(no subject)
Sep. 9th, 2004 04:00 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sophiaserpentiaIt's been said by some that the United States was founded on Christian principles. Here's one glaring problem with that.
[Romans 13:1] Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.
[2] Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves.
[3] For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same;
[4] for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil.
[5] Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience' sake.
[6] For because of this you also pay taxes, for rulers are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing.
[7] Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.
Notably, the American revolutionaries were not just up against the government and army of Britain, they were up against the long-established Christian idea that governmental authority comes from God. In challenging King George III of Britain, they were rejecting the idea that God had given him a divine right to rule over them.
Consequently, when it came time to frame the Constitution, the founders began with words that made it clear the former colonies were rejecting the idea that government was ordained by God:
crossposting to my journal and crossposting to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
challenging_god
[Romans 13:1] Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.
[2] Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves.
[3] For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same;
[4] for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil.
[5] Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience' sake.
[6] For because of this you also pay taxes, for rulers are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing.
[7] Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.
Notably, the American revolutionaries were not just up against the government and army of Britain, they were up against the long-established Christian idea that governmental authority comes from God. In challenging King George III of Britain, they were rejecting the idea that God had given him a divine right to rule over them.
Consequently, when it came time to frame the Constitution, the founders began with words that made it clear the former colonies were rejecting the idea that government was ordained by God:
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. (emphasis added)
crossposting to my journal and crossposting to
challenging_god
