Obedience to Authority

By

Anthony J. Fejfar, B.A., J.D., Esq., Coif

© Copyright 2009 by Anthony J. Fejfar

In Saint Paul’s Epistle to the Romans, Saint Paul says that Christians should be

obedient to civil authorities. What Saint Paul really means here is that we are to be

obedient to reasonable civil authorities. Saint Paul says we are only to respect those

authorities who deserve respect. The only civil authorities that deserve respect are those

which are reasonable. When the policies and orders of civil authorities violate Natural

Law based upon reason, we have a moral duty to disobey them. Reason requires that we

follow the Ethical Matrix with the Natural Law Principles of Reciprocity, Utility,

Proportionality, and Equity. Morality requires that our moral values be based upon

autonomy, enlightened rational self-interest, self-actualization, and self-transcendence.

The State cannot require us to violate Natural and be unethical and immoral. Instead, as

Thomas Aquainas human law is only to be obeyed when it is in accordance with Natural

Law.