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Christian Leaders' Stance On Civil Disobedience Is Dangerous [Like Gandhi, Mandela, and MLK?]
LATimes ^ | November 28th 2009

Posted on 11/28/2009 10:24:29 AM PST by Steelfish

EDITORIAL Christian Leaders' Stance On Civil Disobedience Is Dangerous Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox leaders are going too far when they declare they will break laws on abortion and same-sex marriage.

November 28, 2009

Philosophers have argued for centuries over whether it is ever justifiable to break the law in the service of a higher cause. The question acquired a new complexity with the advent of societies such as the United States, in which laws were enacted by elected representatives and not decreed by a monarch or dictator.

Few today would criticize civil rights activists, including the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., for participating in or condoning the violation of laws that perpetuated white supremacy -- with the understanding that they would face punishment for their actions. But such civil disobedience is rightly regarded as the exception that proves that the proper redress for unjust laws lies in legislation or in court rulings based on the Constitution.

That cautious approach has been thrown to the wind by Christian religious leaders who, even as they insist on their right to shape the nation's laws, are reserving the right to violate them in situations far removed from King's witness.

Last week, a group of Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox leaders released a “declaration” reminding fellow believers that "Christianity has taught that civil disobedience is not only permitted, but sometimes required." Then, after a specious invocation of King, the 152 signers hurl this anathema at those who would enact laws protecting abortion or extending the rights of civil (not religious) marriage to same-sex couples:

(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: christians; civildisobedience; communism; freespeech; homosexualagenda; homosexuals; marxism; nofreespeech; socialism
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1 posted on 11/28/2009 10:24:30 AM PST by Steelfish
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To: Steelfish
Liberals are for legislated tyranny. They never said that about Jim Crow apartheid. But Christians are not politically protected victims. To the Left, the ARE the enemy.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find only things evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelogus

2 posted on 11/28/2009 10:32:17 AM PST by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives In My Heart Forever)
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To: Steelfish

It they are upset by the Christian leaders stance on civil disobedience they will really piss their pants when they hear the stance of many millions of the rest of us angry American patriots.


3 posted on 11/28/2009 10:32:46 AM PST by Jack Black
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To: Jack Black
Let's start by showing the finger to Obamacare and refusing to pay the taxes to feed the ravenous beast. Slavery is not freedom!

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find only things evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelogus

4 posted on 11/28/2009 10:35:20 AM PST by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives In My Heart Forever)
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To: Steelfish
It's a scary time when a newspaper finds a statement like this:

"Because we honor justice and the common good, we will not comply with any edict that purports to compel our institutions to participate in abortions, embryo-destructive research, assisted suicide and euthanasia, or any other anti-life act; nor will we bend to any rule purporting to force us to bless immoral sexual partnerships, treat them as marriages or the equivalent, or refrain from proclaiming the truth, as we know it, about morality and immorality. . . . We will fully and ungrudgingly render to Caesar what is Caesar's. But under no circumstances will we render to Caesar what is God's."

DANGEROUS...

Rush is right to call these purveyors of socialism the "state owned media."

5 posted on 11/28/2009 10:36:05 AM PST by AnalogReigns
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To: Steelfish

LA Times is simply following the libtard run DHS in considering Christians, the Manhattan Declaration, tea parties, etc. as “dangerous” right wing extremists, etc.

Anything really new here from the LA Times? No. Move along.


6 posted on 11/28/2009 10:37:28 AM PST by cranked
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To: Steelfish

Another reason why the LA Times is losing money and circulation.


7 posted on 11/28/2009 10:37:47 AM PST by conservativehistorian (.)
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To: Steelfish

The hypocracy is stunning. I sometimes wonder if just ignoring leftist media would be the effective thing to do.


8 posted on 11/28/2009 10:39:34 AM PST by rushmom (l)
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To: AnalogReigns
I guess not bowing down before the state is dangerous to the Left. Once people get it in their minds Big Brother is not invincible, the props for his rule collapse. And that cannot be allowed. The liberal kingdom is of this this world and not outside of this world.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find only things evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelogus

9 posted on 11/28/2009 10:39:35 AM PST by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives In My Heart Forever)
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To: rushmom
The state-run media was all for civil disobedience in resisting the Iraq War. Now when the table are turned, they suddenly find it a threat to the rule of law. Just don't remind them of their hypocrisy.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find only things evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelogus

10 posted on 11/28/2009 10:41:50 AM PST by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives In My Heart Forever)
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To: Steelfish

Does anyone think civil disobedience would have worked in Maoist China or even current China, Cuba, or Stalinist Russia?

I recall William F. Buckley once said civil disobedience requires a decent nation to work, or something like that.


