“We must obey God and not any human authority.” That word of the apostles certainly sounds right but the problem comes in knowing exactly what God is telling us to do! After all, we have in recent history seen terrorists justify murder and mayhem in the name of God. Less dramatically, political conflict in this country centers on “culture wars” which frequently are derived from one’s religious tradition. How can we be sure we are heeding God’s commands and not simply doing what we want to do? There are some criteria we can rely on: do we treat everyone with the dignity they possess as a child of God and are we treating this world as God-given creation needing care and cultivation.
