Governments change circumstances, Jesus changes hearts.
I don’t believe there is anything wrong with “speaking out”, but I honestly feel that what Jesus called us to do is much greater than that. And what he called us to do, few people practice it and have faith that it is the best thing for them to practice.
Governments, wars, and exercising our right to vote, when effective, do change circumstances. However, I believe Jesus was concerned with more than just changing circumstances, but the transforming and the renewing of the hearts of individuals, both “good” and “bad” individuals equally (which would then change their actions and behaviors to conform to their new nature).
Speaking out, voting, governments, modern-day wars, police forces, and whatever other types of institutions exist mainly to maintain order in society – to prevent bad things from happening, or keep bad things from getting worse. And both God-fearing people and atheists have these same beliefs (putting a stop to injustice, people who do bad things deserve to be punished, etc.), and in many cases take the same types of actions and have the same attitudes against those they define as “bad people”. But I have never seen non-believers fully conform to Jesus’s teachings on these things.
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor[i] and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?
Mathew 5:43
So I believe how these teachings tell us to respond to the “bad guys” is to love them. Specifically, pray for them (when all others are wishing for their demise) and greet them with joy (while others will want to spit in their faces). I was once a “bad guy” to God, and I believe he still pursued me and came after me full force and made me one of his “good guys” through Jesus Christ. And I feel that since he forgave me, I should do the same, AND practice that same grace towards others that he showed (and is continuing to show) towards me.
I feel there is no better way than Jesus’s commandments (which are not contradictory to the laws given by Moses). I have never regretted decisions that I have made or behaviors that I have acted that are completely in line with what Jesus instructed us to do. I believe that Jesus’s commandments help me to follow the true spirit of God’s law, not just the letter of God’s law.