11 posted on 11/28/2009 10:51:26 AM PST by yarddog
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To: Steelfish
First and foremost, marriage is the union of a man and a woman.

Now, as for homosexual shacking up - I really don't give a rip if the government wants to recognize it or not. I do care about it being characterized as marriage, as the definition of the word's really really clear, no matter how many erasers the liberals take to the dictionary.

If the whole thing was ‘well, we wanna recognize these homosexuals who have forgone the promiscuous lifestyle and want to restrict their sexual contact to a single partner’, eh, no skin off my teeth. Since I want to cut, slash and burn all government employee benefits anyway, it's not a big deal to me.

The problem comes when the government wants to make the rest of us recognize this shacking up as being equal to marriage. Sorry, not within your powers as delineated by the US and state constitutions. Thought control’s just not spelled out anywhere. In fact, it's really explicitly enshrined in there that the government shall never try to impose it's will on the people, and further enshrines the people's ability to rebel should the nitwits try.

In many ways, the people have drawn the line in the sand on this issue, not because everyone really gives a rip if the homosexuals plan on pretending to be monogamous, but because along with it comes the full burden of thought control.

Even in California, one of the most liberal states in the country, the people have enshrined in their constitution that simple, time honored, dictionary definition, underlining it for the government as they apparently missed it the first hundred times.

Go ahead, cross that line. Mock all you want those who plan to simply not obey the thought control. Because honestly, if the First amendment doesn't work, it's going to fall to the second to get the job done. And while you're pondering this, dear liberals, you also might want to spend a half hour pondering the oathkeepers.org website, and wonder, just a little bit, how you intend on enforcing your will upon the rest of us.

12 posted on 11/28/2009 10:51:42 AM PST by kingu (Party for rent - conservative opinions not required.)
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To: cranked
This is rich from coming from folks who don't believe in a Supreme Being, in the Constitution, enumerated powers or limited government. If they believed in those things, they would have a valid point. Men are created to serve God and the state is simply for them to serve their Creator. It does not mean the state supersedes God in the hearts of men. No religious believer can believe the laws of men can be absolute everywhere and for all time. Only God's laws are eternal.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find only things evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelogus

13 posted on 11/28/2009 10:51:57 AM PST by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives In My Heart Forever)
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To: yarddog
Like ours. If it stops being decent, the first liberty will die is in the human heart. Then no Constitution, no laws and no government can revive its spirit. We've been pretty fortunate free for over two centuries but those who have zeal and good intentions want us to go down the road of tyranny and despotism... in the name of the common good.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find only things evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelogus

14 posted on 11/28/2009 10:55:24 AM PST by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives In My Heart Forever)
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To: All
SIMPLE: If the LEFT media (L.A. TIMES here) think this is WRONG. Then are finally doing it right! LET'S ROLL :)

=========================================================

PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD TO YOUR FRIENDS to sign the Declaration. ( This and PALIN, will ruin the Left's Christmas :)

One of the best things our religious leaders have done of late. Please support them.

Go to the website and Sign the Declaration. You must register if this is your first time.

http://www.manhattandeclaration.org

15 posted on 11/28/2009 10:59:46 AM PST by ElPatriota (The SILENCE of the Catholic Church on the war (...Actually I'm hearing MORE....) ** DEAFENING **)
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To: Steelfish

God’s law is higher than man’s law and we choose this day Whom to serve.


16 posted on 11/28/2009 11:02:17 AM PST by 1000 silverlings (everything that deceives, also enchants: Plato)
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To: ElPatriota

Please, everyone sign the manahatten declaration. 180k and counting!


17 posted on 11/28/2009 11:04:36 AM PST by BenKenobi
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To: rushmom

The people at LA Times just can’t wrap their minds around the idea that religious people would find abortion or gay marriage to be a moral wrong on the same level as racial discrimination.


18 posted on 11/28/2009 11:10:48 AM PST by PapaBear3625 (Public healthcare looks like it will work as well as public housing did.)
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To: BenKenobi
...Please, everyone sign the Manhattan declaration. 180k and counting!

ABSOLUTELY BenKenobi!...If ACORN was promoting this Declaration, they might have found One million signatures by now... Of course, from all those members residing in every CEMETERY as well as from our respectable "Prison Community" -- LOL

We should aim for one million signatures too by Christmas, by reaching to the DANGEROUS God fearing and conservative communities, and w/o cheating.

19 posted on 11/28/2009 11:18:44 AM PST by ElPatriota (The SILENCE of the Catholic Church on the war (...Actually I'm hearing MORE....) ** DEAFENING **)
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To: BenKenobi

Done, it needs to be in the high millions tho. Maybe it will be eventually.


20 posted on 11/28/2009 12:07:42 PM PST by yarddog
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