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We are going to be subject to the law, but if within the provisions of
the law we can stall them, or we can quietly not do something that would
infringe on our rights or the rights of another, we may have to do so.
This principle goes beyond the bounds of the United States. In other
countries our brethren sometimes have to disobey technical rulings to
be able to meet on the Sabbath or own a Bible (as in East Germany) --
in order to do the most fundamental things to carry out our religious
faith.
But some out of ignorance -- or willful guile influenced by the devil
are trying to twist and pervert Romans 13 to say something which they
themselves did not believe in times past.
The Bible shows we are to be subject to the penalty of the law and always
honor the men in the office. "For rulers are not a terror to good works,
but to the evil." As a general principle this is true, but what about
those in Nazi Germany? Were they producing overriding good? What about
the Soviet Union? Living God's way can be difficult or hindered under
certain governments. Of course it is true that rulers -- even bad ones
-- keep a certain order and prevent anarchy, but sometimes they pervert
their nffice and become depraved and despotic, outweighing the good.
"Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for
conscience sake." We must do this because they are generally carrying
out the will of God who is really over all. But under a totalitarian
regime your conscience might tell you to do something otherwise -- keep
the Sabbath, etc. Remember Daniel's example where he refused to stop
praying inspite of having to go against a direct law of the king. Also
the three young men who were thrown into the furnace because they refused
to bow down before the golden image.
We are to obey God rather than man, but we will submit to man and try
to honor the nation. If the current confrontation with the state goes
the way we think it will and the way we hope it will, we will have actually
done many others (outside our church) a service by causing the local or
state government to see that they should not violate the obvious intent
and purpose of the federal government and the Constitution of the United
States of America. We are in a battle for religious freedom which we did
not start.
COPING WITH THE FINANCIAL IMPACT OF THE PRESENT CRISIS
An
employees' meeting was held in the Auditorium on Tuesday morning,
March 13th, during which Messrs. LaRavia, Rader and Helge spoke. The
first part of the meeting was conducted by Ellis LaRavia who updated
everyone on our financial situation and possible ways we all can help.
Even though the current income is about equal to last year's at this
time, we have experienced a serious cash flow problem due to the receiver
ship and complete loss of lines of credit with our banks (all of which
has been discussed in the Pastor's Report, the Worldwide News and Mr.
Armstrong's letters). So we've been forced to operate on a cash-on-hand
basis -- on income coming in -- and all this at a traditionally low income
period when we normally borrow money to smooth out the valleys between the
peaks of normal cash flow.