Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Catholic
Politics and Religion
We Should Follow The Saints And Resist Tyranny

We Should Follow The Saints And Resist Tyranny

Last updated on: May 27, 2026 at 1:22 am by Henry Karlson

0 Comments

We Should Follow The Saints And Resist Tyranny 2026-05-27T01:22:11-05:00 Henry Karlson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Georg Pencz: Tyrants of the Old Testament- Antiochus / Wikimedia Commons

Sin creates structures in society. When those structures, and the sin behind them, are not resisted, they lead to the creation of tyrannical states, states where authoritarian rulers ignore the common good as they seek to gain and maintain control. One of the reasons why the saints are looked up to and recognized by Christians is that they actively resisted those structures of sin, one way (such as through ascetical struggles, resisting the sin that they are tempted to do), or another (such as promoting radical changes for society that overturn structures have put in place). Their lives should give us examples of how we should strive for charity and justice in the world, such as when St. Basil helped feed the hungry during a famine. Many of them, such as missionary saints, were not welcome where they went. Authorities often saw missionaries a threat to their power; they decreed missionaries were not allowed in their domains, and if they came into them, such missionaries were imprisoned, tortured, and sometimes killed (all for violating the law). Many of the greatest saints became like “angels,” that is, messengers of Christ, and where they went, they promoted Christ’s radical love, a love which undermines all systems founded upon sin. When we look up to the saints, when we remember them and commemorate them, not just in word, but in deed, we are told we bring joy to the kingdom of heaven: “The commemoration of the saints, who triumphed over tyrants and became angels, is cause for celebration among the heavenly beings.” [1]

It is amazing how many Christians have forgotten the way of the martyrs, the way of early Christian missionaries; they confronted tyrants, they confronted unjust systems, such as those which denied the freedom of movement and immigration. Today, too many Christians follow, not the way of the saints, but their persecutors, as can be seen in the way so many seek to deny migrants their rights and human dignity. Christianity, from the beginning, did not look to the borders of the world as absolute structures meant to keep everyone separate; Christ, through the Holy Spirit, taught Christians they are to bring people of the world together, to have them become one. Sin, and the tyranny which it inspires, always seeks to divide humanity, and demolish it in and through that division, having those with a sense of power unjustly attack and destroy groups which sin encourages them to hate.

Of course such tyrants, even the worst of them, like everyone else, are not completely evil; no one, not even Satan, is capable of being such, for existence is a good, and anyone who partakes of existence, partakes of some good. Tyrants have various goods which they want, though they often seek them out in an unbalanced, unholistic fashion, one which ignores and rejects the greater good by seeking after and holding onto a lesser good which benefits themselves. This is why tyrants often do some good despite the evil which comes about by what they do. And because they can point to the good they accomplish, they can trick many people into thinking they are a force for good, when, on the balance, more pain and suffering comes from them than what is good. This is why it often becomes difficult for those who are not paying attention, those who are not being impacted by unjust laws and actions promoted by tyrants, to realize society has become tyrannical. They will hear about the good, while not seeing (or ignoring) the bad, often because the tyrant tries to hide the bad from their subjects (by controlling the media). Nonetheless, as Tolkien pointed out, sometimes it is much easier to discern when tyranny has taken over, such as when tyrants are overly aggressive and let their hatred promote grave injustices which cannot be ignored:

Of course in ‘real life’ causes are not clear cut — if only because human tyrants are seldom utterly corrupted into pure manifestations of evil will. As far as I can judge some seem to have been so corrupt, but even they must rule subjects only part of whom are equally corrupt, while many still need to have ‘good motives’, real or feigned, presented to them. As we see today. Still there are clear cases: e.g. acts of sheer cruel aggression, in which therefore right is from the beginning wholly on one side, whatever evil the resentful suffering of evil may eventually generate in members of the right side.[2]

