If you have the misfortune of spending any time on the website for the Australian Christian Lobby––

as I did this week, so that you don’t have to––

then you would quickly come away with the distinct impression that ‘Christians’…

in this country… 

are heavily oppressed…

angry…

and they’re not going to take it anymore.

On the ACL’s website…

there are pages raging against a range of issues, such as:

voluntary assisted dying…

and the fact that only New South Wales has not yet passed legislation to enable it;

attempts to decriminalise prostitution and drugs…

or extend abortion rights;

“gender theory” and gender transitioning…

and, especially, how they claim that it’s being promoted in schools via the “Safe Schools” program;

not to mention, of course, the changes to the federal Religious Discrimination legislation…

which mean that ‘Christian’ schools can’t persecute LGBTIQ+ students and teachers…

in the way that they would like to and believe that they should.

And, of course, the ACL is still frothing at the mouth because marriage equality has been enacted.

As I said…

‘Christians’ in this country––

we’re led to believe––

are oppressed and angry.

So, this election, they’re getting busy.

Already the ACL have been actively letterbox dropping…

particularly in seats held by moderate Liberals…

where the incumbent member… 

they claim… 

has “voted against protecting people of faith from discrimination”.

Already, there have been complaints about the leaflets made to the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profit Commission…

alleging that the ACL has breached the rules governing the political activities of charities.

If found guilty, they could lose their charitable status. 

Yes! 

The Australian Christian Lobby has charitable status!

And if they did lose it… 

of course…

I’m sure that there would quickly be another page uploaded… 

under their “Religious Freedom and Persecution” section.

 

And yet…

at the same time…

they clearly believe that they have an unquestionable right to do what they are doing…

because they’re doing “God’s will”.

Not only would they claim divine authority for their particular actions in this regard…

I’m sure that they would also claim a precedence for divine authority… 

over and against the claims of secular authority.

In so doing, of course…

they’re claiming that they know what is right and true…

and that everyone else––

everyone who doesn’t share their beliefs…

everyone who doesn’t comprehend what they “know” to be true––

is wrong;

and that everyone who does things with which they disagree is immoral.

Based on their religious beliefs––

and the unquestioning assumption that they are right…

and that they know THE truth––

they believe that they have the right to dictate how everyone else ought to live…

how society ought to be structured… 

and how it ought to function.

They’re willing to undermine our choices…

and our beliefs…

and impose their beliefs onto everyone else…

because they think that they serve a higher authority.

And it’s a fairly safe bet that…

somewhere lurking behind and reinforcing those attitudes––

even if it’s implicit or unacknowledged––

is a verse contained in this morning’s reading from Acts:

“We must obey God rather than any human authority”.

While that principle has empowered some––

such as a Martin Luther King jr––

to take a stand against true injustice, cruelty, and oppression…

throughout history, it’s also been used by the perpetrators of such things.

Indeed…

haven’t we also seen that same principle lurking…

beneath the scandalous and abhorrent behaviour of the Catholic hierarchy…

in their efforts to cover up, and cover for, so many paedophile priests––

failing to report them to secular authorities…

and hushing up victims, even with threats of excommunication––

in order to protect their “God-ordained institution”?

“We must obey God rather than any human authority”.

 

But, as so often happens… 

the misuse and abuse of Scripture comes from taking what it says out of its context.

So, when the author of Acts penned those words––

when he crafted this story––

what was he actually saying?

 

The first thing that we ought to note in the context of this story…

is that these words are addressed to the Council of Israel––

that is, the Sanhedrin.

As such, these words are not being addressed to a secular government.

The closest equivalent to such a thing in first-century Palestine was the Roman Empire––

embodied in the governorship.

Rather, in the first century, the Sanhedrin–– 

more than anything else––

was the guardian of public morality.

It was the custodian–– 

and the official or sanctioned interpreter–– 

of the religious tradition.

So, to paraphrase slightly…

when the author has the apostles proclaim that “we must obey God rather than you”…

he is effectively saying that those who claim to speak authoritatively for God––

those who claim to understand and know the truth… the WHOLE truth…

and who claim to interpret God’s ways––

have got it completely wrong.

Indeed, the author reminds his readers…

that those who claimed to represent God were actually those responsible for the death of Jesus.

Thus, in raising him from death…

and exalting him as “Leader and Saviour”… 

God vindicated Jesus––

vindicated all that he said and did…

including his opposition to the religious establishment—

and God was, in effect, vindicating God’s self.

 

In describing Jesus as “Leader and Saviour”––

and thereby deliberating drawing on language that was used to describe the Roman Emperor––

the author was also announcing that this was where true authority was to be found.

The one to whom they were to give their allegiance was One in whom love triumphed over hate…

and life triumphed over death.

In other words… 

the true authority to which we ought to give our allegiance… 

is that which embodies…

enfleshes…

and continues to incarnate…

both the values of Jesus and all that he stood for…

and all that his death and vindicatory resurrection symbolises.

What the author is saying here is… 

that the followers of Jesus are called to embrace that which is life-giving and life-affirming.

It is appropriate––

indeed, it is our duty–– 

to respect and cooperate with any authority that embodies that.

On the other hand… 

what the author is also suggesting here…

is that the followers of Jesus will disobey the law––

and any human authority––

whenever it is, ultimately, life-denying and life-destroying.

In the end… 

affirming that we will obey God and not human authority… 

means that we choose to be ‘resurrection’ people.

We choose to be people who will take a stand against unjust laws…

against corrupt behaviour…

against public sentiment…

and even against the pontificating of religious authorities––

including self-appointed ones like the ACL––

whenever such things rob others of dignity…

or hope…

or new and abundant life.

And we will do so, even when that sort of stand is costly.

 

So, this story serves to challenge us…

such that we would proclaim––

in word, and in action, and in the very way that we live—

that Christ is alive;

and that death, destruction, and all that diminishes life…

will not hold sway.

Not now! 

Not ever!