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The church has always taught that as Christians we should be good citizens of the nations in which we live. Part of being a good citizen is obeying the law. The only exception would be that we are obliged NOT to obey laws that are contrary to Christian morality. For example, if a law were passed forcing doctors to perform abortions or euthanasia , a Catholic doctor would be required to disobey. Such a situation might sound far-fetched but history is full of examples of laws that, if followed, would lead Christians into serious sin. In the early days of the Church in the Roman Empire many people died rather than obeying the laws which demanded that they worship the emperor. In the recent past one could cite laws in Nazi Germany that required people to turn in Jewish persons to the authorities or laws in communist nations forbidding the practice of the Christian faith.
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