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ROMANS 13The Most Disastrously Misinterpreted Scripture
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The thirteenth chapter of Paul's letter to the Romans is the classic passage used by Christians to justify the existence of the State. The famous dictum, "The powers that be are ordained of God" is found in that chapter. | |||||||||
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The passage has been too often used by tyrants to manipulate citizens into obeying sinful government edicts. Millions of people have been killed and trillions of dollars worth of property confiscated or destroyed by ordinary people like you who believed they were obligated to obey government orders to kill and steal.
But the passage is also used to justify the presence of governments which are not as bad as some, but are still offensive to God. It is the argument of this website that Romans 13 says all governments are evil (which offends tyrants and their supporters) but we are nevertheless to "be subject" to them (which offends the "Second Amendment" crowd). In other words, Romans 13 prohibits the violent overthrow of the worst imaginable tyranny, and the assassination of the most evil tyrant. Actually, this website is devoted to only the first 7 verses of Romans 13. If we have a "hidden agenda," however, it is to view these seven verses in the context of the entire Bible. Those who see in Romans 13:1-7 a divine approval for "the State" take it out of its Biblical context (which begins in Romans 12, the previous chapter, but also includes the teaching of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation). Our position is that Romans 12 and 13 must be taken together as a unit. Our chapter divisions are not part of Paul's original letter. Romans 12 says "don't return evil for evil; submit to evil, even (Romans 13) the most evil thing on the planet: the State." |
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Yes. "Institution of civil government" is a nice-sounding phrase for people who are morally indistinguishable from the Mafia. They take vengeance on their enemies, and steal from the people to fund these acts of violence.
Most Christians assume that the State is good. It is "a divine institution," we're told. Romans 13 doesn't really teach this, especially in its Biblical context. |
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"The State" is evil.
Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not. Just because we do not take up arms against evil-doers does not mean that evil-doers somehow have God's divine approval. This is the teaching of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount: "Resist not evil" (Matthew 5:39). Just because we "turn the other cheek" does not mean that cheek-slappers are a "divine institution." Cheek-slappers will be judged. We leave such vengeance to God. This fifth point is important, and it contains great irony.
It should be easy enough to remember the three neglected themes of Romans 12-13:
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The Romans13.com website is produced by a non-profit educational ministry called Vine & Fig Tree. [VFT homepage] Kevin Craig is the principal writer and editor. He is a six-day creationist and a five-point Calvinist. More on his credo here.
The name Vine & Fig Tree comes from George Washington's favorite Bible passages which speak of everyone dwelling safely under his own vine and fig tree. This social condition comes about after mankind turns to God's Law, allowing God to rule,
and we beat our swords into plowshares. Get an audio tour of this website by the author Our agenda is open and public. Vine & Fig Tree promotes the non-violent abolition of all governments. More about the V&FT agenda follows. |
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Some might call this a "utopian" goal, but it is clearly the Biblical goal. Romans 13 is always used to stand in the way of this goal of peace. |
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George Washington's Diaries are available online at the Library of Congress. That website introduces those writings with these words:
The best place to see the Vine & Fig Tree ideal is in the book of Micah. Let's look at Micah's prophecy (on the left) and ask a few questions (on the right): |
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America's Founding Fathers abolished a government they described as a "tyranny." Taxes were 1/20th what they are today, and the government they abolished would never have dreamed of using tax revenue to fund abortions, remove the Ten Commandments from local schools, give foreign aid to Saddam
Hussein during his war with Iran, and build more than 700 military bases around the world, all of which the government created by America's Founders went on to do. |
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This website disagrees with America's Founders on an important point. The Founders believed that God commanded human beings to form governments. Governments were necessary, the Founders believed, to preserve social order by promoting the Christian religion. The State was seen as "a Minister of Justice," as much a religious function as a "minister of the
Gospel." This website claims that "the State" was invented by men, not God. Creation and maintenance of "the State" is an act of rebellion against God. We want governments to repent and go out of business. |
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You may be deeply offended, irritated, or worried about a proposal to eliminate all "governments." It's a radically different way of thinking. We think it's the Biblical way of thinking.
A "Paradigm Shift"You hear that phrase thrown around a lot these days. Everybody wants their idea to be the next "paradigm shift." Paradigm-shifters are now mainstream. We believe Vine & Fig Tree represents a true break with the status quo, a change as momentous as that described by Benjamin Rush, Signer of the Declaration of Independence, upon hearing of Locke's rejection of the doctrine of the Divine Right of Kings:
Vine & Fig Tree really is a new "paradigm," a "Copernican revolution," a radical way of looking at politics and society. It is one step beyond the radical vision that motivated America's Founding Fathers. It is a vision so old that it appears to be utterly unprecedented. The vision of Vine & Fig Tree gives energy and hope to those who work for it. It inspires dedicated action.
