Is "defending Christian rights" truly Christian?

With the rise of the Tea Party in the United States, there are many U.S. Christians who have rediscovered their republican and revolutionary heritage. Given that many (though certainly not all) of the Founding Fathers were Christian and expressed political views premised on Biblical truths, these Christians see divine inspiration in the original form of the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and the first 10 constitutional amendments approved by the revolutionaries protecting personal liberties against government intrusion.

However, the Founding Fathers also held unbiblical views, or at least views that Christians today would acknowledge as not in line with Christian thinking. Jefferson edited the New Testament to exclude miraculous events and the deity of Jesus Christ, and many of the founders from the South lived off the sweat of slaves even though they expressed distaste for slavery. One view that all of them held, however, was a vehement passion for personal political and religious liberty, especially against monarchal tyranny. 

This last view is best expressed in the phrase "Don't Tread on Me" which has regained popularity recently as an expression of anger against an increasingly intrusive federal government. The origins of the phrase lie with Benjamin Franklin who anonymously penned an essay, calling on the 13 colonies to unite in defense of their rights. Franklin compared the colonies to a rattlesnake that warns others against infringing on its rights and territory, and then delivers lethal strikes when those warnings go unheeded. During the war, a regiment from South Carolina used the coiled rattlesnake image on a flag with the motto, "Don't Tread on Me." As an aside, this used to be the title of one of my favorite Metallica songs, which actually stays pretty faithful to the attitude of the Founding Fathers.

Leaving the specifics of conservative and liberal politics aside, how does this fit with the viewpoint of the Bible and especially the New Testament? Not very well, I'm afraid. While God did use the judges to liberate Israel from Philistine oppression, He also commanded the Israelites through Jeremiah to be subject to the Babylonians. The relation between God-followers and the state becomes more clear cut in the New Testament. Jesus famously did not stand up for his own rights, but purposely subjected himself to unjust treatment at the hands of the Roman and Jewish authorities. Paul, while always availing himself to his rights as a Roman citizen, nevertheless did not appeal to any God-given rights when defending himself publicly. He submitted to years of incarceration at Caesarea and Rome, and eventually to beheading at the hands of Nero. The message of Jesus, Peter, and Paul, in both word and deed, could be summed up thus: "Submit always, obey when possible."

This attitude was carried on by the early Christians when defending themselves publicly against persecution. The early church never took up arms, as did the Jewish nationalists who rebelled against the Romans and eventually saw Jerusalem burned and depopulated in 70 A.D. Instead, the early Christians insisted on being excellent subjects to even the most unjust rulers, following the example laid down by Jesus and the apostles. In his First Apology, Justin Martyr appealed to the emperors, the Roman senate, and the entire empire on behalf of Christians falsely accused of incest, murder, and other criminal activity. He wrote:

So we ask that the actions of those who are denounced to you be investigated, in order that whoever is convicted may be punished as a criminal, but not as a Christian, and that whoever is shown to be innocent may be freed, committing no crime by being a Christian.

Justin sets a precedent for other apologists in the early church who advocate for what is right and just, and appeal to the law when possible, but never threaten retribution or physical defense of those rights. Instead, these Christians "entrusted themselves to Him who judges justly."

What should Christians in the United States do then when faced with injustice and infringement of their Constitutionally guaranteed liberties? I would say that it would be wise to stick with the pattern set down by Jesus, Peter, and Paul. This is not to say evil is good or that we should sit by idly when we see injustice. Perhaps even, there is a time when Christians should take up arms, though I think it would be up to the Spirit-influenced conscience of each individual whether to take that step.

Yes, America is drifting away from God and U.S. Christians today live in a dramatically different societal atmosphere than five decades ago. More and more, American society resembles the pagan society of the Roman empire before Constantine. This is both bad and good, depending on how you look at it. It's bad in that society inevitably suffers when hearts turn cold toward God. It's good in that hopefully Christians will have a chance to shine as a light in a dark house by advocating for what is just and right and by not operating according to the "principles of the world." For those inclined, I would recommend the essay "The Christian's political responsibility in light of the New Testament" by C.E.B. Cranfield.

Pasted below is a sermon I preached recently where I apply the advice that Peter gave persecuted Christians to our situation today.

How to Respond to Unjust Suffering - 1 Peter 2 and 3 (Sermon)