When is it OK to break the law?

Obeying God, not men

During the first centuries of the church, Christians were considered criminals for not worshipping Caesar. During the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands, Dutch Christians such as author Corrie ten Boom's family hid Jews. If Gandhi had followed the law, India might still be a British colony. And what about Martin Luther King? But that was then and this is now, right? Wrong. Today, in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, discrimination against Christians is commonplace.Shari’ah or Muslim law prohibits leaving Islam or reading the Bible. Yet in Pakistan, there are Christians who quietly belong to Gideons International -- the same volunteer organization whose volunteers in 194 countries place Bibles in hotels, motels, hospital, military bases, schools and anywhere else possible. In Pakistan such activity can get a Christian killed. However, since 1971, local Pakistani Gideons have placed 990,464 Scriptures in the hands of fellow Pakistanis.

Obeying God, not men

In areas of Nigeria, shari’ah law is also enforced, resulting in violence against Christians, reports Emily Fuentes of the Christian advocacy group Open Doors. A prominent surgeon and Nigerian senator, Gyang Dantong, was recently murdered for his faith. His widow has been surrounded by his colleagues and family during this time, but still is in a deep state of mourning.” “I find the greatest comfort in Psalm 23,” Dantong says. “I am reminded that the Lord will always care for me, even during this trying time. My husband did many things for Nigeria. His life blessed many and God will continue to use his legacy. My husband loved Nigeria and loved the people he served. It is very difficult to move forward without him.” Should he have avoided death and sorrow by obeying shari’ah law? "No," says his mourning widow.

Obeying God, not men

The late Richard Wurmbrand spent years in a Communist Romanian prison for preaching the Gospel during the Cold War. He founded Voice of the Martyrs, which today supports Christians in countries where the Gospel is restricted. For example, it helps smuggle Bibles into China. “I recently gave some high school students a tour of our building describing our work," recalls White. "One of them asked, “Isn’t that Illegal?” Indeed, smuggling Bibles into China is forbidden by the Chinese government. Christians are also barred from worshiping in their homes. Children are not allowed to hear about Jesus. The only churches allowed are the state-run “Three-Self Patriotic Movement” for Protestants and the “Chinese Patriotic Association” for Catholics. Should Chinese Christians obey the law and not tell their children about Jesus?

Obeying God, not men

Today Christianity is severely restricted in Vietnam. “What would we say to a Vietnamese school teacher who hid her Bible under her skirt when police began confiscating Bibles at a meeting in her home?” asks White. “She had brought many non-believers to Christ using the Word of God. Should she submit? Give the authorities her Bible? This school teacher is a friend of mine. I have met many such Christians during several visits to Vietnam.” In North Korea, possessing a Bible is punishable by death. Entire families – including grandparents and children – have been sent to prison camps for years for such offenses. Some North Korean Christians hide rolled-up hymn sheets inside the walls of their houses. Should they obey the law and repudiate their faith? Should we obey North Korean law and not try to help them?

Obeying God, not men

In some countries Christians secretly use government-controlled presses to print Christian literature. In such situations there is only one law, says White, the law of love which begins and ends with Christ and His sacrifice on the Cross. “Should we tell them to stop their illegal printing?” asks White. “Fidel Castro, the Communist leader of Cuba, had 100,000 Bibles taken to a sugar mill where they were ground up. The leather covers were kept for making purses. However, a Cuban Christian leader recently revealed that at least 50 percent of all Bibles brought into Cuba over the last decades were smuggled in.” Should we obey Cuban law and not provide Cubans with Bibles?

Obeying God, not men

Do we sin, asks White, when we write “tourist” on our visa application when our purpose is to share the World of God in a restricted country? Paul in Romans 13:5 wrote that we are accountable to God and the government, but to God first. Early Christians respected Caesar’s authority in civil matters but did not submit in matters of worship or spiritual freedom. Acts 5:19-20, 29 clearly demonstrates God's attitude. God told the Apostles to ignore the authorities and continue to speak “the words of life.” As a result, the Apostles told the council which told them to stop preaching, “We obey God rather than men." That's why, says White. "So must we."