We are convinced that Vine & Fig Tree will contribute to the Glory of God and the greater happiness of mankind. It will animate future leaders and captivate the hearts and minds of many. There is something here that will resonate with a broad section of Americans. Dr. Rush speaks of "a turning point," which is to speak of a turning from something to something else. From what should we turn? To what should we aspire? We must move
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Americans in the 21st century would consider the Americans of 1776 to have been "radical anarchists" or even "terrorists."
But, of course, even the most libertarian of the Founders was not technically an anarchist. We are.
This monstrous violence against people is always done in the name of "the People"; these crimes are supposed to prevent crimes. We propose a society -- indeed, a world -- of "Liberty Under God." |
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In spite of the monstrous evil of government violence, we have all been trained to have faith in the State. When a calm, rational, well-documented indictment of the State is offered and a proposal to embrace the world of Micah's Vine & Fig Tree vision is made, most Christians immediately shout,
This website seeks to answer these questions. |
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Micah's Vine & Fig Tree vision insists that Christians should be working toward beating "swords into plowshares." The traditional interpretation of Romans 13 has resulted in millions of Christians standing idle in the face of horrifying evil, or even waving banners to support it, or even worse, putting on one of the State's uniforms to help carry it out. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
As we enter the 21st century, we look back on the most barbaric, lawless, and violent century in human history. How ironic that most Americans think of this century as a period of "progress" and "prosperity." In certain outward respects, it has been.
Four decades ago in America, about 10,000 people were murdered in the span of a single year. These murders were "against the law." Overall in the 20th century, "organized governments" have ordered or legalized the murder of 10,000 people each and every day. "The State" turns out to be a far greater criminal than all the criminals it claims to protect us from.And the global "New World Order" -- the epitome of the State -- is contemplating the murder of 15,000 people per hour until the luxurious living standards of the global elite are secure. But don't blame the elite. 10,000 murders require 10,000 working-class people willing to don the uniform of the Empire and kill another human being in the interests of patriotism. This means 10,000 people who have lost touch with Christian morality. The 20th century has seen America transformed from a nation where "religion, morality and knowledge" were taught in every school, to a nation that twice elected Bill Clinton. The greatest criminal on earth is "the State." |
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The concept of "the State" is the idea that some people have the right to violate God's Commandments. Those people who call themselves "the State" claim the right to take vengeance on their enemies, and they have the right to confiscate the property of others to fund their acts of vengeance. The
statist worldview justifies these actions. People who are called "the State" have a tremendous advantage over people who are called "businessmen" or "neighbors." Taxation, enslavement, execution: it can't get any better than that.
But it can get much, much, worse. Violence. Today "the State" is clearly the greatest force for evil on the planet. More people are murdered, more lives enslaved, and more property confiscated or destroyed by "the State" than all the "criminals" and so-called "anarchists" combined. Hundreds of millions killed, billions enslaved, trillions of dollars stolen.Secularization. And because "the State" begins with the foundational idea of stealing in order to kill, the more consistent it becomes in its rebellion against God's Commandments, the more atheistic it becomes. Virtually every "state" on earth today is atheistic, and the State has become (to use the words of A.A. Hodge) "the most efficient and wide instrument for the propagation of atheism which the world has ever seen." The more powerful the State is, or wants to become, the more it must promote immorality and suppress religion and morality. Opposition to Violence. Respectable theologians like John Frame and Gary North accept the moral legitimacy of this institution called "the State," though they reconstruct it in a way that departs from many historic, mainstream analyses, and in ways which are close to the "Vine & Fig Tree" position. But in the end, we're still very far apart, I fear. Frame's and North's most consistent students will not go down in history as great opponents of the murder, slavery, and theft on a massive global scale which "the State" represents. Opposition to Secularism. Nor will Frame's theological package counter the big theological errors which cripple Christians and have served as the foundation of the State for the last couple of centuries. Not that Frame agrees with these errors -- he does not. But unless these errors are refuted in a way that also refutes the legitimacy of global murder, slavery and theft, the errors have not been refuted, and the secular State will grow. Then, in turn, the continued existence of the State and the legitimacy of the concept of the State is a toxin which poisons society, causing great a vicious cycle of spiritual sickness and death. This is a "worldview" issue. One's worldview determines the fundamental categories of interpreting the facts of our world.
