When protest becomes rebellion against the rule of law

By Mark Salley | Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice

So many things come to mind when thinking about the dissension gripping our country. It seems nearly everything has become contentious. Should people be citizens in order to vote in elections?  Should children have sex-change surgeries?  Should people work to expose corruption and bring consequences to the fraudsters?

None of these things — on their face — seem contentious. 

Yet…there is rebellion brewing. The rebellion has overflowed in Minneapolis. Rather than supporting enforcement of the nation’s immigration laws (even Presidents Clinton, Obama and Biden supported deportation), there is a contingent of rebels who are willing to directly interfere in law enforcement efforts to bring lawbreakers to justice.

These rebels have renounced the authority of the laws and government to which we owe allegiance. Their rebellion is a renunciation of the authority of the government. And, according to Webster’s, rebellion can occur “without taking arms; but ordinarily, rebellion is accompanied by resistance in arms.”

If order is not restored in Minnesota, the situation could easily escalate and spread to other cities. 

How can order be restored?

If the rebellion is TRULY a rebellion against the laws of government, the clean democratic thing is to change the law. People can elect leaders who share their view…and encourage those leaders to repeal or revise existing laws.

The true rebellion we are witnessing today…goes much deeper than man’s laws. We have a contingent of people rebelling against God’s laws. 

This is nothing new. It began when sin entered the world…when Adam and Eve rejected God’s law “not (to) eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.”

The rebellion began with their act. Sin entered the world. Yet, in His Goodness, God provided the way for people everywhere to be saved from our sin. God sent Jesus to die for the sins of all — and that whosoever believes in Jesus’ death on the cross for our sins, can accept God’s free gift of faith…and have life everlasting.

This battle — this fight — this rebellion in Minnesota is NOT about whether people who entered the country illegally (and then committed more serious crimes) should be protected and allowed to stay. This battle is about the hearts and minds of the rebels. Do they trust in God Almighty?  

The Bible speaks very clearly about the relationship between the believer and the government. We are to obey governmental authorities, and the government is to treat us justly and fairly. We are called to uphold the laws or work to change the laws.

Mark Salley served as deputy press secretary to former Colorado Gov. Bill Owens during the final 18 months of his second term. His background includes media relations work with Xcel Energy and serving as editor of the former Front Range Journal in Idaho Springs. In 2000, he was selected as a Colorado Voices columnist for the Denver Post.

Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in commentary pieces are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the management of the Rocky Mountain Voice, but even so we support the constitutional right of the author to express those opinions.