2. Supreme Court Hearing Oral Arguments
Picture: MSNBC

3. What’s At Stake regarding Christianity?
If the Supreme Court mandates same-sex marriage in all 50 states:
It is likely that Christian universities and/or churches will have to compromise their views or risk losing tax exempt status.
It is also possible that criminal (hate) charges could be leveled against the would be federal law.

4. Issues For Numerous Christians
Abortion
Same Sex Marriage
Paying Taxes
Civil Rights
Capital Punishment
Embryonic Stem Cell Research
Insurance: Morning after pill

5. What is Civil Disobedience?
It is widely viewed as intentionally disobeying law or authority based upon one’s conviction.
For many professing Christianity this conviction is based upon the belief that a Christian must “obey God rather than man”. Acts 5:29 (see v. 17ff)

6. Biblical Acts of Civil Disobedience
Hebrew midwives going against Pharaoh's command to kill newborn males. Exo. 1:16-17
Daniel: praying to Jehovah (instead of King Darius as decreed). Dan. 6:4-15
Preaching Jesus when local religious authorities forbade them. Acts 4:19-20; 5:29

7. What’s a Christian to do?
Jesus and His apostles taught that Christians MUST submit to it’s rulers and authorities. Rom. 13; Titus 3:1; 1 Pet. 2:13-15
In the words of Jesus: “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” Matt. 22:21

8. When (if ever) is civil disobedience acceptable for Christians today?
Example: Same-sex marriages
You may be opposed to our government passing same-sex marriage laws based upon biblical beliefs.
But, unless the law forces YOU to sin against God it is contrary to biblical teachings to exercise “civil disobedience” because we are directly told to submit to our authorities. (note: context when Paul wrote Romans…during Nero’s rule)

9. The Christian’s Calling…
To live as citizens in heaven. Phil. 3:17-4:1
Should expect hatred from the world. cp. 1 Jn. 3:14 (Jn. 15:18; Jn. 17:14)
Its is a walk of loving God and our neighbor; to seek the lost and build the saved.

10. Balancing civil disobedience and godly submission is a powerful witness for the gospel. It shows what our priorities are and where our loyalties lie. If we find ourselves crying "Foul!" at every perceived violation of our rights, it might be an indication that we've come to love the things of the world (1 John 2:15). If, however, we limit our protests to issues that are clearly contrary to biblical truth, we're on the right track. If we face inconvenience, hardship, persecution, and even death quietly, reserving civil disobedience for only those times when a law would force us to directly disobey God's Word, then we truly are "not of the world" (John 17:16).