Romans 13, it is argued, proves that we must not even try to create social order without a State. Ultimately this issue will not be resolved by the exegesis of a handful of Bible texts. This is really an entirely different way of reading the Bible and looking at human society. "The State" owes its existence to extortion and threats of violence ("taxation"), and its core purpose is vengeance, all of which are forbidden by God's Law. But most Christians believe that we cannot be secure without these sins being committed by "the State." That word "secure" is part of the Biblical definition of "salvation." Modern Man believes "the State" brings salvation rather than God. Belief in the necessity or moral legitimacy of the State is a form of idolatry. There is no legitimate human social function which cannot be more efficiently and humanely carried out without "the State." Self-government, family government, schools, hospitals, grocery stores, insurance, home security, dispute resolution and other businesses will all thrive without "the State." They have in the past; they must in the future. Among anarchists (in the broadest sense, including Christians and atheists opposed to "archism") there is a debate as to whether our present huge global multinational corporations would exist without the State, e.g., whether Exxon would have its present form without the full resources of the million-man nuclear-armed military forces of a superpower State (the U.S.) overthrowing the government of Iran in 1953, raising up Saddam Hussein's army to battle Iran for over a decade in the 1980's, overthrowing Soviet-influenced governments in Latin America, creating "al Queda" to counter the Soviet Union's disruption of oil pipeline construction in Afghanistan, and myriad other ways in which a "Free Market" in energy has not existed since industrialists like Rockefeller created today's "Administrative State" to annul the Constitution and to carry out their corporate policies. (Pro-special-interest regulation was once "progressive" or "populist," said to be in the best interests of "the poor" or "the people," but today's regulation is now often carried out in the name of "de-regulation," a misnomer, just as "free trade agreements" do not make trade freer, but create huge new systems of government which are not bound down by "the chains of the Constitution.") "The government" continues to create popular support for its own existence by manipulating education and the media to create the widespread popular belief that without "the State," "criminals" would "take over." We have all been trained to believe from our youngest days that "The State" protects "Life, Liberty and Property." Today's federal government takes over half of everything you earn. If we remove our patriotism-colored glasses, it will immediately become apparent that "the State" destroys more lives, enslaves more individuals, and confiscates or destroys more private property than all the "anarchists" and "criminals" in the world combined. |
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The entire concept of "the State" is unBiblical and supremely dangerous. Our worldview needs to exclude the whole idea that a group of people have the right to confiscate the wealth of others ("tax") to fund acts of vengeance against their competitors or "enemies." We do not allow this idea to become socially accepted in the world of business. The idea must become as socially unacceptable in the field of "government." The future of the human race depends on this conversion. With that introduction to Romans 13 and the Vine & Fig Tree vision, let's consider these frequently asked questions. |
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The masses have learned a subtle lesson from the teachers of the traditional interpretation of Romans 13. The message of Romans 12 and the Sermon on the Mount -- love your enemies, leave vengeance to God -- is said to apply only in our "private" lives. But as public officials, we must be "practical," "realistic," (or, as
Christians might put it) "Godly" men of "dominion." We must kill our enemies and take vengeance on a massive scale through the State. Nobody wants to be "unrealistic," "impractical," or "idealistic."
We all know that "public" is more important than "private." That's "the real world." And so the violent techniques of the State inexorably become imported into our "private" lives, and forgiveness and love of enemy are lost in the gossamer bedtime stories of women and children. |
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Eight hundred years ago, Western Civilization believed without question in "the divine right of kings." Anyone carrying around a copy of the U.S. Constitution as a model of government and suggesting that an orderly society could survive without a king would have been mocked -- or executed. Ideas we take for granted today -- like "consent
of the governed" -- would have shocked the conscience of our medieval forebears.
In a few generations, a consistent "free market" approach to civil government will be the norm. People will shake their heads when they consider the 20th century State and the support it received from Christians in America -- a society that permitted the confiscation of nearly 75% of everyone's income by organized governments which murdered hundreds of millions of people. |
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In Mark 10:42-45, He says we are not to be "archists." This is what the word "anarchist" really means: "not an archist." The archist wants to be as god, dominating and controlling others. The follower of Christ wants to be the servant of others. When people hear the word "anarchy," they never think of a situation in which all bureaucrats and tyrants have been replaced with Christ-like servants. When people think of
"anarchy" what they really think of is "polyarchy" or "multi-archy," with every individual trying to be on top, everyone striving to be his own god, no one willing to lose his life for others. |
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This shows that "anarchy" is really an impossibility. Forget what you may have heard about "the one and the many." It is a false philosophical construct. Any society which does not acknowledge Christ as the True and Only Archist inevitably succumbs to polyarchy. Even a centralized or monarchical Caesar requires an army of "little Caesars" in the military and the bureaucracies to carry out the State's decrees. Hitler did not murder six million Jews. That was done by millions of German archists. It is important for Christians to be servants of the true King, and not archists over others. The modern world is an "archist" world. Archists are moving us toward a "New World Order." Christians cannot be a part of this. Jesus said NO to the "New World Order" of His day, and He was executed as an anarchist (Luke 23:2; John
19:12,15; Acts 17:7). We must follow Christ, the King of kings, no matter what the State may say. When the State claims to be God, Christians will be persecuted no matter how much we "render unto Caesar" (John 15:20; 16:2-3).
