Thanks. Peace.
 
Basic Christian teaching has alway stated that you have to follow the secular law even if you don’t agree with it. It also states that you can do your best to change it by nonviolent ways.
 
So, if we are morally obliged to follow secular law, does that mean that even breaking such trivial laws as buying from a lemonade stand (seeing as there is probably no permit) would be sinful?

I find some secular laws very hard to follow and annoying.
 
McatholicN said:
So, if we are morally obliged to follow secular law, does that mean that even breaking such trivial laws as buying from a lemonade stand (seeing as there is probably no permit) would be sinful?

I find some secular laws very hard to follow and annoying.
Click to expand...
No, we’re supposed to use God given common sense as well! It’s not a zero sum game where you become an unthinking robot.

I’d go out of my way to violate those stupid laws. 😃
 
McatholicN said:
So, if we are morally obliged to follow secular law, does that mean that even breaking such trivial laws as buying from a lemonade stand (seeing as there is probably no permit) would be sinful?

I find some secular laws very hard to follow and annoying.
Click to expand...
I think we have to differentiate between “laws” and “(local) ordinances”. The lemonade stand situation is one where you may (honestly) not even know there is an ordinance. It appears, when even enforced, to be a violation of basic freedom.

A little more serious ordinance to disobey would be parking restrictions. That could go either way, depending upon the seriousness (and your realization of it) or the restriction. For example, using a handicapped parking space would be serious, if it were next to a medical clinic or hospital, designed to be used to speed people to treatment, versus a handicapped place outside Home Depot, where it is still unjustifiable, but less serious.

The laws which we must obey conform with the Ten Commandments, and the Two “great” commandments. Those are so serious that disobedience may be a cause for mortal sin. One of those which people might consider more minor, is failing to pay income taxes; I believe it to be a serious sin, IMHO.
 
JamestheOlder said:
I think we have to differentiate between “laws” and “(local) ordinances”. The lemonade stand situation is one where you may (honestly) not even know there is an ordinance. It appears, when even enforced, to be a violation of basic freedom.

A little more serious ordinance to disobey would be parking restrictions. That could go either way, depending upon the seriousness (and your realization of it) or the restriction. For example, using a handicapped parking space would be serious, if it were next to a medical clinic or hospital, designed to be used to speed people to treatment, versus a handicapped place outside Home Depot, where it is still unjustifiable, but less serious.

The laws which we must obey conform with the Ten Commandments, and the Two “great” commandments. Those are so serious that disobedience may be a cause for mortal sin. One of those which people might consider more minor, is failing to pay income taxes; I believe it to be a serious sin, IMHO.
Click to expand...
How can we tell which laws to follow and to what extent? The law is so complicated, anyway. How can we follow it if we barely understand it?
 
McatholicN said:
How can we tell which laws to follow and to what extent? The law is so complicated, anyway. How can we follow it if we barely understand it?
Click to expand...
That’s a difficult question to answer correctly, because I am no lawyer or judge to give such advice.

I believe there is is statement made by some jurist that “ignorance of the law is no defense for disobeying it” or some such idea.

I think we are obligated to know and understand laws that apply to us as citizens of the US. I don’t mean all the details…unless those “details” affect how we live, how we interact with others, and what our citizen duties are. You and I may NEVER know or understand the complete income tax code, but that does not relieve us of the duty to fill out our forms and pay our taxes as best we can understand this very complex code of laws. Same with driving. If we drive, we must know and try to understand and follow traffic laws. If we drive recklessly and without regard for these laws, we must face the possibility that we sin greviously by putting “our neighbor” and ourselves in serious jeopardy.

When I went into business, I had to study certain laws regarding real estate and appraisals. I could not obtain a license in either field without knowledge…basic, as it was… of those laws. When I worked for a company that dealt with locations/businesses outside the US, we were advised by our legal dept. of US laws against bribery, etc.

As Catholics, we have a moral obligation to obey (just) laws to the best of our ability. I guess my answer to your question would be that we have to at least try to obey civil law, and use our (informed) conscience as a guide to that obedience.

I apologize for a somewhat indefinite answer.

Peace.
 
As long as the law is just, we as Catholics should respect it. That goes for everyone, really. And if it isn’t just, we can protest as long as we do so in a civil manner.

That’s my :twocents:
 
You need to distinguish Natural Law and Positive, or man made law.

For a long time, in fact until fairly recently, most law was based on Natural Law. Positive law is an offhoot in that it decrees how a given society should function. However, if the positive laws conflict with Natural Law, then they are wrong law, or not even law, except as the state decrees.

A starting point for analysing this topic is the Ten Commandments and how they were reflected in civil laws for so long a part of human history. Many of the laws once based on the Ten Commandments have been altered and repealed and so there has been a move away from a Natural Law legal base over recent years. Many of the new laws are based on, or at least encourage, a moral relativism that has never been a part of western societies before.

As for the lemonade stand example, If someone told me I couldn’t buy lemonade from some enterprising kid, I’d tell them to go take a hike and emphasise that my buying the lemonade is based on the legal maxim of caveat emptor, or let the buyer beware and it’s no business of some little bureaucrat. And I’d state that preventing the kid from selling lemonade is a restraint of trade and I’d tell him where to shove his fine. 😃 And I’d admonish my neighbours for being so weak kneed as to allow some petty little bureaucrat to even try to attempt to enforce such a ‘law’.
 
The Priest at my Church just gave a great homily on this. Pretty much all authority is given by God, and we must respect that authority (Government, Parents, Teachers, Officers, Etc.) However if an authoritative figure suggests something immoral they no longer are acting on the authority given to them by God. In that case you no longer have to, and shouldn’t obey. Hope this helps.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top