By Donald L. Hughes

May 10, 2006

We received a Mt. Soledad comment from a Christian brother named Steven G. He offered his prayers, and we’re grateful for that. But he included something else in his email that deserves comment.

Steven said (in part), "Creating civil disobedience is not biblical. When creating a planned civil disobedience, you are not the light of the world but acting just like them. Stop the civil disobedience and start praying. Remember, 'Blessed are the Peacekeepers.' "

We believe Steven is a well-meaning Christian brother, but we strongly disagree with him about civil disobedience for these reasons:

1. Jesus is our model when it comes to civil disobedience. In Mark 11:15-16 (and other Gospels) we have an example of Jesus overturning tables and impeding commerce at the Temple. He could have been imprisoned by the Temple Police for this kind of disruptive action, but he was willing to take the risk. In causing the disruption, Jesus was using civil disobedience to call attention to spiritual failure, and that is exactly the intent of those who are protesting the destruction of the Mt. Soledad cross.

2. The Apostle Paul engaged in civil disobedience on several occasions. For example, in Acts 21:27 and following passages, Paul was preaching as he had every right to do. When attacked by unbelievers, he was arrested. The authorities were about to flog him and he stood up for his civil rights, even through it caused a stir. Paul lashed out at both civil and religious authority because they were acting unjustly. This whole story is a perfect example of a Christian demanding the government to act fairly to all citizens. This is exactly why Mt. Soledad cross protesters are speaking out.

3. You quote Jesus in Matthew 5:9, where He says, "Blessed are the peacemakers."  Those who involve themselves in civil disobedience for the cause of Christ ARE the peacemakers. The atheists and bigots have created this chaos, and we will do all in our power to bring peace to the situation by standing against injustice and evil. We want to act peaceably, but we must act. We are not mimicking the world; we are mimicking our Lord who was willing to go to a criminal’s death rather than allow unrighteousness to prevail.

4. Romans 13:1 says, "Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established." Who is the "governing authority" in a democracy? It is the people! However, a godless minority is trying to hijack the system and we cannot stand by and it let it happen. Remember, 76% of the voters in San Diego voted for the cross to stay, but the court is ignoring that. In the eyes of many, democracy is failing us.  We are on solid biblical ground as we stand against unrighteousness in our land.

So, with respect, Steven G., we cannot accept your comments. Many Christians share your false notions, unfortunately, and that is part of the reason the U.S. has become such a lawless and unrighteous society. Salt and light are not passive. Jesus was very clear about this in Matthew 5:13-14. He told us not to lose our saltiness and not to put our light under a basket. We need to be active to stop the decay and darkness that is overcoming us. We fail our Lord when we do not let our light shine.

The time and cause are right for civil disobedience in regard to the Mt. Soledad cross. It is a symbol of larger and more important issues.

However, Steven G., we are in total agreement that our action must be immersed in prayer. We are thankful for your prayer support.