Therefore we may as well accept it: Christian "anarchism" is our goal. |
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Romans 13 does not say that "archists" have a moral right to ignore Jesus' command. All men are commanded to be servants, not archists. Romans 13 in its context (Romans 12) tells us we are not to overcome
archists by becoming like archists, or by being more archist than they are; we are not to render evil for evil. We are to be servants. We are to submit to evil in faith, like Job did. Job was attacked by that great archist, Satan. But Satan was "ordained by God" to attack Job (Job 2:6). |
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This is probably the toughest issue to come to grips with. All evil is predestined by God. Adolph Hitler did not bear the sword in vain. Saddam Hussein does not bear biological weapons in vain. Osama bin Laden does not bear suitcase-sized nuclear devices in vain. This is what Romans 13 actually teaches. But that does not mean that we are off the hook, or that God is the "author of sin" (James 1:13-17). To understand Romans 13, we must develop the heart of a servant, and see God's sovereignty over evil.
Both Calvinists and non-Calvinists should be open to a "Paradigm Shift." Romans 13 speaks of the State as (or in conjunction with) "the powers." This is a reference to evil angelic beings. Most Christians have given very little thought to what the Bible says about angels (good and bad). "Angels" has become another lucrative fad for Hallmark and the New Age movement. Most Americans hold a view of the world which bears a striking
resemblance to the ancient religion of Baalism. Are you a Baalist? No point in reading any further if you are. |
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In his three-volume Systematic Theology,
well-respected Calvinist theologian Charles Hodge asserts,
This claim is typical, vague, and overstated. Hodge says in effect,
where "y" = "the duty of citizens to their rulers." "x" must surely include "the duty of rulers to their citizens." All of this is certainly not spelled out "comprehensively" in Romans 13. It turns out very little is spelled out in Romans 13 about the positive functions of government. It is primarily about our duty to "be subject" to even the most evil government. |
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How To Become A Christian Anarchist
Romans 13: A Table of ContentsThis is a book-length website. Here are some pages which dig deeper into the background and meaning of Romans 13. They explore God's sovereignty over evil, the work of angelic beings in the Providence of God, and the necessity of abolishing evil in the world, especially the State. These are the lost themes of Romans 13. We recommend reading them in the order below. The first three pages are foundational. The first page helps us cultivate the heart of a servant and Christian non-archist. The second page is critical to understanding Romans 13, and the reader is urged to spend some time perusing the rest of the pages on that site ("TOTAL Predestination"), particularly the pages on "Baalism" and "Radical Calvinism."
For those who would like more detail, especially on the cultural background of Romans 13, the following are useful. These essays were written back in the early 1980's, and have not been revised since. We're counting on the reader being delayed by those first three pages (above) long enough for us to get the rest of these pages edited and revised. As you will discover, there are very few original thoughts on this website. Nearly all our ideas are plagiarized from other writers: Reformed, Dispensational, and even secular. Our contribution is putting them all together for the first time.
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Romans 13 in Biblical ContextTo understand Romans 13, you must read it in context. As we mentioned above, the immediate context is the previous chapter, Romans 12. Our chapter divisions are not part of Paul's original letter. Paul is making one point that bridges Romans 12 and 13. Romans 12 says "don't return evil for evil; submit to all kinds of evil, even (Romans 13) the most evil thing on the planet: the State." The broader context is the entire Bible, and what the Bible teaches about the State, about evil, and about evil empires. From cover to cover the Bible says "archists" are bad. An "archist" is somebody who believes he has the right to impose his will on other people by force. The "archist" is a conqueror, a bandit, or a politician. A peaceful and prosperous society is one without "archists." Christian Anarchism from Genesis to RevelationThe whole Bible teaches Christian Anarchism. From cover to cover. Most Christians are familiar with only a few passages in the Bible, those on "salvation," or maybe a few passages on "the rapture" or "the second coming." Most Christians have never read the history of the rise of the State or the idolatry and infanticide of the kings, and the Prophets who so thoroughly denounced them. The Bible Describes the Battle: Politics vs. PatriarchyGod created human beings male and female: The Family. This is the core institution of human society. The Institution called "The State" is unBiblical. It reflects rebellion against God's Law. The whole history of man as recorded in the Bible is the history of sinful rebellion against God's model for society as created in the Garden of Eden, and the construction of institutions based on Humanistic power: coercion and violence. It is the history of Politics vs. Patriarchy.
