Religious based law in the US

Odale

Active Member
Kansas recently (or will soon) pass(ed) a law that will enable doctors and pharmacists to deny women birth control medication. These are personal judgement called based on their own religious beliefs (Christian or not). (Here's a link to an admittedly biased article.)

I want to know what God says about religious laws in a secular nation (the US is a secular nation that has been heavily influenced by Christian beliefs), as well as what God says about utilizing religious laws in a secular nation that might be flawed laws. What I mean by flawed laws - for example, Catholics believe that men should not use contraceptives just as women should not use them (condoms). Protestants don't share that belief, so what would God say about a law that states men cannot use condoms anymore?
 
Scripture is pretty clear, we are to respect the laws of the land and obey those in power. It tells us God is the one who empowers them for reasons that are his and his alone.

Many scholars, however, and many Christians have practiced disobedience when the laws of the land were in conflict with the Laws of God. Particularly along the lines of justice and mercy for the poor, hurting or disadvantaged.

My guess and it is a guess on this law is that it was meant for another reason which is good (for instance 12 year old girls not getting birth control pills without parent permission) and the slant of those opposed take it in a direction it was not meant.
 
Thanks, Icthus. I'd only add that when Scripture says, "Obey those in authority," Caesar was the authority...not a well-meaning, politically correct, even marginally Christian leader.
 
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I want to know what God says about religious laws in a secular nation (the US is a secular nation that has been heavily influenced by Christian beliefs), as well as what God says about utilizing religious laws in a secular nation that might be flawed laws. What I mean by flawed laws - for example, Catholics believe that men should not use contraceptives just as women should not use them (condoms). Protestants don't share that belief, so what would God say about a law that states men cannot use condoms anymore?

God appointed judges under him to rule Israel. He didn't separate himself from Israel's government until the people demanded an earthly (secular in the sense of bloodlines) King and see what that got them. Secular government is not God's idea.

If with your Catholic/Protestant question you are saying religious laws are sometimes unclear I would place the same failings on secular law. Off the top of my head I know our president just "decided" not to enforce DOMA when he is supposed to be the executive branch. Then there was that whole recess appointments debacle. My point is only to say secular law fails to be clear in things, as much if not more than God's law, not to go off topic into arguing examples. To understand if questions of law are in agreement with existing law one must understand the intent. Precedents cannot always provide answers because there will not always be one or it may not conform. Therefore if your government is secular based people, through sin, will find legal ways around law to serve personal desires because that government cannot answer the question "why". Religious based law will and has been twisted in the same manner but with it you still have the intent, the why, or the source to go back to (Luke 6: 1-11). Religious based law can have a reformation, a getting back to God, where do you go with secular law? What are governments but men and what happens to men without a solid foundation (Luke 6: 46-49)? For example ask the question at the root of the argument on abortion (which is largely ignored by politicians and media). What makes a human being a human being? This is why you get...

Pro-choice: The people stopping abortions are infringing on a woman's constitutional rights because unborn children are not human.
Pro-life: The pregnant mother is infringing on men and women's constitutional rights because unborn children are human.

You cannot just "enforce" abortion laws either way without answering the root. The law would appear to the loser to be contradicting other laws. The "what makes you human" argument must be resolved but secular law cannot do it. That's because if what makes "you" is reduced to something measurable by science then a person's value becomes finite in the world. Diamonds are rarer, computers are smarter, apes are stronger what then is the value of man? If your value is dictated purely by the earthly world so will your place be in it. It must because secular law is purely earthly you must be defined as purely earthly or it wouldn't be secular law. To achieve a secular, pure numbers, no religion, government, it cannot ask why. It can only enforce but without understanding the underlying intent, the why, one cannot interpret law to enforce it properly. You need a religious (Christian) basis in law, secular or otherwise, or you will have problems.
 
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God appointed judges under him to rule Israel. He didn't separate himself from Israel's government until the people demanded an earthly (secular in the sense of bloodlines) King and see what that got them. Secular government is not God's idea.

If with your Catholic/Protestant question you are saying religious laws are sometimes unclear I would place the same failings on secular law.

I think you explained it well Mighty Gerbil.

I want to know what God says about religious laws in a secular nation (the US is a secular nation that has been heavily influenced by Christian beliefs), as well as what God says about utilizing religious laws in a secular nation that might be flawed laws.

I would probably say more that we were a Christian nation that has fallen away from God, based on my study of the founding, but I would prefer not to argue the point. I am sorry, but I was unable to read the article (the server was down), but I have read articles that are probably similar. I think Mighty Gerbil does a great job, and I am going to come at it from the side of the government. You would probably agree that the US government, now, has laws that allow for religious freedom, to worship how you want to worship, and at times has given a lot of leeway to a religious group do so. Even in the military, with the exception of during combat, the government does what they can to allow people to worship the way they want to. Which sometimes does include not working during a normal work day.

My point is with the way the nation is at with religious freedom, is it right to tell the doctor to be an accessory to murder in his own eyes? You might say that it is infringing on the rights of the women, but she has the choice to purchase items where ever they are sold. In this case, I believe, the doctors and pharmacists would just be allowed to not sell them.
 
This is where the "Obey God first, Authorities second" comes in. As long as the law is not interfering with God's law, such as you must worship the president or abortion is allowed, you should follow laws put in place for you. God's laws come first however.
 
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