This is why Christians, even the saints those who suffered at the hands of cruel tyrants, often tried to appease them, like St. Thomas More did with his former friend, Henry VIII. Sometimes, though way too infrequently, the saints can convert a tyrant, so that they have a change of heart, repent of the evil they have done, and become forces for the greater good. More often, that does not happen, and those who tried to positively influence such tyrants find themselves viewed as enemies to be destroyed. What happens in all tyrannies, like dictatorships, no matter the source and foundation of those tyrannies, are patterns which we can use to help us see when they are forming, such as the paranoia dictators have, a paranoia which leads them to create a system which protect them at the expense of freedom and the common good:

Dictatorships, whether of the left or of the right, are always terrible. There is always a climate of suspicion which poisons even private life. Everything is controlled and spied on. You don’t know if the man who was your friend yesterday will denounce you tomorrow. I have heard that under Hitler and under Stalin parents were forced to betray their children, and children their parents. But this practice didn’t end with Hitler and Stalin. You hear stories about life under Communist regimes, behind the Iron Curtain, and it sounds horrific. But the fact is the same methods are used here as well. There’s very little difference. Here, just as in every other dictatorship in every country and every age, so-called subversives are arbitrarily arrested and tortured. Tortured so that they will give information that is supposedly vital to National – and even Continental—Security! When will people realize that it’s impossible to rely on information extracted by means of torture?[3]

The Christian response to all tyranny, to all injustice, should the same. Christians must promote the way of love, seeking even the good for the would-be-tyrant, hoping they will change and become a force for good instead of evil. They are to pray for those who persecute them, but they are also to resist injustice. They are to promote positive changes in society, changes which overturn the structures of sin which promote and lead to tyranny. Tyranny, injustices, must not to be shrugged off, saying it is not something Christians should be concerned about. And when they confront injustices, Christians must always follow through with justice tempered with charity, lest, in their good desire, they slowly find themselves corrupted and becoming the tyrant themselves – which, sadly, history shows, has happened many times once Christians gained governmental power. And this means, of course, when dealing with the structures of sin, Christians must oppose it, not just in society, but in themselves, to truly become like angels living in the world, so that they become mediators of grace, grace which can make things better.

[1] Moralia et Ascetica Armeniaca: The Oft-Repeated Discourses. Trans. Abraham Terian (Washington, DC: CUA Press, 2021), 206 [Discourse 13].

[2] J.R.R. Tolkien, The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien. Revised and Expanded Edition. Ed. Humphrey Carpenter and Christopher Tolkien (Broadway, NY: William Morrow, 2023), 349 [Letter 183 to W.H. Auden].

[3] José de Broucker, Dom Helder Camara: The Conversions of a Bishop. An Interview With José de Broucker. Trans. Hilary Davies (New York: Collins, 1979), 196.

Stay in touch! Like A Little Bit of Nothing on Facebook.
If you liked what you read, please consider sharing it with your friends and family!

N.B.: While I read comments to moderate them, I rarely respond to them. If I don’t respond to your comment directly, don’t assume I am unthankful for it. I appreciate it. But I want readers to feel free to ask questions, and hopefully, dialogue with each other. I have shared what I wanted to say, though some responses will get a brief reply by me, or, if I find it interesting and something I can engage fully, as the foundation for another post. I have had many posts inspired or improved upon thanks to my readers.

General Christian

Politics and Religion

Previous Post

May 25, 2026

The Danger Of Embracing The Hate We Oppose

Next Post

May 28, 2026 The Role of Education In Fostering Human Dignity

Recent Comments

0 | Leave a Comment

"First things first is the easiest way forward. "If someone is bleeding profusely, we must ..."

Dr.Cajetan Coelho

Why We Must Embrace Empathy, Sympathy ..."

"Gosh, did that hit the spot. I have been having great anxiety lately. And I ..."

Mark Wilson

Rejecting Doom: Christian Hope And Human ..."

"Justice and peace are two sides of the same coin. Where there is justice, there ..."

Dr.Cajetan Coelho

Justice First, Charity Beyond It: Serving ..."