95 Theses Against the StateThirty years ago I put together "95 Theses on the State," in homage to Luther's 95 Theses on Justification. I went through the Bible from Genesis to Revelation and pulled out 95 key concepts that relate to the issues of politics, law, economics, and government. Nowhere did I find a Biblical warrant for a king, or even a "State" of any kind. I have copied below a section from this page which contains an outline of my "95 Theses on the State." It is found on the left-hand side. On the right-hand side are hints at how each Thesis can be used as the foundation for other academic subjects which might be covered in a home school curriculum. This is very sketchy at this point. I have variously entitled these Theses, "95 Theses on the State," "95 Theses on Patriarchy," "95 Theses on Anarcho-Theocracy," and here I have substituted "Anarcho-Theocracy" for "Patriarchy" except in those instances where there is a specific reference to the institution of "The Family" vs. Church or State. These 95 Theses cover the Bible from cover to cover. They are arranged under the following time periods:
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INTRODUCTION
• View | Welcome to “The 95 Days of Christmas” | |||
• View | The Importance of Luther's 95 Theses | In his book on How the Catholic Church Built Western Civilization, Tom Woods overstates the role
of the Institutional Church and understates the role of the Bible in the creation of Western Civilization. The link at left cites John Robbins, who overstates the role of Luther and the Protestant Reformation in the creation of Western Civilization. Western Civilization is Biblical Civilization |
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• View | The Origin of These 95 Theses | |||
• View | Introduction: Taking the Bible Seriously | The Bible sets itself before us as a revelation from God. The authors of the books of the Bible make this claim. This claim is either true, or the Bible is evil. The claim cannot be ignored. The Bible is the most important book in the history of the human race. No other book has had more influence. A secular (Bible-denying or Bible-ignoring) education is irresponsible. Christians would agree that some people have made praiseworthy cultural advances motivated by the Koran, but we would say that these advances were either incidental or epistemologically inconsistent with the Koran. Many praiseworthy advances have been made by people motivated by the Bible, but if the Bible is fundamentally a hoax, then the amount of evil (and missed opportunities) caused by the Bible greatly outweighs these inconsistent advances. More on the Bible. |
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Jesus claimed to be God. The Jews of His day wanted Him put to death for saying this. The incarnation of God is either a lie or the most important event in the history of the human race. The Deity of Christ is the heart of the doctrine of the "Trinity." Thomas Jefferson denied this doctrine. If he were here today, I would make him read two books which would completely change his mind on this issue. First, The Hoax of Higher Criticism by Gary North. Jefferson fell for the myths of 18th century German Higher Criticism hook line and sinker. These myths have long since been debunked. Another easy source is Josh McDowell's Evidence that Demands a Verdict. Second, The One and The Many, by R.J. Rushdoony. Rushdoony's book shows that the Trinity is the foundation for liberty and humane society. Governments always embody theological error. The problem of "the one and the many" is a vexing philosophical problem that cannot be solved without the doctrine of the Trinity. Jefferson would see immediately -- taking in the facts of the modern world (socialism, communism, fascism, crony-capitalism, and the complete abandonment of the principles of the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights) -- that "higher criticism" was a ruse for big government. Big Unitarian Government. Jefferson was not an enemy of morality. Higher Criticism is. Government is. I believe the modern combination of tyranny and anti-trinitarianism would click in Jefferson's mind. He would realize that the war against the Bible is a war for Big Government. |
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• View | Thesis 3: Creation, not Evolution | Why teach the laws of physics, or the laws of chemistry, if the universe is actually a random, constantly-evolving multiverse? Evolution is a faith, not a fact. | ||
• View | Thesis 4: Omniscience, Predestination, and Providence | The Total Security State seeks and claims omniscience, and other "incommunicable attributes" of God. The doctrine of God's Providence is a bulwark of liberty. www.AstonishingProvidence.com more |
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• View | Thesis 5: “Self-Evident Truths” | Deep down, everyone knows the Bible (also called "The Laws of Nature and of Nature's God") is true. Students should be taught how to turn conscience into a worldview. Education without reference to "self-evident truths" is self-deception. |
• View | Thesis 6: The Biological Basis of Patriarchy | Students should learn that there is no biological basis for homosexuality. "Homophobia?" Children need to be assured of the fundamental facts of life: not condoms, but the goodness of fathers and mothers. | |||||||||||
• View | Thesis 7: The Dominion Mandate | The opposite of environmentalism. | |||||||||||
• View | Thesis 8: Patriarchy and “the Extended Family” | The Bible commands grandparents to be involved in the homeschooling of their grandchildren. See also Thesis 39. | |||||||||||
• View | Thesis 9: Anarcho-Theocracy and the Sanctions of the Covenant
