[Vision2020] Re:Liberalism and Diversity on the Palouse

Steve Wells wellstep@turbonet.com
Thu, 01 Jan 2004 16:55:55 -0800


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I agree with the Bill London's recent editorial (Dec.31, Moscow-Pullman 
Daily News). We need more free speech, not less, on this issue. We need 
to know more about the publicly expressed views of Douglas Wilson and 
Christ Church. And although there seems to be a reluctance on the part 
of its leaders to speak clearly on their beliefs, there is a reliable 
source of information that is available on the web. It's called Credenda 
/ Agenda (http://www.credenda.org ) and since it is "a literature 
ministry of Christ Church," the church is responsible for the views that 
are expressed there.

In yesterday's post, Greg Dickison claimed that the critics of Christ 
Church have slandered and misrepresented its teachings. To evaluate 
this, we need to know what Christ Church actually teaches. Fortunately, 
Mr. Dickison has a regular column on Credenda / Agenda called 
"Magistralis" that deals with many of the issues that are of interest. 
Since he is also a public defender for Latah County, his views on our 
legal system are of special interest and concern.

Here are some excerpts from "Magistralis" articles by Greg Dickison.
(My summaries are in parentheses. I recommend reading the entire 
articles at Credenda / Agenda. The emphasis is in the original.)

On the Law, Homosexuality, and the Sin of Pity
Knowing Where to Draw the Line 
<http://www.credenda.org/old/issues/vol3/magi3-11.htm>, Your Eye Shall 
Not Pity <http://www.credenda.org/old/issues/vol3/magi3-9.htm>
(The Laws of the Bible should be our only laws. These includes the laws 
of the Old Testament, except when explicitly overruled in the New 
Testament. No other laws are required or permitted. Biblical punishments 
would be imposed, including death for homosexuals, disobedient children, 
those who worship another god, and many others. No pity would be shown 
to those who are punished, even when the punishment includes cutting off 
a woman's hand for touching a man's genitals.)

"Let's pretend, just for a moment, that we could have it our way. The 
great revival we have been praying for has occurred, and every 
executive, legislator, and bureaucrat in the capital has just been 
saved. Knowing they ought to begin applying Scripture in their jobs, but 
not knowing how to go about it, they come to you and your church for 
advice. What will you tell them? How should they apply God's law?

"Looking at the Bible with an eye toward applying it in the civil realm, 
several things become apparent. First, it is pretty small. ... [O]n the 
average, a little over 1,000 pages. Think of the money governments will 
save on printing and shelf space!

"If biblical law is to be biblically applied, then the biblical 
punishment must be used. ... Of course, there would be laws enforced 
against certain crimes which are currently ignored, such as homosexuality.

"The civil magistrate is the minister of God to execute wrath on the 
wrongdoer (Rom. 13:4). God has not left his civil minister without 
guidance on how to exercise his office. The Scriptures set forth clear 
standards of judgment for many offenses. Capital crimes, for example, 
include premeditated killing (murder), kidnapping, sorcery, bestiality, 
adultery, homosexuality, and cursing one's parents (Ex. 21:14; 21:16; 
22:18; 22:19; Lev. 20:10; 20:13; Ex. 21:17).

"In contemporary American jurisprudence, none of these offenses is 
punishable by death, with the occasional exception of murder. The 
magistrates have dispensed with God's standards of justice. Some 
Christians believe this is an improvement. They would be horrified to 
think that the "harsh" penalties of the law should still be applied. 
Sometimes this is the result of the mistaken belief that the Old 
Testament has no further application after the advent of Christ. This is 
an exegetical problem. Too often, it is the result of a sinful view of 
the criminal. This sin is called pity. ... Why is pity a sin?

"First, pity is not always a sin. But neither is it always good. ... God 
included in the law specific prohibitions against the exercise of pity 
in meting out punishment.

"If your brother, the son of your mother, your son or your daughter, the 
wife of your bosom, or your friend who is as your own soul, secretly 
entices you, saying, "Let us go and serve other gods,". . . you shall 
not consent to him or listen to him, nor shall your eye pity him, nor 
shall you spare him or conceal him; but you shall surely kill him . . . 
(Deut. 13:6-9).

"If two men fight together, and the wife of one draws near to rescue her 
husband from the hand of the one attacking him, and puts out the hand 
and seizes him by the genitals, then you shall cut off her hand; your 
eye shall not pity her. (Deut. 25:11, 12).

"God commands the judge to evaluate the crime rather than the criminal. 
If the crime is one for which God requires death, then death must be the 
punishment. Your eye shall not pity. ... Thus, the Bible teaches that 
pity is not an option where God has decided the matter. The magistrate, 
God's minister, is to faithfully execute justice according to God's 
standard, not man's."

