Now, I have two children, and like most human beings, they too fight against being forced to comply. For example, they don't like doing chores, cleaning their room, doing homework, even going to school. They resist eating vegetables, serving in the community, and sometimes they even resist getting outdoor exercise and playtime when they actually WANT to lay around and watch television.
Adults are no different. We will resist even what is good for us if it is NOT what we WANT to do, if it is forced on us. Thus, if there was a law that forced ADULTS to eat right and exercise, many if not most Americans would vehemently fight against such a law.
I generally know what Aquinas meant by "eternal law" - it was a reference to the scriptures. Basic teachings of the Bible on our behavior and how we treat each other as prescribed by the principles of the New Testament. (Many that oppose Christianity like to reference the Old Testament to prove that the faith promotes behavior we all agree is wrong in the 21 century such as killing every man, woman, and child in a city). Such principles promote laws and behavior that is healthy, loving, serving, and helpful. There are also enduring principles surrounding the role of men, women, and children - even adult children which many American resist because of reasons stated above - even if such prescribed "laws" would be good for them.
What did Aquinas mean by "natural law"? Even without God, there are laws of nature that reflect and produce the normal, healthy, balanced, and productive world we live in. Some of those natural laws are inescapable such as the changing of the seasons or the death of the aged. However, other natural laws are resisted such as the binary nature of human being - even if we evolved, we evolved into two genders or sexes - male and female - and in our society, this is strongly resisted by a sizable minority - resisted, I might add, for reasons expressed above.
Timing, inconvenience, personal goals and other personal and private motives generally guide people in forming their values, beliefs, and the behaviors that reflect such values. What we WANT often feels so powerful that we think we cannot resit it and we must act. Obviously, when such passions lead to murder, robbery, violence, and the like our society will collectively resist through our own laws and law enforcement. But there is a sliding scale - at what point and with what parameters in nature do my individual rights as an American allow me to resist nature without societal retribution? Is it natural to have multiple wives or multiple husbands? Is it natural to risk my life in motor sports or sky diving? Is it natural to believe in the supernatural that involve the practice of sacred killings, ritual sexual practices, or ritual suicide? Depending on a persons value system, they will move the scale of what should be allowed by societies laws vs what should be against the law.
How do we frame this societal tension between managing behavior by laws regarding what is not natural but allowed because we think it doesn't overtly harm or hamper society, verses forcing by laws what is natural, even if we don't want to do it because we resist? How do we view it and more importantly, how do we practice and act on this tension?
I only have to deal with this on a personal scale, as well as in my role as a father, supervisor, and whatever influence I have over the policies and practices of my church. To be certain, my view of such things will definitely influence how and what I raise and teach my children and how I function in other roles. Of course, I am speaking in the ideal - no man, especially me, can fully execute and perfectly follow the dictates of my own value system - I must build into my life accountability, or I too will fall into allowing the full force of my passions, wants and desires to make me resist what should force me to comply.
What about you? If you stumbled into this blog, what do you think? Should we submit to rules, laws, and policies that are both natural and prescribed by the principles of the New Testament? I'm curious what others think - feel free to comment!
