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Do we have to decide between obeying God or the state? What do we do in the event of a conflict between divine law and human law? How do we discern what is the right course of action?

Fortunately, most of the time we can do both.

But extreme circumstances may dictate an extreme choice.

The Russian soldier in Ukraine has a choice whether to fire on the high rise where his cousins live, or to just allow himself to be shot by his commander for refusing to fire. Or will his commander also refuse and therefore suffer the same ultimate consequence or court-martial?

COVID-19 Vaccines for Children

At another level, the (informed) parent of the 5-year-old child has a choice whether to vaccinate the child against Covid-19 because the government proclaims it, or to refuse — in the knowledge that the death rate from the vaccine is probably greater than from Covid-19 infection and that the long-term side effects of the vaccine are as yet unknown.

But it is far more problematic for the parent than the Russian soldier.

Lasting Consequences

The soldier — if he refuses to kill on government direction — must bear the consequence himself — a noble self-sacrifice.

Likewise, the parent of the 5-year-old, refusing to comply with government direction, is subject to consequential losses and restrictions and is therefore in a real sense self-sacrificing, BUT has protected the child from an uncertain and unknown future.

However, the parent of the 5-year-old, compliant with government direction, is not sacrificing self at all, but is instead risking the life of the child to an uncertain and unknown future.

Please note I am not an anti-vaxxer.

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Originally published at Choose Life Australia. Photo by CDC on Unsplash.