The Moral Responsibility of Government and Political Institutions and the Sanctity of Human Life: An Orthodox Christian Ethical Reflection

Part 10: The Moral Responsibility of Government and Political Institutions and the Sanctity of Human Life: An Orthodox Christian Ethical Reflection

In Orthodox Christian Ethics, government and political institutions—including parliaments, ministries, parties, councils, security bodies, and all who exercise authority—are understood not merely as human arrangements but as sacred responsibilities before God. Their authority exists to protect life, ensure justice, and promote the common good.

When these authorities misuse power—exposing citizens to death, harm, fear, or injustice—they commit a grave moral violation.

“…የድሀውን ፍርድ ያጣምሙ ዘንድ፥ የችግረኛውንም ሕዝቤን ፍርድ ያጐድሉ ዘንድ የግፍን ትእዛዛት ለሚያዝዙ፥ ክፉንም ጽሕፈት ለሚጽፉ ወዮላቸው!” (Isaiah 10:1–2)

Authority (ስልጣን) is not a privilege (መብት) but a divine responsibility (ተጠያቂነት—በእግዚአብሔር ዘንድ). This means that all authorities are accountable before God.

It is obvious from the above verse that any authority that misuses power and exposes citizens to death, harm, fear, or injustice will be held accountable before God.

Ezekiel 34:2, 4 warns: “…ጌታ እግዚአብሔር እንዲህ ይላል፦ ራሳቸውን ለሚያሰማሩ ለእስራኤል እረኞች ወዮላቸው! እረኞች በጎችን ያሰማሩ ዘንድ አይገባቸውምን? … የደከመውን አላጸናችሁትም የታመመውንም አላከማችሁትም የተሰበረውንም አልጠገናችሁትም የባዘነውንም አልመለሳችሁትም የጠፋውንም አልፈለጋችሁትም በኃይልና በጭቈናም ገዛችኋቸው።”

This verse emphasizes that those authorities who refuse to intervene and ignore the suffering of their citizens will be questioned before God.

Proverbs 17:15 also states: “ኀጥኡን የሚያጸድቅና በጻድቁ ላይ የሚፈርድ፥ ሁለቱ በእግዚአብሔር ዘንድ አስጸያፊዎች ናቸው።”

This verse teaches that excusing the wicked (ክፉዎችን) and condemning the righteous (እውነተኞችን ወይም ንጹሐንን) are an abomination (ጸያፍ) before God.

Jeremiah 22:3 additionally declares: “እግዚአብሔር እንዲህ ይላል፦ ፍርድንና ጽድቅን አድርጉ የተበዘበዘውንም ከአስጨናቂው እጅ አድኑ፤ መጻተኛውንና ድሀ አደጉን መበለቲቱንም አትበድሉ፥ አታምፁባቸውም፥ በዚህም ስፍራ ንጹሕ ደምን አታፍስሱ።”

This verse makes clear that authorities are commanded to execute justice and righteousness, protect the vulnerable, and ensure that no innocent blood is shed. Failure to do so brings accountability before God.

1.   The Image of God: The Foundation of Human Dignity

 

Orthodox Christian teaching begins with the truth that every human being is created in the Image and Likeness of God.

“እግዚአብሔርም አለ፦ ሰውን በመልካችን እንደ ምሳሌአችን እንፍጠር።” (Genesis 1:26)

Because of this sacred dignity (ክብር):

• Human life is holy
• Human dignity is unbreakable
• To harm a person is to offend God Himself

St. Basil the Great teaches:

“The human being is a creature who bears a divine imprint.”

Thus, in line with God’s words described above, both governments and political institutions must protect human life with profound reverence (አክብሮት).

2.        The Purpose of Government and Political Institutions: Justice, Peace, and Protection

Scripture describes governing authority as God’s servant for the good of the people.

Proverbs 29:4 states, “ንጉሥ በፍርድ አገሩን ያጸናል፤ መማለጃ የሚወድድ ግን ያፈርሰዋል።”

Isaiah 1:17 writes, “መልካም መሥራትን ተማሩ፥ ፍርድን ፈልጉ፥ የተገፋውን አድኑ፥ ለድሀ አደጉ ፍረዱለት ስለ መበለቲቱም ተምዋገቱ”

Micah 6:8 describes, “ሰው ሆይ፥ መልካሙን ነግሮሃል፤ እግዚአብሔርም ከአንተ ዘንድ የሚሻው ምንድር ነው? ፍርድን ታደርግ ዘንድ፥ ምሕረትንም ትወድድ ዘንድ፥ ከአምላክህም ጋር በትሕትና ትሄድ ዘንድ አይደለምን?”

Therefore, authorities must:

• Promote peace
• Protect the weak
• Stand for justice
• Preserve human life
• Resist oppression (ጭቆና) and violence (ጥቃት) 

St. John Chrysostom writes:

“A ruler must surpass all in virtue… for he will give account for the souls entrusted to him.”