On Slavery
Moses on the XIII Amendment 
<http://www.credenda.org/old/issues/vol4/magi4-6.htm>
[Slavery is not an evil per se, but is ordained and regulated by God. 
Many (most?) slaves were treated according to biblical standards in the 
South. By encouraging slaves to rebel against their masters, the 
abolitionists were encouraging sin.]

"Nowhere in the Bible, however, is slavery abolished as an institution 
or spoken of as evil per se. What the Bible does say about slavery 
reveals it to be a blessing or a curse, as well as a practice ordained 
and regulated by God.

"The inspired and inerrant Word of God declares that Abraham has been 
given slaves by God as a blessing. ... It is impossible to maintain that 
slavery is evil on a biblical basis in light of these verses.

"A slave owner who treats his slaves according to the biblical mandate 
is a blessing to his charges. Examples of such masters abounded in the 
South, as well as in Scripture....

"Finally, the allegedly Christian abolitionists were not only wrong in 
their reasoning, they were actually guilty of encouraging sin. Paul 
exhorted slaves to love their masters and serve them obediently, for 
this was pleasing to God (Eph. 6:5-8; Col. 3:22-24). Rather than 
encouraging slaves to be obedient and content in their position as the 
Bible instructs, professing Christians were fomenting rebellion."

On Crime and Punishment
God's Civil Minister <http://www.credenda.org/old/issues/vol4/magi4-7.htm>
[There should be only three punishments for crime: death, lashing, and 
restitution. No jails, prisons, reform schools, or mental hospitals (or 
public defenders?) would be required.]

"Responsibility for the civil order is placed in the hands of 
magistrates, who act as God's ministers of wrath against those who do 
evil (Rom. 13:1-7).

"God's law sets forth three basic punishments for crime: death, lashing 
(essentially, a government-sponsored spanking), and restitution. There 
is a conspicuous absence of county jails, state penitentiaries, reform 
schools, and hospitals for the criminally insane. The goal of the 
sentence is to execute God's wrath....

On Elected Officials
So, Where Do We Go From Here? 
<http://www.credenda.org/old/issues/vol5/magi5-3.htm>
(Our current elected officials and judges are God-hating tyrants. Only 
Christian men should be eligible for public office.)

"If we have God-hating tyrants ruling over us (and we do), then we must 
recognize that they rule by our invitation.

"First, our rulers are to be able men. ... The responsibility of civil, 
ecclesiastical and family leadership is given to men. ... [I]t is an 
embarrassment and a reproach to the men to have women ruling a nation 
(Is. 3:12).

"From this list of qualifications, it is apparent that, biblically, it 
is only professing Christians who are qualified to hold public office."

On the Legislature
Our Jewish Liberties <http://www.credenda.org/old/issues/vol7/magi7-4.htm>
(There would be no legislature. The only laws would be those provided by 
God in the Bible.)

The Jewish civil covenant is perfect justice. Israel received the law by 
direct revelation from God.  ...  A noteworthy feature of the Hebrew 
republic is its lack of a law-making body. The men of Israel did not 
need to gather together once a year to invent laws. ... They did not 
need to struggle along blindly, with only man's fallen reason as a 
guide. Instead, Israel was blessed with the unchanging law of the 
unchanging God.  ... We must petition the Lord for a biblical government.

On Disobedient Children
The Church as Advisor <http://www.credenda.org/old/issues/vol5/magi5-4.htm>
(Disobedient children would be executed at the recommendation of church 
leaders.)
 
"[A] father may (and must) discipline his son, but he may not exercise 
capital punishment against him on his own authority. Instead, he must 
bring a son worthy of death to the elders of the city, who are charged 
with applying the civil penalty (Prov. 13:24; Deut. 21:18-21)."

On Church and State
The Church as Advisor 
<http://www.credenda.org/old/issues/vol5/magi5-4.htm>, Nursing Fathers, 
Part 2 <http://www.credenda.org/issues/13-2magistralis.php>
[Judges are to impose God's wrath. If the judge does not know how to 
apply biblical law (there would be no other), then he must ask church 
leaders for instruction.]

"God has established the magistrate for the purpose of executing His 
wrath, but He has not made the civil ruler the exclusive authority on 
the question of when wrath is appropriate. If a matter is too hard for 
the judges to determine with the knowledge at hand, then they are 
commanded to take the question to the church for clarification. The 
church decides, based on God's Word, what judgment should be carried 
out, and the judges are obliged to pronounce sentence accordingly.

