The question I pose is a question that needs to be asked particularly when “obedience” or “submission” to the will of the government is being presented as a moral and civic duty – both personal and to protect others – and even a religious obligation before God according to Christian scripture for those of us who are Christians. As my perceived views on this subject have been challenged both publicly and privately by those I have great respect for and hold in high-honour, it is necessary for me to clarify and then defend my position if for no other reason than to raise the issues that I believe to have been ignored by my critics. The treatment here is not exhaustive and neither does it pretend to be, but it is intended to be non-trivial to explicate a particular point of view that I consider worthy of defence and legitimate to hold. I believe it will be as useful to the secular humanist as much as it will be to the Christian, but it is to the latter I address most of it as my most forceful and dismissive critics have been Christians.

A PDF version of the essay is found here.