Note: Before reading the following arguments, please understand that they are not what I believe. On Wednesdays, I deliberately argue for wrong ideas, challenging my listeners to call and defend the obvious right answer, which is usually far harder than one would expect. This is a summary of what Wacky Andrew will be arguing, not a representation of what real Andrew believes. ~It’s disruptive and disturbing of the peace.
~We should persuade others with our reasons, and if we can’t persuade them, that should tell us something.
~It makes people dislike you.
~It brings dishonor to the name of Christ
~It dishonors the authorities, contrary to Romans 13, which says all authority comes from God.
~You can’t universalize the notion of lawbreaking. What if everyone broke the laws they disliked?
~You should negotiate longer, especially in a democracy where other peaceful means are open to you.
~If people didn’t obey the laws they disagreed with, there could be no laws at all.
~If the offense is in fact this unjust, doesn’t that obligate us to use force, not merely civil disobedience?
~Our kingdom is not of this world
~Jesus didn’t break the actual law (of the Romans), just the local religious rules.
~The Bible tells us to be at peace with our neighbors.
~The Bible tells us to obey authority, which is ultimately from God.
Links
Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau
Letter From A Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King, Jr.
Statement by the Alabama Clergy To MLK (pdf, but small)
Civil Disobedience Objections Considered by Peter Suber
Index To Non-Violent Action at Activism.net
Civil Disobedience by Wikipedia
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