Should Christians seek protection in court?

Recently, Orthodox Christians in Ukraine have been compelled to defend their civil rights in the face of secular courts. In this regard, many of our contemporaries take the position that we, Christians, have no right to go to court to seek protection, and generally should not expect any protection. They believe that we, simply by virtue of the teachings of Christ (in a way they understand them, of course) should take any persecution for granted and obey to it, offering your left cheek. However, such an attitude toward this problem, to put it mildly, is not really correct.

So, we are perfectly familiar with the Gospel episode, which features the trial of Christ. In this episode, I remind you, one of the Jews present struck Christ. And now, instead of putting his cheek under another blow, Christ rebuked the offender: "If I am at fault, then tell me what it is?" And if not – why are you beating me?"

In another place in the Scriptures, namely, in the Book of Acts, we can read about how holy apostle Paul used his civil rights and demanded the judgment with Caesar. Many saints, such as Ignatius the God-bearer, for the time being, avoided persecutions and did not seek them. But when their time came, they courageously accepted death and reproaches for Christ.

From these and many other episodes, we can more than clearly see that Christians have the full right to defend their civil rights before the civil society. We live in a state, pay taxes, enforce laws and have the right to rely on certain obligations the state takes on in relation to us as citizens and members of society. At the same time, we clearly separate the protection of our own rights and dignity from the protection of the Church. That is, if they hurt me personally – I can and must forgive them. But if it comes to the Church, and, moreover, to protecting Her honor, then I can and must defend the Church.

Metropolitan Filaret (Drozdov) once said: "Fight enemies of your state. Scorn enemies of your Church. Forgive your personal enemies."Basically, these words can be used by us, modern Christians, as a guideline to action. However, one must always bear in mind that the final word, in any case, rests and always will with God – He is the Judge of both the living and the dead.

КП in Ukraine

Read also

The Weeping Queen of Blachernae

On the night of the Feast of the Protection, only two people witnessed the miracle in the Church of Blachernae. Everyone else prayed and saw nothing. Yet they, too, received grace.

Deadly spiral of human hatred

The tragedy of Lebanon's civil war lays bare how dehumanization and fear can turn human beings into monsters.

Woe to expectant mothers – or to those of little faith?

God commanded one prophet not to have children, yet told his people in exile to bear sons and daughters. What does this apparent contradiction tell us today?

The help God never asked for

Uzzah wanted only to keep the Ark of the Covenant from falling into the dust. Why did this well-intentioned act cost him his life, and who was really responsible for his death?

Freedom begins when there's nothing left to take

Fear of persecutors takes root in our attachment to possessions. We turn to St. Basil the Great to understand why the prefect's threats held no power over him.

The bride in the window frame

The author of the earliest account of St. Thecla’s life was defrocked. Yet it was his book that preserved the only ancient description of the Apostle Paul’s appearance.