Act 4

Imagine our government decides to change the English grammar to promote a certain ideology and incriminates those who fail to use the new grammar. What’s your reaction? English language scholars will point out a government does not have the linguistic authority.

Imagine our government decides to change and define morality. Philosophers and ethicists will admonish that a political authority does not enjoy the moral authority of the society or of culture.

Imagine that our government decides to create a religion for all citizens. Does it make any sense? Then, whom are we going to worship in this state religion? Will it be a god or a human authority we worship?

In the first reading today from the Acts of the apostles, Sts Peter and John assert that we should first listen to the divine authority of God. God’s authority is not confined within the church premises because He is our Creator and Redeemer. To proclaim the Gospel is our duty but often offends some people. And sometimes to proclaim the Gospel challenges human authorities.

In our times, more and more human authorities claim divine authority. But before claiming the divine authority, these human authorities take over human values and natural rights such as family and life. When we do not listen to God, these human values and natural rights lose their foothold because without the divine assistance men are doom to confusion as shown in the Babel Tower account. When there is no God in our hearts and mind, something else replaces his authority under the guise of human authorities, as the Jewish authorities actually represented the power of the money they loved.