why does the catholic church teach that defying an authority head is a sin?

Question

First off, everyone is created equal, and no one is above anyone. Plus, man makes mistakes, and authority figures are just as human as the non-authority figure. And its not like we choose who's in authority. We are born to certain families, and have certain parents and gaurdians. My parents are good parents, even though I dont always agree with them, but I've seen overly controlling parents who set such stupid rules, and are overly controlling, and would like to tell them they stink at parenting. Then we get put in school, and there are such corrupt teachers who set stupid rules, and give detentions for stupid reasons, and we didnt even choose to be with those teachers. Then you get the government, who are dictators, monarchs, or voted in, because they lied, and set stupid laws, and call stupid wars, like The Iraq war. It seems like saying that a resident of Texas automatically has more of a chance to sin, verses someone in another state, despite same action.

is there something I've been misinformed about?

Answer 1

Q: Why does the catholic church teach that defying an authority head is a sin?

A: Because the church doesn't want anyone getting out of line and causing any conflicts in their revenue base. How do you think that for years those priests got away with molesting young boys? They got away with it because they had young minds that thought they were sinning if they questioned or defied authority.

Answer 2

I'm not too sure what your question is, however, any society must have rules to guide them or we would certainly have no controls - there would be no right/wrong. Yes, some are not as good as others, but the people that make them are trying to do good. At least that is what we can hope for. Thank goodness we live in America and can choose to attend any church of our choice.
If you are so dissatisfied with most of the laws then perhaps you should look into politics so you can change some things for the better.
You don't sound like a very happy person. Maybe you should be looking for the good things around you instead of finding so many faults.

Answer 3

Christianity does not have authority over the civil authority.

But God does have authority of Christians.

Christians reside in their own nations, but as resident aliens. They participate in all things as citizens and endure all things as foreigners. They obey the established laws and their way of life surpasses the laws.

The citizen is obliged in conscience not to follow the directives of civil authorities when they are contrary to the demands of the moral order, to the fundamental rights of persons or the teachings of the Gospel.

We must obey God rather than men. (Acts 5:29)

For more information, see the Catechism of the Catholic Church, sections 2240-2242: http://www.nccbuscc.org/catechism/text/pt3sect2chpt2.htm#2240

With love in Christ.

Answer 4

Because we are not supposed to go out making our own rules and interpretting the Scripture any way we want. The heads of the Church are there to help us, not to control us. They are there to keep us from quoting Scripture wrong and from disobeying Canon Law. Other authority, parents, teachers, police, are there for similar reasons. All of these authority figures are human, and therefore imperfect, but where would we be without some structure?

Answer 5

That four marks distinguish Christ's kingdom of heaven on earth. They are made known in the Creed—"I believe in the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church."



One in:

Faith
Belief
Worship
Government


Holy In:

Origin, Christ.
Objective, redemption.
Means, sacraments.
Sanctity of faithful.


Catholic :

Teaches all nations.
During all time.
All Christ taught.
Peoples of all nationalities obedient to one universal authority in faith and morals.


Apostolic :

Founded upon apostles.
Teaches what apostles Apostolic taught.
Continuous existence from time of the apostles.
"The enemies of the Church themselves die and disappear, but the Church itself lives on, and preaches the power of God to ever succeeding generations" (St. Augustine).

Peace Be With You

Answer 6

The idea that all men are created equal does not override the fact that, in any society, there must be rules, and that we must live by them, or else there will be anarchy and chaos. The communist ideal has been tried, but it does not work.

Answer 7

I don't know what you are being taught...but this is what the Holy Bible teaches:

Romans 13

13:1 Christians Should Obey the Law


All of you must yield to the government rulers. No one rules unless God has given him the power to rule, and no one rules now without that power from God. 2 So those who are against the government are really against what God has commanded. And they will bring punishment on themselves. 3 Those who do right do not have to fear the rulers; only those who do wrong fear them. Do you want to be unafraid of the rulers? Then do what is right, and they will praise you. 4 The ruler is God's servant to help you. But if you do wrong, then be afraid. He has the power to punish; he is God's servant to punish those who do wrong. 5 So you must yield to the government, not only because you might be punished, but because you know it is right.

6 This is also why you pay taxes. Rulers are working for God and give their time to their work. 7 Pay everyone, then, what you owe. If you owe any kind of tax, pay it. Show respect and honor to them all. NCV

Answer 8

While I am now an agnostic, I was raised Catholic. You are clearly misinformed and know little about the Catholic faith.

Answer 9

I'm not sure the Catholic Church has ever taught that defying authority is a sin. For example, during World War II the Nazis occupied most of the countries in Northern and Central Europe and declared themselves to be in authority. They arrested millions of Jewish people. A number of Catholics, and many non-Catholic Christians defied the Nazis by hiding Jews and assisting them to get out of Nazi-occupied countries and to safety in England, Palestine or America. By defying the Nazi authorities, these Catholics were not sinning, but doing a good deed.

Similarly, during the French Revolution, the French government outlawed the Catholic Church. Priests who were caught were imprisoned and guillotined. A woman named Catherine Jarrige defied the French authorities by secretly assisting priests to minister to the people. She was caught and imprisoned by the Revolutionary government several times, but was released because of public sympathy in her favor. Catherine Jarrige's assistance of priests was not a sin, but a good deed.

Your observation that "everyone is created equal and no one is above anyone" is true and one sense, but not quite true in another sense.

It is true in the sense that everyone is equal in the eyes of God. We all have a share in God's dignity and grace, and it is not fitting that one should set himself or herself above another as somehow "holier" or "better." Jesus said, "whoever exalts himself will be humbled," (Luke 14:11) because God wants us to remember our basic equality.

In another sense, however, we are not all equal: God created all authority (Romans 13), that of parents over children, teachers over students, Church leaders over the Body of Christ, civil authorities over the population, and this God-given authority over us is to be respected. If we cannot respect man's authority over us, we cannot be respecting God's. This does not mean that those in authority over us are not sinners or flawed - they are! But so are we all. It is our job to respect and cooperate with the lawful requirements of those in authority over us. If someone in authority ever requires something improper or unlawful from us, it is right to refuse, and to explain why, if we can.

So the Church teaches that we as Catholics are required to respect those in authority over us, yet we also have the right to refuse an authority's command that we sin or behave in a way inconsistent with our dignity as human persons.

Finally we are to pray for those in authority (1 Timothy 2), asking God to bless them with faith, wisdom, fortitude, justice, charity, fear of the Lord. If someone in authority is annoying or difficult, I can think of no better solution than to beg the Lord to bless that person with every gift in their exercise of that authority.

Answer 10

It is another measure of control...Everything in the human societal structure is based on control.