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This Thesis is a major point. It seems to be completely ignored in the Ron Paul Curriculum. If the Bible is not true, there really is no such thing as "Law" except the "positive law" of the State. Every home school curriculum needs to teach children ""The Laws of Nature and of Nature's God," that is, Biblical Law, also known as "Theonomy." It was one of the most important features of early American public schools that they inculcated "religion and morality," a.k.a. "piety and virtue." America's Founders believed that religion and morality were "necessary for good government and the happiness of mankind," and this was the explicitly stated reason why schools were created. One of the centerpieces of early American education was the Westminster Shorter Catechism. It was in virtually every single classroom in America, and in nearly every home. One of the finest features of that work is an exposition of the Ten Commandments, including "the duties required" and "the sins forbidden" by each commandment. This is the foundation of the Common Law and American Law. A school curriculum is not complete without a daily study of the Ten Commandments. Rushdoony's The Institutes of Biblical Law would be an appropriate text for home-schooled high-schoolers. Here is an outline of a home-study program that I still haven't finished, as well as links to the Westminster Standards. The Ten Commandments prohibit:
For more than 300 years -- roughly 1600-1900 -- "the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God" -- that is, the Bible -- permeated America's schools and American culture. These laws are the foundation of civilization. Ten Principles for a Free Society The Ten Commandments in a Biblical Worldview The Ten Commandments Moral Inventory and Meditation Program
Preface to the Ten Commandments From Rushdoony's Institutes of Biblical Law:
From Rushdoony's Institutes of Biblical Law:
From Rushdoony's Institutes of Biblical Law:
From Rushdoony's Institutes of Biblical Law:
From Rushdoony's Institutes of Biblical Law:
From Rushdoony's Institutes of Biblical Law:
From Rushdoony's Institutes of Biblical Law:
Family Values:
From Rushdoony's Institutes of Biblical Law:
From Rushdoony's Institutes of Biblical Law:
From Rushdoony's Institutes of Biblical Law:
From Rushdoony's Institutes of Biblical Law: |
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• View | Thesis 10: The Priority of Agrarianism | Gary North introduces Ron Paul's Curriculum with a video about the Industrial Revolution entitled "How Did We Get So Rich." It is an interesting debate. | |||||||||||
• View | Thesis 11: Anarcho-Theocracy and the Mountain | The Bible is not just a book about "religion," i.e. liturgies and rituals, nor is it solely a book about law ("thou shalt," "thou shalt not"), even though every verse in the Bible is law. The Bible is also one of the most amazing pieces of literature in human history. It is a vast literary symphony, with recurring symbolic themes or leitmotifs. The "mountain" theme not only solves perplexing riddles of Bible prophecy, but helps us read the Bible like a picture. |
• Patriarchy and "Government" | The Bible describes The State as the invention of demonic men. Men who are not loyal to God's Institution of the Family tend to form States, or else become hippies and nomads. |
• Patriarchy and "Paternalism" | All human beings are created in families. Patriarchy is an inescapable concept. If the Christian pater does not train his family in the Ways of Peace, he will be oppressed by a “paternalistic” State. The Family is the basic social unit of a prosperous society.
Obedience through the Family eliminates tyranny, protects property. |
• View | Thesis 12: The Fall Of The Angels | In a very real sense, here is the origin of "The State." |
• View | Thesis 13: The Fall of Man | The Calvinistic doctrine of "The Depravity of Man" is the foundation of "checks and balances," a "separation of powers," and "The Bill of Rights." In one of the most famous passages of The Federalist, No. 51, James Madison said, "If men were angels," we would not need a government. But if men are depraved, we dare not entrust them with a monopoly of violence. |
• View | Thesis 14: The Purpose of Cain’s “Suspended Sentence" | |
• The Patriarchal Power of Capital Punishment | Capital Punishment: The Biblical View Negates "the State." |
• The Mark of Cain | |
• View | Thesis 15: Cain’s City: The Autonomy of the State | |
• Raising Cain | |
• Why Cain Was Not Executed for Murder | |
• View | Thesis 16: The Demonic Roots of Violent Tyranny | The Bible says that violence, committed by archist-like figures, was the reason for the global flood which Noah escaped. That flood obviously has numerous implications in other fields, such as geology and history, which students need to know. |
• "The Sons of God and the Daughters of Men" |
• Elders as Judges | |
• View | Thesis 17: The Post-Flood Absence of The Institutional Church | |
• View | Thesis 18: The Patriarchal Power Of “Capital Punishment.” | |
• View | Thesis 19: Nimrod: The First Politician (Post-Flood) | |
• Nimrod: The First Politician | |
• View | Thesis 20: Patriarchy vs. Political Slavery | |
• Nimrod: "Hunter of Men" | |
• View | Thesis 21: Demonic Activity At Babel |
The Tower of Babel has been an inspiration for the United Nations and European Union, yet students in a Bible-free school might not know anything about the Tower of Babel Tyranny and tower-building receives a great boost from a Bible-free curriculum. |
• View | Thesis 22: The Division of The Nations | |
• Babel and "The Religion of Humanity" | |
• The Dispersed Nations of "The Family of Man" | See also: Chapter VII: THE UNITED NATIONS by Rousas J. Rushdoony in The Nature of the American System |
• View | Thesis 23: Evangelism In The Old Covenant | Hospitality Evangelism and Social Order Private Service Creates Public Order |
• View | Thesis 24: Patriarchy, “National Defense,” And Military Socialism | "National Defense" is unBiblical. |
• View | Thesis 25: Anarcho-Theocracy and “Sacraments”: Circumcision | |
• View | Thesis 27: Patriarchy, Precious Metals, and Money | The Bible teaches a commodity standard for honest money. Most of our nation's economic problems would be solved if this issue were dealt with. Secular Austrian economics can tell you that if you pursue Monetary Policy A, you will experience economic effect X, or, if you pursue Monetary Policy B, you will experience economic effect Y. But secular Austrian economists cannot, and they are committed not to, tell you which policy is immoral and will bring the
judgment of God on your nation. You need a Bible-based curriculum if students are to avoid the judgment of God.
