But, if the laws of the State are manifestly at variance with the divine law, containing enactments hurtful to the Church, or conveying injunctions adverse to the duties imposed by religion, or if they violate in the person of the supreme Pontiff the authority of Jesus Christ, then, truly, to resist becomes a positive duty, to obey, a crime
It then percolated through general Green-adjacent political spheres as a slogan and became “Wenn Unrecht zu Recht wird, dann wird Widerstand zur Pflicht”, “When injustice becomes law, then resistance becomes duty”, losing the “and obedience a crime” part. Usually attributed to Brecht, who probably wouldn’t mind, totally something he’d say. “I can’t eat enough for as much as I want to barf” isn’t Brecht, either, it’s Dürrenmatt. Actual Brecht quotes include “Who does not know the truth is just an idiot, but who knows the truth and calls it a lie is a criminal” as well as “First comes fodder, then morals”. Also, movie recommendation.
Try telling it to people with relatives\connections behind government desks, even small ones. They immediately either have this absent look as if they are calculating with effort how to best hurt you, or the absolutely hateful look as if no piece of you should exist.
That kind of reaction (EDIT: being so prevalent among that group of people) alone hints that today’s state bureaucracies have overstayed their welcome.
Damn hack journalists. It was popularised by Petra Kelly (page 768, 82 in pdf) founding member of the German Greens:
…she was dishing it out with the CDU that’s why she quoted a Pope, in particular Pope Leo XIII, in 1890:
It then percolated through general Green-adjacent political spheres as a slogan and became “Wenn Unrecht zu Recht wird, dann wird Widerstand zur Pflicht”, “When injustice becomes law, then resistance becomes duty”, losing the “and obedience a crime” part. Usually attributed to Brecht, who probably wouldn’t mind, totally something he’d say. “I can’t eat enough for as much as I want to barf” isn’t Brecht, either, it’s Dürrenmatt. Actual Brecht quotes include “Who does not know the truth is just an idiot, but who knows the truth and calls it a lie is a criminal” as well as “First comes fodder, then morals”. Also, movie recommendation.
In any case, a good rule.
Try telling it to people with relatives\connections behind government desks, even small ones. They immediately either have this absent look as if they are calculating with effort how to best hurt you, or the absolutely hateful look as if no piece of you should exist.
That kind of reaction (EDIT: being so prevalent among that group of people) alone hints that today’s state bureaucracies have overstayed their welcome.