"Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer." Romans 13:1-4
When the Founders designed and instituted the governing principles of the United States of America they had to make a moral judgment of what constitutes right and what constitutes wrong?
After considerable study of historic philosophies and moral codes they came to a strong consensus that the moral teachings set forth in the Bible best defined what is good and what is evil.
Dr. Garlow writes about the importance of a clearly defined moral code is to good governance.(Pages 34-35 of "Well Versed")
"The restraining of evil includes trying to restrain evil in government itself. This is profoundly demonstrated by the fact that we have three supposedly equal branches of government: executive, legislative and judicial. They were instituted to keep each other in check because of the capacity for evil in the human heart - including those in political leadership. The fact that we have three supposedly equal branches of government is a clear acknowledgement by our Founders held a deeply theological truth: humans are prone to evil by nature.
Our Founders knew and understood evil. They had fled evil in their homelands. One of their driving passions was to construct a government that would hold evil in check, even within the government itself. The purpose of the Bill of Rights is to limit government. The failure to understand the capacity of evil itself has been illustrated by both President Franklin Roosevelt (January 11, 1944) and President Barak Obama when they suggested - many decades apart - that here should be a Bill of Rights FOR the government. Bluntly stated, the government does not need more rights. We need protection as citizens, often times FROM our government.
Remember the Bill of Rights are the rights for citizens and are designed to restrain government. But these two Presidents (as does the current Democratic candidate) wanted a Bill of Rights FOR the government (and thereby AGAINST our freedoms). Their view represents an inadequate and sophisticated understanding of the nature of evil and the damage that can be done by an unrestrained government." - Dr. Garlow
I find it interesting that the final verse of Chapter 12 that precedes this portion of Scripture says, "Be not overcome by evil but overcome evil with good."
A government that cannot clearly define evil will eventually be overcome by it.
After considerable study of historic philosophies and moral codes they came to a strong consensus that the moral teachings set forth in the Bible best defined what is good and what is evil.
Dr. Garlow writes about the importance of a clearly defined moral code is to good governance.(Pages 34-35 of "Well Versed")
"The restraining of evil includes trying to restrain evil in government itself. This is profoundly demonstrated by the fact that we have three supposedly equal branches of government: executive, legislative and judicial. They were instituted to keep each other in check because of the capacity for evil in the human heart - including those in political leadership. The fact that we have three supposedly equal branches of government is a clear acknowledgement by our Founders held a deeply theological truth: humans are prone to evil by nature.
Our Founders knew and understood evil. They had fled evil in their homelands. One of their driving passions was to construct a government that would hold evil in check, even within the government itself. The purpose of the Bill of Rights is to limit government. The failure to understand the capacity of evil itself has been illustrated by both President Franklin Roosevelt (January 11, 1944) and President Barak Obama when they suggested - many decades apart - that here should be a Bill of Rights FOR the government. Bluntly stated, the government does not need more rights. We need protection as citizens, often times FROM our government.
Remember the Bill of Rights are the rights for citizens and are designed to restrain government. But these two Presidents (as does the current Democratic candidate) wanted a Bill of Rights FOR the government (and thereby AGAINST our freedoms). Their view represents an inadequate and sophisticated understanding of the nature of evil and the damage that can be done by an unrestrained government." - Dr. Garlow
I find it interesting that the final verse of Chapter 12 that precedes this portion of Scripture says, "Be not overcome by evil but overcome evil with good."
A government that cannot clearly define evil will eventually be overcome by it.
No comments:
Post a Comment