SUBJECT:   Jury Duty

QUESTION:  Should a Christian avoid jury duty or not?

ANSWER:

We are required to be "subject to the powers that be," and law-abiding citizens.  No-one is better equipped to be a juror, and to judge impartially and according to the facts than a member of God's church.  If a Sabbath is involved (very, very rare!), it would be the proverbial ox in a ditch.  Jury duty is hardly one's "labor" for a wage, and involves sitting down and listening, so IF a member would be "sequestered" in a lengthy trial it is completely out of his or her hands, just as Paul's imprisonment was out of his hands.

This having been said, you may still have personal belief and faith regarding performing this service.  You are then free to make these beliefs known to the authorities in the judicial system you have been called to serve.

We are sorry that we do not have a form letter that would aid one in this regard as our belief is that one is Biblically justified to serve in such a way.

back to the top