When Should Christians Address the Government?

1.  “Christians speak when rulers command them or others to disobey God.”
2.  “Christians speak when rulers invite them to comment or give advice.”
3.  “Christians speak when rulers become arbitrary and exceed their constitutional restraints.”
4.  “Christians speak words of commendation when government action is worthy of support or praise.”
5.  “Christians speak when a government is grossly inconsistent or arbitrary in its application of rules and regulations.”
6.  “Christians speak when a government persistently ignores major societal problems and evils even when it has the means to address them.”
7.  “Christians speak when governments are unresponsive to the legitimate concerns of minorities and exploited individuals.”
8.  “Christians speak when governments, including courts, undermine human dignity and oppose fundamental God-ordained institutions such as traditional marriage and the family.”
9.  “Christians speak when governments affirm the killing of the most innocent and vulnerable human beings by abortion.”
– John Redekop, Politics Under God, pp.153

A Place for Civil Disobedience

“If there is no place for civil disobedience, then the government has been made autonomous, and as such, it has been put in the place of the Living God.  If there is no final place for civil disobedience, then the government has been put in the place of the Living God, because then you are to obey it even when it tells you in its own way at that time to worship Caesar.  At that point is exactly where the early Christians performed their acts of civil disobedience even when it cost them their lives.” — Francis Schaeffer, A Christian Manifesto, p.130.

What Does God Require of Governments?

To answer this question, Anabaptist scholar John Redekop gives this 20-point list in his book Politics Under God (pp. 70-81) answer to the question.  Key Scripture passages that stand behind this list include Isaiah 10:1-2; Matthew 5-7, and Romans 13:1-7.
1.  A government has the God-given responsibility to rule.
2.  A government should uphold the general good.
3.  A government should see its role as a trust.
4.  People in government are required by God to practice integrity and honesty.
5.  A government should work hard to establish and maintain a free society.
6.  A government should respect, promote, and nurture human dignity.
7.  A good government has a social conscience and embraces a good measure of humanitarianism.
8.  A government should pay particular attention in its policies to the exploited and the marginalized.
9.  A government is required by God to establish and maintain law and order, to the best of its ability.
10.  An inherent function of government is to regulate the exercising of power by other institutions and organizations.
11.  A good government is committed to the pursuit of justice.
12.  A government should practice procedural fairness.
13.  A government should practice fiscal integrity.
14.  A government should implement fair trading laws.
15.  A government should strive for peace.
16.  A government should promote public morality.
17.  A good government realizes that it has responsibility for its physical environment.
18.  A good government is ready to listen to its critics.
19.  All governments should acknowledge that they are servants of God.
20.  All governments should acknowledge that they are accountable to God.

The Relationship Between Christian Citizenship and Christian Discipleship

“Christian citizenship is part of Christian discipleship.  It is part of living consistently, responsibly, and obediently in a sinful society.  While discipleship must never be fused, or confused, with good citizenship, it certainly should transform it just as much as it transforms all other aspects and dimensions of living.  The ethical guidelines in our citizenship activities are exactly the same as for all other areanas of our involvement, including business, education, management, labor unions, the various professions, farming, and any other honorable pursuit undertaken by Christians.  In politics, as in all other areas of life, Christians practice loving servanthood and, having decided to get involved, do so only to the extent that Christian discipleship permits.” — John H. Redekop, Politics Under God, p.34