By Leo Tolstoy (1894)
Every government
knows by what means and in what manner to defend itself from revolutionists, and
has resources for doing so, and therefore does not dread these external foes.
But what are governments to do against men who show the uselessness,
superfluousness, and perniciousness of all governments, and who do not contend
against them, but simply do not need them and do without them, and therefore are
unwilling to take any part in them?
The socialists,
the communists, the anarchists, with their bombs and riots and revolutions, are
not nearly so much dreaded by governments as these disconnected individuals
coming from different parts, and all justifying their non-compliance on the
grounds of the same [Christian] religion, which is known to all the world.
The
revolutionists say: The form of government is bad in this respect and that
respect; we must overturn it and substitute this or that form of government. The
Christian says: I know nothing about the form of government, I don't know
whether it is good or bad, and I don't want to overturn it precisely because I
don't know whether it's good or bad, but for the very same reason I don't want
to support it either. And I not only don't want to, but I can't because what it
demands of me is against my conscience.
All state
obligations are against the conscience of a Christian; the oath of allegiance,
taxes, law proceedings, and military service. And the whole power of the
government rests on these very obligations.
Revolutionary
enemies attack the government from without. Christianity does not attack it at
all, but, from within, it destroys all the foundations on which government
rests....
Thus they refuse
the voluntary payment of taxes, because taxes are spent on deeds of violence -
on the pay of men of violence - soldiers, on the construction of prisons,
fortresses, and cannons. They, as Christians, regard it as sinful and immoral to
have any hand in such deeds.
Those who refuse
to take the oath of allegiance refuse because to promise obedience to
authorities, that is, to men who are given to deeds of violence, is contrary to
the sense of Christ's teaching. They refuse to take the oath in the law courts,
because oaths are directly forbidden by the Gospel. (Matthew 5:34)
They refuse to
perform police duties, because in the performance of these duties they must use
force against their brothers and ill treat them, and a Christian cannot do that.
They refuse to take part in trials at law, because they consider every appeal to
law is fulfilling the law of vengeance, which is inconsistent with the Christian
law of forgiveness and love. They refuse to take any part in military
preparations and in the army, because they cannot be executioners, and they are
unwilling to prepare themselves to be so.
The motives in
all these cases are so excellent that, however despotic governments may be, they
could hardly punish them openly. To punish men for refusing to act against their
conscience, the government must renounce all claim to good sense and
benevolence. And they assure people that they only rule in the name of good
sense and benevolence.
What
are governments to do against such people?
To buy them over
with bribes is impossible; the very risks to which they voluntarily expose
themselves show that they are incorruptible. To dupe them into believing that
this is their duty to God is also impossible, since their refusal is based on
the clear, unmistakable law of God, recognized even by those who are trying to
compel men to act against it.
To terrify them
by threats is still less possible, because the deprivations and sufferings to
which they are subjected only strengthen their desire to follow the faith by
which they are commanded: to obey God rather than men, and not to fear those who
can destroy the body, but to fear him who can destroy body and soul.
To kill them or
keep them in perpetual imprisonment is also impossible. These men have friends,
and a past; their way of thinking and acting is well known; they are known by
everyone to be good, gentle, peaceable people, and they cannot be regarded
as criminals who must be removed for the safety of society. And to put men to
death who are regarded as good men is to provoke others to champion them and
justify their refusal.
And it is only
necessary to explain the reasons of their refusal to make clear to everyone that
these reasons have the same force for all other men, and that they all ought to
have done the same long ago. These cases put the ruling powers into a desperate
position. They see that the prophecy of Christianity is coming to pass, that it
is loosening the fetters of those in chains, and setting free them that are in
bondage, and that this must inevitably be the end of all oppressors.
The ruling
authorities see this, they know that their hours are numbered, and they can do
nothing. All that they can do to save themselves is only deferring the hour of
their downfall. And this they do, but their position is none the less
desperate....
Thus it is that
the ruling authorities are in such a defenseless position before men who
advocate Christianity, that but little is necessary to overthrow this sovereign
power which seems so powerful, and has held such an exalted position for so many
centuries. And yet social reformers are busy promulgating the idea that it is
not necessary and is even pernicious and immoral for every man separately to
work out his own freedom...
But the thing
has gone too far. Already ruling governments feel their weak and defenseless
position, and men of Christian principles are awakening from their apathy, and
already begin to feel their power...These separate fires may be few, but they
are burning with a flame which, however small a spark it starts from, never
ceases till it has set the whole ablaze. And this fire is beginning to burn. "I
am come to send a fire on the earth," said Christ, "and what will I,
if it be already kindled?" Luke 12:49
