3. Personal Conviction and the Law

What examples of Christian actions to promote human rights at the expense of the law?

• Martin Luther King - Civil rights leader advocating for the end of racial segregation, motivated by the universal brotherhood of all humankind, inspired by the teaching of agape love. He was also motivated to use non violent resistance like peaceful protests and civil disobedience. He was influenced by the Christian notion of redemptive suffering, where one endures hardship and injustice in the pursuit of a greater good.

• Oscar Romero - Soke out against social injustice, poverty and the violence inflicted upon the most vulnerable members of society in El Salvador. He used his position as Archbishop to criticise the killing and torture of civilians by the government, through letters and sermons. He has influenced by agape love to take the preferential option for the poor, a theological concept that emphasises special concern for the well being of the less fortunate

What is personal conviction?

something a person strongly believes in

What does the Bible say that encourages following the law?

Roman 13:1 - “Everything must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established - If governing bodies are Christian and follow Christian values, they must submit and follow the law since it is endorsed by God (shown by the divine right of kings). They have a duty to obey the law.

What does the Bible say about not following the law?

Acts 5:29 - “We must obey God rather than human beings” - Human beings can make laws that go against God, so if the rulers are not acting in tandem with God’s will, they can be dismissed in favour of God’s pure teachings

What did Saint Thomas Aquinas, a renowned Catholic scholar, say about following the law?

Lex iniusta non est lex (an unjust law is no law at all) - Aquinas argued that laws must only be obeyed when they are legitimate meaning:

• the law must be for the common good

• it must have been passed by a legitimate authority

• it should be equal and apply to all

What are laws that are could be considered unjust?

• segregation

• unequal voting rights for women

• laws that harm the environment (e.g fracking)

What is are examples of personal conviction holding conflict with the law?

• Cornish B&B case

• Martin Luther King

What was the Cornish B&B case?

• A couple (Hazelmary and Peter Bull) owned a Cornish B&B and refused to allow a gay couple to sleep in the same room. In 2013 the UK Supreme Court ruled against the couple on discrimination

• The personal conviction they held was that homosexuality is morally and religiously wrong and they should be allowed to run their home and business based on this conviction

• This brought them into conflict with the law because sexual characteristic was a protected characteristic under law so it was seen to be discrimination

Who was Martin Luther King?

• He was a civil rights leader who worked to end racial segregation and came into conflict with the law, eventually being assassinated in 1968

• His personal conviction was ending segregation and racial discrimination

• He was brought into conflict with the law for his work being deemed illegal through obscure laws or laws that could be described anything (“disturbing the peace”)