That means those in authority must live with the highest moral standards, since they are accountable for the lives of the people they govern.

Any law, structure, policy, or decision that endangers life violates the above-stated divine commandments.

The Sin of Making Citizens Vulnerable

When government and political institutions create, accept, or neglect conditions that expose citizens to death, displacement, fear, hunger, or emotional injury, they sin against God by establishing the following conditions.

 

a)    Causing or Allowing Physical Harm

“አትግደል።” (Exodus 20:13)

Institutions or authorities that force or enable death fail morally.

b) Neglecting the Poor and Vulnerable

 

“ጻድቅ የድሆችን ፍርድ ይመለከታል፤ ኀጥእ ግን እውቀትን አያስተውልም።” (Proverbs 29:7)

Neglect is also a form of violence.

 

c)    Causing Psychological or Emotional Harm

“ያዘነች ነፍስ ግን አጥንትን ታደርቃለች።” (Proverbs 17:22)

Policies that produce trauma, fear, or humiliation (ውርደት) violate human dignity.

St. John Climacus reminds us:

“A word can wound the soul like a spear (ጦር).”

War and Violence: A Moral Tragedy

The Orthodox Church sees war as a tragic consequence of human sin—not something to celebrate.

“Blessed are the peacemakers.” “የሚያስተራርቁ ብፁዓን ናቸው፥ የእግዚአብሔር ልጆች ይባላሉና።” (Matthew 5:9)

Even when war is defensive, it is undertaken with sorrow.

St. Basil the Great teaches:

“Those who shed blood, even in war, require healing.”

Thus, governments and political institutions must avoid escalation of war and conflicts and actively promote peace.

Government and Political Institutions Must Lead Biblically

True leadership requires righteousness (እውነተኛነት), humility, integrity (ታማኝነት), and compassion (ርኅራኄ).

God needs the authorities to:

 

a)    Lead with Righteousness

 

“ጻድቃን በበዙ ጊዜ ሕዝብ ደስ ይለዋል፤ ኀጥኣን በሠለጠኑ ጊዜ ግን ሕዝብ ያለቅሳል።” (Proverbs 29:2, NKJV)

When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice.

 

b)   Protect the Weak

 

“ለድሆችና ለድሀ አደጎች ፍረዱ፤ ለችግረኛውና ለምስኪኑ ጽድቅ አድርጉ።” (Psalm 82:3)

 

c)    Reject Oppression (ጭቆና) and Corruption (ሙስና)

“ሰው ሆይ፥ መልካሙን ነግሮሃል፤ እግዚአብሔርም ከአንተ ዘንድ የሚሻው ምንድር ነው? ፍርድን ታደርግ ዘንድ፥ ምሕረትንም ትወድድ ዘንድ፥ ከአምላክህም ጋር በትሕትና ትሄድ ዘንድ አይደለምን?” (Micah 6:8)

 

d)        Preserve Peace

 

“ቢቻላችሁስ በእናንተ በኩል ከሰው ሁሉ ጋር በሰላም ኑሩ።” (Romans 12:18)

e)  Speak Truth

 

“ትዕቢትን የሚያደርግ በቤቴ መካከል አይኖርም፤ ዓመፅን የሚናገር በዓይኔ ፊት አይቀናም። ” (Psalm 101:7)

St. Gregory the Theologian summarizes the calling of leadership as

“To rule is to serve; to rule unjustly is to tyrannize (አምባገነንነት).”

The Role of the Church

The Church does not serve political power—it serves truth.

Moses confronted Pharaoh. (Exodus 5:1)
Elijah confronted Ahab. (1 Kings 18:17–18)
John the Baptist confronted Herod. (Matthew 14:3–4)

The Church must defend life, peace, and justice without fear.

Repentance, Accountability, and Healing

True leadership is marked by humility and renewal.

 

a)    Repentance and Renewal

“ከክፉ ሽሽ መልካምንም አድርግ፤ ሰላምን እሻ ተከተላትም።” (Psalm 34:14)

 

b)   Justice

No peace exists without justice (ፍትሕ).

 

c)    Healing

The wounds of citizens—physical, emotional, spiritual—must be healed with mercy (ምሕረት) and truth.

Conclusion

Orthodox Christian ethics teaches that:

 

• Leadership is service
• Power exists to protect life
• Every human bears God’s image
• Violence (ጥቃት) and oppression (ጭቆና) contradict the Gospel
• Governments and political institutions will answer to God

A nation is strengthened not by intimidation (ማስፈራራት) or force, but by righteousness (በእውነተኛነት).

“ጽድቅ (እውነተኛነት) ሕዝብን ከፍ ከፍ ታደርጋለች” (Proverbs 14:34)

May all who lead—whether in government, political, or other institutions—practice justice, respect human dignity, and work for peace in accordance with God’s will. Amen!