Question:

My friend possibly had to break the town curfew to be baptized.  Is this a Acts 5:29 issue or a Romans 3:8 issue?  I have a feeling I'm taking that a bit too seriously, but the law is the law. Although I doubt that law was created to stop youths from going to a church building to obey the gospel.

Answer:

"But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: "We ought to obey God rather than men"" (Acts 5:29).

The authority for man's laws is derived from God. "Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God" (Romans 13:1). So while we are to be subject to the government because God set governments in place, their laws cannot supersede God's laws because government is under God.

There is an urgency in becoming a Christian because we do not know how long we have on this earth. It doesn't do a person any good to know what he ought to do and then put it off. "Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin" (James 4:17). When Paul was taught the truth the question asked was why are you sitting around? "And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord" (Acts 22:16). When the Philippian jailer was taught the gospel in the middle of the night, we see there was no delay in responding. "And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized" (Acts 16:33).

What was done was correct. To suggest anything else is wrong. The best time to be saved from your sins is now. "For He says: "In an acceptable time I have heard you, And in the day of salvation I have helped you." Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation"" (II Corinthians 6:2).

Besides all of this, in the United States the first amendment prevents the government from interfering with the free exercise of religion.