|
• View | Thesis 26: The Myth of The “Separation Of Church And State” | They never were. They never can be. more |
• View | Thesis 28: Salvation is Political | The Federal Department of Salvation |
• Pharaohs and Pyramids | |
• View | Thesis 29: Patriarchy and Resistance to Tyranny in the Early Days of the Old Testament | |
• View | Thesis 30: As With All Angelic Activity, No State Action Is Coincidental or Random | |
• View | Thesis 31: Ceremony, Ritual, Liturgy, And The “Pedagogical Law” | |
• View | Thesis 32: Patriarchy and “Sacraments”: Passover | |
• View | Thesis 33: Patriarchs And “Elders” | Many Christians today call their church leaders "elders." But "elders" were "civil" officials in the Old Testament, not "ecclesiastical." These "95 Theses" reject the modern notion of "the Separation of Church and State." Instead, they promote the abolition of Church and State. Under Moses, a temporary institution of priesthood and temple was formed, but it was intended to be abolished with the Advent of the Messiah. It does not legitimately serve as a foundation for today's "institutional church" or for the modern State. |
• Patriarchs as "Elders" | |
• View | Thesis 34: The Need for a Pedagogical Legal Structure | |
• View | Thesis 35: Angels And The Pedagogical Legal Structure | |
• View | Thesis 36: The Promised Land | One of the thorniest issues of foreign policy is the nation of Israel. No homeschool student is equipped to deal effectively with this issue without a knowledge of the Bible. The promises made to Abraham were both fulfilled and conditional. This obscure theological/Biblical debate is at the core of the support of neo-conservative pro-Israel policy by a hundred million American Christians. |
• View | Thesis 37: The Temporary Character of The First “Church Officers” | |
• View | Thesis 38: Anarcho-Theocracy and the Temple | |
• View | Thesis 39: Patriarchy and Education | |
• View | Thesis 40: Anarcho-Theocracy and Oaths | The Oath of Office
In his famous "Farewell Address," George Washington said:
The Ron Paul Curriculum cannot afford to neglect "religion and morality." This is why today's politicians cannot be trusted to uphold constitutional government. The issues are theological. |
• View | Thesis 41: The Character of “gods” | |
• Judges, Judgment, and Anarchy | |
• View | Thesis 42: National Security Without a State | "National security" -- which is really government security -- is not Biblical. |
• Patriarchy and National Security | |
• View | Thesis 43: The Prohibition of Monarchism | More than just "monarchism," the issue is God's government vs. Man's government. |
• 1 Samuel 8: The State as Rejection of God | |
• 1 Samuel 8 and Monarchy by Thomas Paine | |
• View | Thesis 44: The State as the Answer to the Prayers of Rebels | |
• View | Thesis 45: The Inferiority of Old Covenant Typological Mediators |
• God Sends EVIL ! | This section of Theses proves that God "ordained" the State, because God "ordains" all evil. The State is evil. This is one of the most important issues facing the Human Race. Annihilation of billions of human beings is the cost of getting it wrong. See also: www.Romans13.com |
• Angels and God's Throne of Government | |
• Stars and Idolatry | |
• View | Thesis 46: Romans 8:28 and The State | Romans 8:28 says God works all things together for good. Even evil things. |
• View | Thesis 47: God’s Sovereign Ordering of Every State | |
• View | Thesis 48: The State Serves God by Sinning | |
• View | Thesis 49: The State As Sanctified “Servant”/ “Deacon”/”Minister” | |
• View | Thesis 50: The State Does Not Serve God Self-Consciously | |
• View | Thesis 51: Only One King Self-Consciously Serves God | |
• View | Thesis 52: Judgment of the State in Heaven and Earth | |
• View | Thesis 53: Moloch-Worship and the Nature of Idols | |
• View | Thesis 54: War, Capital Punishment, and “The Sword” | |
• View | Thesis 55: The Throne of David | |
• The Power of the Sword | |
