Creative disobedience

Now over the last few days there has been a fair amount of talking about female solipsism: a sense that a woman is not able to sin, or that her sins are not things that she needs to take account of.

Now, this removes the sense that women have moral responsibility. And it misses the point of creative disobedience. If you disobey an unjust law, you have to be prepared to accept the penalty, the full penalty.

Esther 4:4-17

4When Esther’s maids and her eunuchs came and told her, the queen was deeply distressed; she sent garments to clothe Mordecai, so that he might take off his sackcloth; but he would not accept them. 5Then Esther called for Hathach, one of the king’s eunuchs, who had been appointed to attend her, and ordered him to go to Mordecai to learn what was happening and why. 6Hathach went out to Mordecai in the open square of the city in front of the king’s gate, 7and Mordecai told him all that had happened to him, and the exact sum of money that Haman had promised to pay into the king’s treasuries for the destruction of the Jews. 8Mordecai also gave him a copy of the written decree issued in Susa for their destruction, that he might show it to Esther, explain it to her, and charge her to go to the king to make supplication to him and entreat him for her people.

9Hathach went and told Esther what Mordecai had said. 10Then Esther spoke to Hathach and gave him a message for Mordecai, saying, 11“All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that if any man or woman goes to the king inside the inner court without being called, there is but one law – all alike are to be put to death. Only if the king holds out the golden scepter to someone, may that person live. I myself have not been called to come in to the king for thirty days.” 12When they told Mordecai what Esther had said, 13Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not think that in the king’s palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. 14For if you keep silence at such a time as this, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another quarter, but you and your father’s family will perish. Who knows? Perhaps you have come to royal dignity for just such a time as this.15Then Esther said in reply to Mordecai, 16“Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will also fast as you do. After that I will go to the king, though it is against the law; and if I perish, I perish.17Mordecai then went away and did everything as Esther had ordered him.

Esther is an example to women. She was literally preparing to die: in the hope that she may be able to win the favour of the king and present the case to save her people.  Now Mordechai believed that Israel would survive — but he was also realistic enough to know that all the Jews of the capital could be killed by this decree.

We need to contrast this with now. Many people in our society are shielded from the consequences of their actions. Quoting Kristor

Prosperity is a reliable sequela of virtue. So the discipline of the wilderness, or of hard times, can engender great wealth. Yet such wealth does not then necessarily result in improvidence, or a tendency toward moral corruption. Where the rewards to virtue and the penalties to vice are not obscured by noise in the system of the economy – when failure is not coddled, or success derogated – rational agents can more readily guide their acts toward appropriate ends. And since the most rational and intelligent agents always end up controlling most of the resources, and therefore making the most consequential economic decisions, a preponderance of virtue and knowledge among them can guide the whole system in such a way as to keep it predominantly within the constraints of prudence.

But when noise is introduced to the economic system, it misguides even rational intelligent agents, inclining them to vicious ways. Catastrophe then ensues.

There is a time to be counted. And when times get tough, the need to be counted increases. You cannot merely sit on the sidelines or consider that you will be shielded by your connections, wealth or personal power.  As Donne said, no man is an island: the harms of another affect us. Without a sense of moral choice, we make ethics and philosophy moot, for a forced choice on moral issues — which is the current position in both the liberal and Islamic states — requires, demands that we creatively disobey our masters.

Prayerfully, carefully and deliberately. And we need to be aware that we stake our lives, our fortunes each time we do this.

But we preserve our honour.

3 thoughts on “Creative disobedience

    1. Different circumstances. The Jews were going to be massacred.

      13 Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2 Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For
      rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do
      wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do
      what is right and you will be commended. 4 For
      the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do
      wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They
      are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the
      wrongdoer. 5 Therefore,
      it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of
      possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience.
      6 This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. 7 Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.

      So, pay the IRS. Do not diss the TSA. Avoid both if you can: I do, but as a citizen of NZ it simply means I have no investments in the USA and do not travel there.
      But protest mightily if and when the church gets invaded by the state, when the peaceable practice of Christianity becomes a crime…. being aware that you will be imprisoned and you will lose much. You need to count the cost before you act.

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