"Thank you for your very, very powerful and very, very insightful analysis of the relationship ..."

alwayspuzzled

Justice First, Charity Beyond It: Serving ..."

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Abortion Abraham abuse Aesthetics AI Aliens Ambrose Ancestors and Everything Andrew Angels Animals Anne Anthony Antisemitism apologetics Apophatic Apostle John Aquinas Artificial Intelligence Asanga Ascension Asceticism Assumption Atheism Attachment Augustine Authority Avarice Balthasar Baptism Beauty Biden birthright citizenship Bishops Black History Books Buddhism Bulgakov Byzantine Calendar C.S. Lewis Calcidius Catholic Catholicism Catholicism Celibacy Charity Chastity children Chrismation Christ Christmas Christology Church Climate Change Common Good Communion Confession Confirmation Conscience Constantine conventions conversion councils Covid Creation Cross Dead Death Death Penalty Debate Deception Demagogues Demons Desert Monks Desert Mothers Desire destruction development Dialogue Dignity Dionsyius Dionysius Discipline Diversity Division Doctor Who doctrine dogma Dormition Dualism Easter Easter Series Ecumenical Councils Ecumenism Education Election Empathy Environment Error Eschatology eschaton Eternity Ethics Eucharist Evangelism Eve Evil evolution Faeries Faith Fear femininity Ficino Florence Florensky Folktale Fools Forgiveness Freedom Future gender Gentile Gentiles Glory Gnostic God gods Good Samaritan Goodness Gospel Government Grace Great Fast Guns Halloween Hate healing Health Heaven Hell Hellenism Heresy Hierarchy Hildegard Hinduism History Holiness Holy Spirit Holy Week Hope Horror Human rights humanity Humility hypocrisy ICE icon icons Identification Identity Idol II Nicea Immigration incarnation Individualism Informal Reflections Inklings Intention Inter-Religious Interfaith Internet Interpretation Intrinsic evil Irenaeus Islam Israel Jacob Jerome Jesus Jews John Chrysostom John of Damascus John the Baptist Joseph Judaism justice Justification kenosis Kindnesss Kingdom of God Kingdom of Heaven Law Law of Moses Lazarus Leaf by Niggle Lent Lenten Reflection Liberation Theology Lies Life Listen Literature Liturgy locutions Logic Logos Love Marriage Martyrs Mary Mass Maximos The Confessor Meanness Meditation Mercy Middle Path Migrants Mind Miracles Miriam Morals Moses Movies Music Muslims Myths Names Nationalism Native Americans New Year Nicea Nicholas Nothing Novatian Obedience Occam's Razor Ordination Origen Original Sin Orthodox orthopraxis Pagans Palamas Palm Sunday Paradise Paschaltide Paul Peace Pentecost person Peter piety PKD Plato pluralism Plurality Poem Poetry Poiltics Politics Poor Pope Pope Francis Pope Leo XIV Post Office Prayer Pride Pro-life Prodigal Son propaganda Prophecy Prophets Providence Putin Racism Reading Reason Reflection Refugees Relationships Religion Religion Series Religious Liberty Repent Republicans Rest Resurrection Rich Rites Russia Sacraments Saints Salvation Salvian Santa Science Scripture Self-Giving Sexuality Sibyl Sick Silence Sin Singlehood Social Justice Society Sodom Solovyov Speculations Spiritual Reflection St. Cyril of Alexandria St. Justin Martyr Suffering Sunday of the Paralytic Man Sunday of the Samaritan Woman Superhero Supreme Court Teaching Technology Thanksgiving The Father the Universe Theological Reflection Theology Theosis Theotokos Thomas Timaeus Time Tolerenace Tolkien Tradition Transfiguration Trinity Trump Truth Uncategorized Unity Universities USCCB Vainglory Value Vatican II Vegetarian Vices Violence Virtue Vocations War Water Welcome Wisdom Womanhood Women Work World View Worship Writing Zacchaeus

Select a Month November 2026 October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz