Category Archives: Christianity

Christianity, Theonomy

Were the Puritans Theonomists?

Here’s Joel McDurmon answering that question, and assigning some reading.

Well, that first of all depends on how one defines “Puritan.” It also depends on exactly what you mean by “that view” of Theonomy, because both Rush and Bahnsen 1) did not fully agree with each other, and 2) left many exegetical questions vague or unanswered, which means other people (“Puritans” included) could disagree with either or both at various points as well.

Nevertheless, there is substantial agreement, in some cases almost total with Bahnsen, among some of the Westminster Divines, some of their precursors, and some of the New England Puritans.

For their primary sources, I would start with these few places:

Johannes Piscator, Disputations on the Judicial Laws of Moses.
https://americanvision.org/12386/new-piscator-on-the-judicial-laws-of-moses-1607-or-theonomy-before-theonomy-was-cool/

Disputations on the Judicial Laws of Moses
The appendix in this book lists several theologians who followed this view, which is almost identical to modern biblical Theonomy.

For New England examples, see this collection of three sermons which relate that very view, clearly influenced by Piscator, et al after him. Appleton’s sermon especially is dead-on.
https://americanvision.org/12034/gods-law-in-the-american-founding-another-brand-new-book-from-american-vision/

https://store.americanvision.org/products/gods-law-and-government-in-america

Finally, there is a terrific historical essay in a journal called The Confessional Presbyterian. The essay is on “The Westminster Assembly and the Judicial Law: Part One, Chronology.” It outlines many published views of the Divines. Some are dead-on for Bahnsen’s view. Other’s are Constantinian. Some are in between. Still others are completely dismissive of the judicial laws. There was a full spectrum of views at the assembly. I recommend this essay, but the companion essay right after it, “Part Two: Analysis” is awful.

These all should give you a great start on this question and some primary sources. There are more listed in that last essay. It may be good at some point to pull them up a reprint them, but Piscator and the New England sermons are all I have in full right now.

Abolish The Police, Christianity, End Public School, Police Abuse, Resistance to Tyranny is Obedience to God, Secession

Lessons From the American Revolution They Didn’t Teach You in Government Schools

1. Killing cops is within the realm of possibility.

 

2. Throwing off your government is within the realm of possibility.

 

3. You shouldn’t just always do what the cops say.

 

4. You shouldn’t always go on singing God Save the King and pledging allegiance to the union jack.

 

5. You shouldn’t trust the government to educate your children.

Border Policy, Christianity, Theonomy

Conversation With a Crazy Guy

Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time I’ve had a conversation where the person doesn’t understand a concept from Kindergarten: That which isn’t illegal is legal.  I thought this was funny at first, but by the end it just got kind of sad. Here it is.

Crazy Guy – At least support your claim. Simply stating something does not make it fact. Tell me how biblical law supports open borders.

Me – Because there is no law against people moving to ancient Israel. In fact it is desirable. You’re the one who wants to enforce unjust immigration laws written by Ted Kennedy.

Crazy Guy – Welcoming strangers does not equate to allowing the free-flow of immigrants – the notion is ridiculous.

1 Timothy 5:8 ESV
But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

Open borders are, without a doubt, counter-intuitive to this verse – fullstop.

Numbers 20:14-21 reports:

“Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom: ‘Thus says your brother Israel … here we are in Kadesh, a city on the edge of your territory. Please let us pass through your land. We will not pass through field or vineyard, or drink water from a well. We will go along the King’s Highway. We will not turn aside to the right hand or to the left until we have passed through your territory.’ But Edom said to him, ‘You shall not pass through, lest I come out with the sword against you.’ And the people of Israel said to him, ‘We will go up by the highway, and if we drink of your water, I and my livestock, then I will pay for it. Let me only pass through on foot, nothing more.’ But he said, ‘You shall not pass through.’ And Edom came out against them with a large army and with a strong force. Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his territory, so Israel turned away from him.”

Me – Edom is a pagan nation that had the laws of men. I guess it’s fitting that you’re using Edom’s pagan border policies to defend Ted Kennedy’s socialist border policies. 1 Timothy 5:8 has nothing to do with border policy.

There was no law against immigrating to Israel. God’s law defines justice. Your choice is between the law of God and the arbitrary, unjust laws of men.

Crazy Guy – Prove it.

Me – Prove what? If something isn’t illegal, it’s legal. If it’s illegal, show me, and I will repent. This is really quite simple.

Crazy Guy – Prove to me there were no immigration laws in ancient Israel. I will await your quotes from The Bible which proves this.

Also, just because the Bible speaks of welcoming strangers, it does not mean they were openly allowed in without restriction.

Me – This would all be discovered by you reading Scripture.

Crazy Guy – I’ve read it, multiple times, in Armenian and English. Now, if you could substantiate your claims that would be much appreciated. If you can’t, we will end the conversation here.

Me – How can I show you something that doesn’t exist?

Crazy Guy – If it doesn’t exist, how can you make a claim?

Me – A prohibition on immigrating to Israel doesn’t exist. Therefore, there is freedom to move to Israel.

This is one of the funniest conversations I’ve had in a while.

Crazy Guy – Wrong. Just because something specific was not written in the Bible, does not mean it DOESN’T exist.

You make claims based on something NOT written, rather than something written. What a joke.

The Bible is basically void of Jesus’ younger years, so using you logic it would mean those years didn’t exist.

Me – The law of the Lord is perfect (Psalm 19:7). I’m sorry you don’t like what it says.

Crazy Guy – Exodus 34:24

“For I will drive out nations before you and ENLARGE YOUR BORDERS, and no man shall covet your land when you go up three times a year to appear before the LORD your God.”

I guess God is following the Devil, too? If there is no need for borders, why did God promise to enlarge them? If there is no need for borders, why would God secure control of land to a certain person or group?

Me – Borders are to limit governments. Not to prevent the free movement of people. Thanks for the conversation. I have to get going.

Crazy Guy – Where is this law you claim to exist? If it is not written, it must not exist. You cannot substantiate you claim, and you therefor run from providing an answer.

Capitalism, Christianity, Taxation

Taxation In Scripture

Here’s an interesting discussion of what Scripture teaches about taxation.

Bojidar Marinov says,

“What’s the biblical principle behind ‘no taxation without representation’?”

It’s a very good question. It’s yuge. It’s an enormous question. I am not kiddin’.

So I did a quick study on the issue. Just quick (queek, as they say it in the South), not comprehensive, just to see what the Bible says and doesn’t say, without making any systematic ideology out of it. And here’s what I think I discovered:

There is no such Biblical principle. The only Biblical principle as to who gets taxed and who doesn’t is found in Matt. 17:25. It specifically says that the sons of the rulers (the homeborn, the citizens) are not taxed, while only the strangers are taxed. The words used for “taxes” there are “telos” and “kensos” (that is, “census”) and both signify taxes that are TAKEN from the population, the first as a rent for living on government land, the second as “tribute” of conquered people to their conquerors. (To compare, the taxes in Rom. 13 are “phoros,” that is, a “bringing,” something that can be understood to be a voluntary offering, not our modern compulsory taxation.) Thus, taxes in our modern sense – as a compulsory payment – only apply to strangers. The “sons” (homeborn and citizens) should pay no taxes.

This corresponds to other references in the NT and from history. Rome taxed the conquered peoples but not its own citizens. (Wealthy Romans were expected to contribute voluntarily.) That’s why the commander in Acts 22:28 paid a large sum for his citizenship: it freed him of taxes, in addition to allowing him to serve in the military and be armed at all times. The tax code changed much later, and then all citizens were made subject to taxation, and with it, all the conquered people were granted Roman citizenship.

The US had such system until 1913. It was foreigners who were taxed for the privilege to immigrate. The federal budget was sometimes almost entirely financed by this immigration poll-tax, to the point that the US entered WWI with a gigantic budget surplus, all financed by immigrants.

Such a system, however, is entirely opposite to what we have today, both as policies and as ideology. In the first place, if rulers are only supported by taxes from immigrants, they need to make sure that the nation is an attractive place for foreigners. (Rome did it by conquering nations but that can’t continue for long, not in our time, at least.) This means righteousness and justice. It also means open borders for both people and merchandise; for a ruler who closes his borders will either be left without revenue, or will have to tax his own citizens which will mean effectively turning his own citizens into foreigners. (As is the US today.) It also means a government that depends heavily on its own citizens to understand the concept of hospitality, thus, expanding the rule of righteousness across the land. In the final account, a nation that only taxes foreigners will have a government that is forced by the very nature of its taxation sources to stay limited and just, and encourage voluntarism, hospitality, and general righteousness in its population.

So, the answer to the question is:

There is no Biblical principle to support “no taxation without representation.” The Biblical principle is: “No compulsory taxation for citizens.”

Abortion, Christianity

Is There Such a Thing as a National Sin?

 

Here’s how Bojidar Marinov answers the question asked in the title.

“Is abortion our national sin, or is it only the personal sin of those mothers and the abortion doctors?

If it is just personal guilt, we shouldn’t worry about God’s judgment. And our fight against abortion is rather a hobby. Whether babies are killed or not is not our personal problem.

But if it is national sin, on what basis do we project the personal sin of a few mothers and doctors onto the whole nation?

That’s right: COVENANTAL IDENTIFICATION. We are members of the same covenantal entity, the USA, and we all have our participation in the forming of its laws. And because of that, if and when God decides to bring judgment on America for her national sin of abortion, we all will be the recipients of His wrath, whether we have personal guilt or not.

Same with the South African farmers. For three generations they identified as a separate group from the blacks; and they used their political power to legislate identity policies of oppression, injustice, theft, and slavery. And what is worse, they used the name of Christ.”

Abolish The Police, Christianity

Stupidity Visited on the Second and Third Generation

A few months ago, I wrote this post about a local pastor who apparently has little ability to discern good and evil after decades of being a Christian. Of course that’s not exactly uncommon.

Unfortunately, his son has the same discernment level, and is dragging down the third generation. Thanks, grandpa!

Here’s an article in the Daily Record where this 4-year-old (the grandson of Larry Weaver) and his family pass out thin blue line key chains. The thin blue line is about protecting abortionists, and displays of force.  The thin blue line is a terrorist symbol, but Larry would scoff at that.

Our system of government is evil, and is propped up by the boots on the ground forcing Americans to put up with all kinds of evil. Christians should be working against it at all levels, but instead, this is what we get from Christian leaders in this town.

Here’s why our system is evil and should be opposed by Christians with two brains cells to rub together. The government has self-prohibited from governing in submission to Christ. Unfortunately all choices in this life boil down to being between Christ or absurdity. America has chosen absurdity.  The government cannot give any valid reason for why their laws ought to be obeyed by anyone, save one, the threat of violence. We have a pagan government built on the principal that might makes right, and fools like Larry Weaver are all about supporting it. He should be ashamed and he’s caused his son and grandson to blunder into the same stupidity he’s in.

I agree with one thing that the Weavers are doing. They’re praying for police, and I’m praying for them as well.

Abolish The Police, Christianity, Conversation

ROMANS 13!!!!!

I often joke that so often in response to something I say, someone will quote Romans 13, without even bothering to explain their point.

Here’s an example of such an occurrence where someone had said that churches should be confronting members who are cops, and I responded that we could add some people to the list of those that churches should be confronting. This Amanda Driskill woman quoted these verses, and must think that I’ve never read them before.

And the link in the first comment is well-worth your time to  listen to. You can find it here. 

Capitalism, Christianity, Practical Ideas, Resistance to Tyranny is Obedience to God, The Way Things Ought to Be

Freedom Will Win

There’s a lot of things to get down about. The thing that is most depressing to me is that Americans don’t know what freedom is and don’t seem to care.

However, the Christian worldview, with freedom and capitalism being part and parcel of it, will be victorious. The march of time and technology will benefit us, and here is one such example that makes me exited and optimistic.

The government will henceforth always will be powerless to control guns.  Want to do something for freedom today? Buy one of these machines and start making guns.

Abolish The Police, Christianity, Conversation, Resistance to Tyranny is Obedience to God

Any Progress Made?

I had a short conversation with Tony Miano on one of his youtube videos. For the context of this conversation, Miano was ticketed while preaching at an abortion clinic. He was later tried and found guilty.

Here’s the conversation I had with him. (If you have trouble reading it, you can click on the picture to enlarge it).

Not only does Miano believe there are good cops somewhere, but he believes this cop who trampled his free speech rights in the defense of an abortionist is a good cop who made a mistake. That would be tantamount to a regular, upstanding citizen robbing a liquor store, and saying, “Whoops, I made a mistake. I never really thought through how robbing a liquor store is wrong.” No one would believe that you could accidentally rob a liquor store, or that someone who robbed a liquor store really is an upstanding citizen and not a thief. Knowing that robbing a liquor store is wrong, requires only a kindergarten-level knowledge of morality.

Knowing that protecting an abortionist is wrong is also kindergarten-level morality. For Miano to say this guy was a good cop who made a mistake reveals a huge shortcoming in Miano’s level of discernment.

I quoted Romans 13 to him, which every Christian, everywhere has heard a dozen times as they’re told to blindly obey and honor the wicked, antichrist state. Unfortunately, they seem to never read the last half of that passage which gives the magistrates one job, and one job only–to punish evil. And unfortunately, those who make it that far, still rarely grasp that it is God who defines good and evil (not Ruth Bader Ginsburg). Therefore, what God says is evil, the magistrate is to punish. What should be grasped by everyone who thinks they’ve progressed beyond Christianity 101 is that someone like an abortionist is to be punished by the magistrate.

Abortionists are not punished at all, anywhere in the United States. They are protected under man’s “law” and sometimes even protected to the point that the magistrate breaks the law to protect them as has been done to Miano. Any cop/judge/attorney/juror/prison guard  who protects an abortionist is evil. This is very basic discernment that Christians are supposed to be capable of (Hebrews 5:14, 1 Cor. 2:15), but as is demonstrated by Miano is not happening among most American Christians. There are no good cops, because they’re on the wrong team–the evil team.

The job of the U.S. government as they have defined it, is to protect abortionists so they can peacefully carry out their business of ripping babies apart. Romans 13:4 says their job is to punish abortionists. It should be easy for Christians to agree on this.

Is it possible for there to be good Nazis? Maybe not the guys pulling the triggers or shoving Jews into cattle cars, but what about the Nazi clerk doing a desk job? I wish German Christians had been trained to have a level of discernment capable of being able to tell whether they should work for the Nazis or work against the Nazis. It’s easy for us to point fingers, because we, as Americans, fought the Nazis, and we can easily say anyone who worked for the Nazis was evil.

But I’m saying the U.S. government is every bit as evil as the Nazis, and most people somehow don’t see it. Miano is evidence of that. He claims to be a teacher, but is incapable of simple discernment. Choose this day whether you will serve the antichrist U.S. government or the Lord. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

Christianity, End Public School, Taxation

Confused Pastors

I know a guy who is a pastor in town, and has been a Christian for decades. I’m not all that young anymore, but this guy has had formal Bible education and has a lot more experience in life and in studying Scripture than I have. You would think this is someone that I could look up to and find answers from–not someone I would have to be offering correction to. Furthermore, I think that today, and hopefully for the rest of my life, that if someone offers me a logical correction that includes a lot of Bible verses that I will be open to hearing them, no matter how much younger they are.

And it’s not like his generation (or him personally) has it all together and they’ve been so successful in accomplishing so much for Christ. They (and their predecessors for generations now) have stood by and watched our culture rot. They have been miserable failures. They have zero cause for cockiness or thinking they have it all figured out.

Larry Weaver, the pastor of the First Baptist Church, has come out in favor of this property tax increase for the school district. I pointed out to him that public school is antichrist because of what Jesus said in Matthew 12:30. My comment disappeared.

I wrote him a message saying it looks like my comment was deleted and that was fine, but I’d like to discuss this issue because there are serious biblical issues with this. He wrote me back and said that he didn’t delete the comment, his friend hid the comment. I don’t really know what the difference is, but there’s that clarification. Neither has the comment reappeared, so I don’t think there’s any difference. He said he’s not interested in discussing it with me online or in-person.

In his message, he said that there are enough Christian teachers doing good work that he doesn’t consider the school system to be antichrist. Well, that’s nice, but I don’t remember having any openly Christian teachers in my time in public school. Maybe the whole thing has been completely Christianized since then (ha, ha, ha). Also, public school is funded by socialism and theft–things frowned on in Scripture. If Christian teachers are taking advantage of a socialist system to advance Christianity, they’re attempting to advance Christianity by the sword, by government power. If they’re not attempting to advance Christianity, they’re advancing humanism.

I also pointed out the injustice of property tax and I said that anyone who votes for this is guilty of covetousness, which is covered by the Tenth Commandment. If someone personally objects for whatever reason, the people voting for this are in favor of using government force to make them pay. They aren’t standing up for the weakest among us, but for the principle that might makes right. It’s disgusting to me.

And the vast majority of Christians think that we can vote however we want  on issues like this. They think that Scripture must not dictate and we shouldn’t get into politics. But the truth is that every area of life is moral and religious and a spiritual man is able to discern the truth, and judge rightly by God’s standard (1 Corinthians 2:15-16). Pastors and the previous generation have failed us miserably, and there are very few who can judge properly.