• "In the Name of the Law" |
• View | Thesis 56: Statism At The Time Of Christ | |
• View | Thesis 57: Kingship, Citizenship, and The Gospel | |
• View | Thesis 58: The Civil Authority of The Pastor: Christ The Shepherd | Like Melchizedek, the priest-king of Jerusalem, Jesus The Messiah is the integration of Church and State, Priest and King, and the abolition of earthly priests and princes. |
• View | Thesis 59: Jewish Opposition To The Kingdom | |
• View | Thesis 60: Christ’s Binding of Satan | Why liberty is possible. Why the State -- and the "Principalities and Powers" behind it -- is now obsolete. |
• View | Thesis 61: True Power vs. Political Power | |
• View | Thesis 62: Agrarianism As Environmentalism | To question the Industrial Revolution is not to adopt the errors of the "Green" or "environmentalist" movement. |
• View | Thesis 63: Christ’s Ascension to the Throne of David | |
• View | Thesis 64: The Camaraderie of “Church” And State | |
• View | Thesis 65: CNN and the Coming of the Kingdom | |
• View | Thesis 66: The Anointed King vs. Political Kings | |
• View | Thesis 67: Jesus The Nazarene | |
• Why the State Encourages Immorality | |
• "Unlucky 13": Isaiah 13, Romans 13, Revelation 13 | |
• A Romans-Eye View of Romans 13 | |
• "Principalities and Powers" | |
• Lakes of Fire in "Smoke-filled Rooms" | |
• Romans 13: The Burden is on the Archists | |
• Taxation, Representation, and the Myth of the State | |
• Why the State is not a "Divine Institution" |
• View | Thesis 68: Extremism vs. Neutrality | Extremism is commanded by Christ |
• View | Thesis 69: Sons of God and Pedagogues | |
• View | Thesis 70: Judgment and the Church-Courts of Christ | The Apostle Paul says believers are to adjudicate their disputes in the Church, not in pagan courts. |
• View | Thesis 71: The Apostolic Church and the Spread of Power | |
• View | Thesis 72: Patriarchy and the House-Church | |
• View | Thesis 73: Patriarchy and the “Sacraments”: Baptism | |
• View | Thesis 74: Patriarchy and the “Sacraments”: “The Lord’s Supper” | |
• View | Thesis 75: Self-Ordination | |
• View | Thesis 76: Salt and Statism | |
• View | Thesis 77: Political Authority and Kingdom Citizenship | Becoming a Christian is like becoming a naturalized citizen [pdf] |
• View | Thesis 78: Anarcho-Theocracy and Resistance to Tyranny in the Last Days of the Old Covenant | |
• View | Thesis 79: Taxation, Kingdom Citizenship, and Overcoming Through Suffering | Taxation is theft. |
• View | Thesis 80: Violence | Also: Zero Aggression Policy Because Christians should not initiate force to impose God's will on others, Christians must be anarchists: www.HowToBecomeAChristianAnarchist.com |
• View | Thesis 81: Vengeance | Christians must not take vengeance on their or God's enemies. God uses the evil "State" to do this. |
• View | Thesis 82: Creationist Anarcho-Socialism and Darwinian Archo-Socialism | Some have said that the early church practiced "communism." But it was voluntary. Nobody wore a uniform and acted like the KGB. |
• View | Thesis 83: Pedagogy and The Powers | |
• View | Thesis 84: The End of Archists: The Pedagogues Judged by the Church | |
• View | Thesis 85: The Last Days of the Old Covenant | |
• Salt and Statism | |
• Ghostbusters on Mars Hill |
• View | Thesis 86: “The Millennium” | |
• View | Thesis 87: “Ruling with Christ” | |
• Angels and Autarchy | |
• View | Thesis 88: Salvation as Light and Social Healing | |
• View | Thesis 89: Edenic Restoration | |
• View | Thesis 90: The New Heavens and New Earth | |
• View | Thesis 91: The Unconverted In the “Millennium” | This point is important as an explanation of why a Biblical society can be held in place without the institution of "The State." Social pressure provides real incentives without coercion. |
• View | Thesis 92: The Last Acts of Earthly Archists | |
• View | Thesis 93: The City of God | |
• View | Thesis 94: We are in Heaven Now | |
• View | Thesis 95: Perfection |
Vine & Fig Tree |