By Robin G. Jordan
Readers may be following the debate that has followed the issuance by James MacArthur and the elders of Grace Community Church, Sun Valley, California of a call for US Christians to join that church in a campaign of civil disobedience against the public health measures that state and local governments are implementing to contain or slow the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus. I have not posted links to any related articles until I have gathered enough articles that are representative of the different views involved in this debate. Among the issues is whether churches are free to adopt their own course of action or must they, as MacArthur insists, follow his lead.
MacArthur’s position is reminiscent of the position that the extremists among the Puritans in the sixteenth and seventeenth century took. They argued that there was only one right position on a number of issues—theirs. All other positions even those for which there was support in the Holy Scriptures were wrong. They were right, everyone else was wrong, and that settled the matter. At the outbreak of the English Civil War they argued that the Bible mandated only one form of church government—presbyterianism. On the other hand, the English Reformers and later Anglican divines maintained that the Bible does not prescribe any particular form of church government.
At the conclusion of the English Civil War the Presbyterians did not emerge victorious. Rather congregationalism won the day. Oliver Cromwell’s New Army backed the idea that the local church was free to determine for itself how it was to be governed and by whom.
At the Restoration episcopacy and The Book of Common Prayer were re-established as the form of church government and the form of worship in the Church of England. Pastors who refused to accept the authority of the bishops and to use the Book of Common Prayer were ejected from their livings.
MacArthur is arguing that civil disobedience to the restrictions that state and local public health measures impose upon places of worship, worship gatherings, and other church meetings is the only course of action that Christians may take. Otherwise, they are disobeying God. His argument resonates with some Christians. Others, however, conclude that the matter is not as cut and dry as MacArthur would have us believe. The kind of civil disobedience that MacArthur is advocating is not warranted at this stage if at all. While these public health measures may at times be onerous and in the case of Nevada’s restrictions on worship gatherings patently unfair, their intent is not to persecute Christians or local churches but to protect the healthy and safety of the public, including Christians.
Jesus taught his disciples to render to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s. Among the duties of the Roman Emperor was to protect the empire from its enemies and to safeguard persons and property in times of danger. Implementing public health measures to contain or slow the spread of an epidemic falls within his sphere of authority. It is what is Caesar’s, as is collecting taxes. When we comply with the public health measures that state and local governments implement and which the federal government may eventually put into effect such as a national face mask mandate, we are rendering to Caesar what is Caesar’s.
We are also rendering to God what is God’s. In his teaching Jesus expanded upon an earlier revelation of how we should act toward others—toward outsiders as well as those within our particular in-group. He did not add to this teaching but drew attention to its breadth. We are to love all human beings as ourselves. Jesus spoke as God commanded him to speak. As he pointed out, his words were not his own but the Father’s. They came from God.
Jesus emphasized loving God as well as loving others. Love of God and love of others are inseparably intertwined. We do not love God if we do not love others. In a number of places in the Old Testament we learn that God is not as interested in our acts of worship as he is the way we live. Indeed, our acts of worship are offensive to him if we do not frame our lives upon Jesus’ teaching and example. In showing our love for the Son in obeying his word, we show our love for the Father.
Caring for the health and safety of others is an important way that we show our love for them. Jesus himself had harsh words for the Pharisees who, while they claimed to be wholly devoted to God, endeavoring to fulfill the minutia of the ritual law, they showed little or no mercy and compassion toward their fellow Jews, even their own parents. While MacArthur’s statement on the surface appears to be God-honoring, it has the feel of the Pharisee about it.
One is faced with the question, “Will our worship gatherings and other church meetings really honor God if they cause human suffering and cost human lives?” Jesus urged his disciples to be like God. When we imitate God, when we are merciful and compassionate like he is, we are honoring God. God who is eternal and exists outside of time and space will not miss our worship gatherings for a season. But he will take note of our lack of mercy and compassion.
3 comments:
You are overlooking a few important things.
1. As stated time and time again by public health officials, the only reason we are being told to wear masks is because there is no vaccine. Would mandating a vaccine be a time for civil disobedience? We were put on house arrest and lockdown costing people their jobs and livelihoods for very much the same reason. To flatten the curve to avoid overwhelming the hospitals because we don’t have a vaccine.
2. Since when do baby killers who cry over and over that we are overpopulated and we need to slow population growth and we need to embrace assisted suicide and we need to let a woman choose to murder her child... since when do these people care about saving lives and since when do we listen to them?
You say “now is not the time” while they incrementally seduce our peoples minds with their lies, misrepresentation of facts, propaganda and abuses.
Since when do we listen to unelected officials?
Since when do we listen to people who are reaping or the 3rd leading cause of death in the US?
If you join them you are against us.
House arrest, Jonathan? That is an over-exaggeration—rhetorical hyperbole. All the public health measures that have implemented in my state, my county, and my community have been reasonable measures in light of the seriousness of the epidemic with which the state and local authorities are faced. The state has been experiencing a surge in new cases. This morning Lexington reported 116 new cases. The number of new cases in my county have been steadily climbing.
My university recommended to its faculty, students, and staff that they stay home, stay away from other people, and to avoid unnecessary travel before the spring break. The university had been monitoring the situation in China and other Asian countries and in Europe. The university has an extensive study abroad program. This was before the federal government issued guidance to the states.
To whom, Jonathan, are you applying the label “baby killers”? Who are “they”? You need to be more specific. You also need to support your claims with convincing, verifiable evidence. Otherwise, it just sounds like a typically conspiracy theory rant.
Taking the life of an unborn child, Jonathan, is indeed abominable. At the same time it is certainly not pro-life to fail or to refuse to take appropriate action to prevent human suffering and preserve human life in the face of a serious public health emergency, to write off millions of people as an acceptable level of casualties, and to leave a deadly epidemic to rage out of control and unchecked. If anything, Jonathan, that is pro-death.
There is certainly a lot of misinformation in circulation on Facebook and other social media platforms, both inaccurate and false information. A lot of it is being spread by those who dismiss the seriousness of the epidemic and who have embarked on their own self-appointed crusade to disabuse people of the belief that they should have any cause for concern. This propaganda is targeted at people like yourself, Jonathan, who are anxious about what is going on and are not sure what they should believe.
Mixed in with the misinformation is disinformation that is being deliberately spread by foreign actors, hackers and groups that are associated with China, Russia, and other foreign powers that are seeking to widen existing divisions in the United States and to weaken our nation. They are encouraging people like yourself who are concerned about their country to believe all kinds of untruths.
Jonathan, our nation has had elected and unelected officials for a large part of its history. Because an official is elected does not make that official more credible. In fact, elected officials may be tempted to tell people what they want to hear rather than the truth. If they told people the truth, they might not get re-elected.
Elected officials are also likely to be beholding in some way to special interests who financed their election. They may be more concerned with their re-election prospects than containing or slowing the spread of an epidemic and safeguarding human lives. They may be exploiting divisions over the seriousness of the epidemic to improve their prospects for election to higher office. Political motives may underlie their championing of a number of causes popular among segments of the population and not the health, safety, and well-being of the entire population. Those elected to public office, while they may be able to garner the support of the electorate, may not actually be qualified to hold such office. They may lack the skills, the knowledge, the temperament, and the other qualities needed for public office.
Jonathan, you need to identify whom you are alleging is reaping benefits from what you claim is the third leading cause of death in the United States and produce credible, verifiable evidence backing your allegations. Otherwise, readers will have no idea about whom and what you are talking. They will dismiss you as someone who has bought into a conspiracy theory. Conspiracy theories are a dime a dozen these days and if you go on Facebook or Twitter, you find lots of people peddling their favorite conspiracy theory.
“If ya aint fer us, ya again’ us,” right, Jonathan? Let me tell you what I am for. I am for the Lord Jesus Christ. I am for loving God with your whole being and loving others as yourself. I am for treating others as we would want to be treated. I am for forgiving others as we would be wanted to be forgiven. I am for protecting the lives of unborn children. I am for making sure children grow up strong and healthy when they are born. I am for making sure that they have every opportunity to get a good education and to learn the skills that they will need in life. I am for people getting adequate care and treatment when they are sick or injured. I am for people having safe food to eat and clean water to drink. I am for making sure that the elderly live out in the comfort of their own home the days that God has allotted them. I am for protecting all the vulnerable in our society from disease, poverty, and man’s inhumanity to man. To sum it up—I am for God, Jesus, and life. What are you for, Jonathan?
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