The Christian Responsibility To Resist Authoritarian Regimes

Last updated on: January 19, 2026 at 4:35 am by Henry Karlson

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The Christian Responsibility To Resist Authoritarian Regimes 2026-01-19T04:35:06-05:00 Henry Karlson

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What is going on in Iran is horrifying, to say the least. Those demanding reform, those seeking to overcome the authoritarian regime which has been in place for a long time are in the streets making their position clear while their government is slaughtering them. It is a human rights nightmare. The situation in Iran is not about normative Islam, but rather, about authoritarianism. In Iran, yes, it is Islam which is used to support that regime, but Muslims also resist that regime in the name of Islam too. The spirit of the resisters has not been destroyed; there is a great chance that their protests might end with the regime being removed. If that happens, hopefully it will be replaced with something better, something far more humane, something which respects human dignity and promotes freedom instead of being replaced by another regime which is just as authoritarian and cruel. Those who claim the problem is Islam ignore what is happening in the United States (and other countries where authoritarian ideologies are in the rise), where it is Christianity, not Islam, that is being used to prop up inhumane treatment of those who resist the regime in power. Religion can be abused, and in that abuse, used for tyranny, but most religions, in their principles, stand for peace and justice.

I am very concerned that Trump keeps indicating he is about to do something in Iran, that he will use the protests (and the authoritarian regime’s tyranny) as justification for his own takeover of the country, putting in place his own puppet regime which will enforce his will upon the Iranian people. I cannot but help to think he will try to take Iran’s resources in a way which resembles his actions in Venezuela. He is not interested in the good of the people of Iran. He is more interested in using Iran as another place to play armchair soldier, to fulfill is blood-lust by giving him an excuse to bomb another country, as well as his wish to take over more countries around the world.

I am amazed at how many of Trump’s followers do not see Trump’s hypocrisy. He tells Iran not to kill any protestors, which of course, we should all wish will be followed, while, at the same time, in the United States, he protects those who kill protestors. He has given ICE a budget and the power to become his strong-arm, that is, his tool to threaten and attack the people of the United States if they do not obey his every whim. He pretends his concern is with immigration, and to be sure, there is an element of it, due to his racism, but I think even more, he wants to use ICE to show what happens if he is not treated as if he had absolute authority over the people of the United States. By doing so, he shows how far he is from the principles and foundations of the United States. This is why he and his administration have no problem encouraging ICE to do warrantless door to door searches throughout Minnesota. There is no way that can be seen as anything but a turn away from the freedom promised to Americans as a result of their experience under England. After all, one of the grievances that led to the separation of the American colonies from England was the way England did such searches, and this is why it was absolutely forbidden by the Bill of Rights.

ICE’s record now is horrifying; they feel like they can do anything they want. This is due to the way the Trump administration says they have absolute immunity from prosecution, meaning, no matter what they do, no matter what laws they break, no matter who they hurt or kill, they believe they will not get in trouble. They can attack anyone, leave people partially blind, choke-hold teens (and steal their phones), kill people in custody, ram their cars into others (and then try to have the person they attacked prosecuted for what they did), and think Trump will have their backs. They can take over international airports. They can lie, cheat, and steal, and, again, nothing will happen to them. It is time to put a stop to this. States have a right to arrest members of ICE if they break state laws (especially when engaging unconstitutional actions). If and when states do that, far from obstructing justice, they would be promoting it while resisting the Trump administration’s attempt to obstruct justice in the states.

Sadly, no matter how many times I talk about what Trump is doing, and show how his actions go against basic Christian principles, I get a rather canned response from his Christian supporters: Christians are to obey governmental authorities. I don’t believe they really believe this because their actions, such as on January 6, or in the way they ignored COVID restrictions, the mask mandate, and vaccinations, show no such obedience to the government themselves.

Christian have always understood that there is a limit to the obedience that is to be given to the state. Paul showed this in his actions, which is why he arrested several times. We are to obey our conscience, and when our conscience tells us what the government wants us to do is unjust, we are to obey our conscience. Pope Leo XIV recently reiterated this, pointing out that those who obey their conscience and protest injustices are not to be seen as being rebellious:

Conscientious objection is not rebellion, but an act of fidelity to oneself. At this moment in history, freedom of conscience seems increasingly to be questioned by States, even those that claim to be based on democracy and human rights. This freedom, however, establishes a balance between the collective interest and individual dignity. It also emphasizes that a truly free society does not impose uniformity but protects the diversity of consciences, preventing authoritarian tendencies and promoting an ethical dialogue that enriches the social fabric.[1]

Not only should Christians know they can resist tyranny, to be the salt of the earth, they should. They are expected to stand up for their neighbor and their basic human rights and dignity. Christians must realize an unjust law (or demand) has no authority over them. This is why Christians in the United States today must be seen front and center resisting the human rights abuses and violations coming from the Trump administration. From Trump’s deportations, sending people to countries and prisons known for human rights violations, to ICE’s treatment of American people who happen to be in their way (whether or not they are even protestors), we see real law and order are under attack by Trump. If things continue as they are going, soon, what is happening in Iran will be mirrored in the United States.

Trump, thanks, in part, to the silence of his Christian supporters (like Bishop Robert Barron), continues his disregard for the rule of law, showing his disregard for the Constitution. As long as such Christians do not stand up to him, the United States is going to become worse and worse off. It will be even worse as it appears that Christians back his authoritarian turn. Congress should be defending the Constitution, but, so far, it has resigned itself to insignificance. The Supreme Court should stop his violations of the Constitution, but instead, it seems to be interested in rubber-stamping his unconstitutional activities. They even say he is immune to any action which can be taken against him except those done by Congress. This is how tyrants take over. This is how the rule of law is broken. This is how countries crumble.

Two hundred and fifty years of the United States. That is what we believe we will celebrate this year. But will we? If we will, if the United States will last, we must resist what is going on today. For today, we see its president (and many of those in Congress) violating its basic principles. We must demand ICE be stopped. So long as they are doing door to door searches, arresting and attacking people who even question their behavior, our country has nothing to celebrate.

[1] Pope Leo XIV, “Address to the Members of the Diplomatic Corps Accredited to the Holy See” (1-9-2026).

* This Is Another Post From My Personal (Informal) Reflections And Speculations Series

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