Legalism

I've been thinking today about a conversation on this blog that took place a long time ago about immigration, and the comments that followed. At the time, I decided not to respond to the comments, because I think that the comments should have space to stand on their own and invite others' thoughts/comments/reflections as well. But I woke up today thinking about one of those comments and wanting, finally, to respond.

The comment had to do with wanting our children to follow the law. But for myself, I don't want my kids to do what is "legal", I want my kids to do what is "right." And these things do not equate in my mind. I do have a law that I follow. It is the law of doing what is good to self, others, world, universe. This stems from my faith "Love your neighbor as yourself." But it also means that even when scriptural laws do not conform to caring for self, neighbor, world, that I can't and won't follow them.

As for civil law, I am proud of my record of civil disobedience - standing up against choices (mostly choices about responding to problems with violence, though also choices about taking rights away from others such as undocumented persons and gay/lesbian persons) that I believe go against the law to love others as self. I also choose to teach my children not to do behaviors that are legal but which I also think lack caring. For example, smoking is legal, but it hurts one's body and the body of those around us, so I encourage them to make a different choice, even though it is not illegal. Name calling is not illegal, being polite is not mandated by law, but I still encourage this behavior in my children.

I'm not saying that laws are unimportant. Unfortunately, I don't trust all of humanity to function with the law of caring for neighbors (yes, and enemies) as self and these laws help set limits for those who can't set them for themselves. They also set up consequences. But I can in no way believe that every law is a just and good law, and I must believe that we have to stand up and fight to change those laws that are unjust. That begins with voting, that continues to letter writing, it may move to civil disobedience, and it definitely should influence the personal choices we make about how we will live our lives, whether or not we will choose to follow a particular law. I can't follow it just because it is law. Too many have been hurt by that... think of segregation, think of all of the laws that have discriminated against a particular race, or religion, or belief or age (it used to be okay to do whatever you wanted to your children) or gender (it used to be okay to do whatever you wanted to your wife!) or sexual-orientation. Do we just say that "well, it is law, and we follow until we can change it?" I can't say this because while we are working to change it, people are being hurt NOW.

I just can't be a legalist. And while it is more difficult for children to have to analyze every decision against the law of caring, rather than just following a set of rules, I believe that teaching them how to do this, giving them a set of tools by which they make good decisions about how we treat others and the world, will be part of creating a more caring, loving, thoughtful world, one in which less people are hurt, one in which we are all working harder to love the other as ourselves.