Civil Law vs. Moral Law

As long as there have been laws emplaced, many moral and civil boundaries have been of great dispute. Problems arise when the two unavoidable laws clash - when what is morally right is not always legal. This battle is ancient and is even written about in Antigone. There are times when moral law is more important than civil law, civil law overrides moral law, and several ways that the correlate with each other.

Regardless of any society, culture or environment a person is brought up in, all human beings are born with the instinct of a desire to do things that make them feel comfortable and right with themselves. Because of this instinct, Antigone found herself feeling that her brother's unrest was more troubling than the penalty of death enforced by her uncle. Antigone's conscience was strong enough to overpower her common sense that death would follow as a direct result for her actions.

English: 14th Amendment of the United States Const...

Released into the public domain by PETA.

English: Cover of a comic book created by PETA as ...

Such actions can be witnessed to this day, in which "God's law" is stronger in some people's consciences than the instinct of self preservation. Antigone's actions are a strong example of moral law.

There are times, however, when civil law is of more importance than moral law. Although someone may feel strongly about what they see as morally right, or "God's will," there may be civil boundaries that prevent them from turning their opinions into violent acts. For example, many members of the group PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) have radical opinions on the treatment of animals, but even though they may feel that fur is not morally right, civil laws prevent them from throwing buckets of paint on people who are wearing fur in the streets. These laws are important because they protect people from getting hurt by others who...