Is It Ever Wrong to Follow the Law?

Nearly all Americans would agree that it is morally right to follow the law. Is there ever a time, though, where it is morally wrong to follow the law? Surely it has happened in the past. There are many times when American citizens have disregarded the law to attempt to make a statement. Take Rosa Parks, for example. She stood up for what she knew was right, even though it was against the law. She was imprisoned for it, but she definitely made a difference and made this nation better. Was she doing wrong by breaking the law? What about Harriet Tubman and everyone else who was a part of the Underground Railroad? By illegally freeing slaves, they were acting on their beliefs that slavery was wrong and unjust. Was it wrong for them to act on their beliefs?

If we’re going to talk about what’s morally right, let’s talk religion. Religion is defined in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary as “a personal set or institutionalized system of religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices.” In essence, true religion is an adherence to principles that an individual holds important, and he adheres to those principles by committing to living his life a certain way for his God. Religion is vital to this nation. Religion is what this nation was founded on. Without it, we would be nothing. There would be no principles for people to base their lives on, and a relative America wouldn’t last long. The reason that the Pilgrims came to America in the first place was for religious freedom. Religion is what we stand for.

What does religion have to do with breaking the law? The reason religion is so important is this: religion is the very reason to break the law. When a government is infringing on your right to practice your core beliefs, then that government is corrupted. Your core beliefs and religion easily take precedence over the laws of man’s government. In reality, when the United States Government is infringing on these rights, they are disregarding the supreme law of the land: the Constitution, which guarantees the right to free religion. Evil people claim religion, but you cannot act corruptly and claim religion. Right is right and wrong is wrong. When the United States Government passes laws that restrict the practice of your core beliefs, they are ignoring the principles that this country was built upon: principles of God and religion.

Simply put, it is all a matter of priority. Obeying God is far more important than obeying man, therefore, it is morally right to disobey man if obeying man constitutes disobeying God. When Rosa Parks refused to take her seat in the back of an Alabama bus, she was standing up for her core beliefs. When Harriet Tubman did her work freeing slaves, she was standing up for what she knew was right. They knew that just like every white person, they were children of God. They knew that they were born equal to all men, and they recognized that the government was disregarding God’s standards and their core beliefs. Because of this, they decided to make a stand against what was wrong and as a result, they impacted the people of America to make this nation a better place. 

It’s really that simple. God is greater than man. God is greater than any government. Why would you obey man and disobey God? It is very important to obey the laws of the land, but it’s immeasurably more important to obey the laws of God. Therefore, the time that it is morally wrong to follow the law is the time where following the law gets in the way of following God. Though men may fine you, imprison you, torture you, or even kill you for disobeying their laws, as long as you’re obeying God, He will reward you for it.