"The state wields the sword, and must wield it in submission to God's 
law. But if the law is not clear on a particular point, and the state 
has a question about what God's law requires, it is powerless to 
interpret Scripture on its own authority. Instead, the state must take 
the question to the church, which has been charged with protecting, 
interpreting, and teaching the law of God. The leaders of the church are 
instructed to make a judgment as to what the law requires, but the 
church does not thereby take up the sword. Rather, the judgment is 
passed back to the state, and the magistrates then wield the sword in a 
manner consistent with the judgment of the church.

"[I]t is not enough that the civil government give Christianity a place 
at the table, even if it is the most honored place. ... Nor is it 
sufficient that the magistrate render 'personal submission to the 
spiritual government' of the church. While our rulers should be members 
of Christ's covenant household ... a Christian who is also an executive, 
legislator, or judge owes a duty of submission different than that of 
the ordinary layman."

On Non-Christians
Leading in Righteousness 
<http://www.credenda.org/old/issues/vol9/magi9-4.htm>, Nursing Fathers 
<http://www.credenda.org/issues/12-3magistralis.php>
(Non-christians would be made to swear allegiance to Christ and they 
would be forced to conform to a Christian standard. Blasphemy, apostasy, 
heresy, swearing, and working on the Sabbath would all be punishable by 
death.)

"[T]he political leader is the head of the civil covenant. If that head 
acknowledges that his authority comes from God (as he should), is it 
enough that he honors God personally? ... Or can he also require, for 
example, oaths of allegiance to the Lord as a prerequisite of 
citizenship? (Before you balk, keep in mind that we don't have any 
problem saying pledges of allegiance to mere flags or the nations for 
which they stand.)

"Again, we have no problem making school children dutifully recite the 
pledge of allegiance, or requiring new citizens to swear oaths of 
loyalty to the U.S. government. Why can't they also be required to 
acknowledge the sovereignty of the one true God, and to "zealously 
renounce all heathen practices?" ... Someone who is required to renounce 
Buddhism as a condition of citizenship is no longer trapped by a 
spiritual snare, and can't be a snare to anyone else. That is a blessing.

"Reforming the State is not about forcing people to be Christians. But 
it is about forcing people to outwardly conform to a Christian standard 
and about protecting the Christian religion. Historically, the civil 
magistrate has enforced laws against blasphemy, apostasy, heresy, 
swearing, and working on the Sabbath. The difficulty is not in defining 
or punishing these crimes; the difficulty is finding the strength and 
wisdom to do so."

On Environmentalists
Ecodisobedience <http://www.credenda.org/old/issues/vol3/magi3-5.htm>
(It is sinful to try to protect the environment from human caused 
damage. The environmentalist philosophy is evil. Christians must oppose 
any and all attempts by the government to protect the environment. God 
will send droughts and famines on those who try to protect the environment.)

"An environmentalist who seeks to 'manage' the environment by letting it 
run wild is disobeying God's command to fill, subdue, and exercise 
dominion over the earth.

"The consequences of environmentalist philosophy are disobedience to God 
in the short run.... Droughts and famines do not come upon a people who 
are obedient, but they are promised to those who disobey. An earth left 
to itself will only yield thorns, thistles, disease, and decay. If 
Christians are to be obedient to God's dominion mandate, they must 
oppose the rebellion inherent in environmentalist government policy."

On Pluralism
Nursing Fathers, Part 2 <http://www.credenda.org/issues/13-2magistralis.php>
(There wouldn't be any.)

"[T]he Christian magistrate acknowledges there is such a thing as a true 
church, and that he has a responsibility to nurture that church so that 
it thrives and to protect it against those things that threaten to do it 
harm. Obviously, this excludes the idea of pluralism."


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I agree with the Bill London's recent editorial (Dec.31, Moscow-Pullman Daily 
News). We need more free speech, not less, on this issue. We need to know 
more about the publicly expressed views of Douglas Wilson and Christ Church. 
And although there seems to be a reluctance on the part of its leaders to 
speak clearly on their beliefs, there is a reliable source of information 
that is available on the web. It's called Credenda / Agenda (<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.credenda.org">http://www.credenda.org</a> 
) and since it is "a literature ministry of Christ Church," the church is 
responsible for the views that are expressed there.<br>
 <br>
 In yesterday's post, Greg Dickison claimed that the critics of Christ Church 
have slandered and misrepresented its teachings. To evaluate this, we need
to know what Christ Church actually teaches. Fortunately, Mr. Dickison has
a regular column on Credenda / Agenda called "Magistralis" that deals with
many of the issues that are of interest. Since he is also a public defender 
for Latah County, his views on our legal system are of special interest and 
concern.<br>
 <br>
 Here are some excerpts from "Magistralis" articles by Greg Dickison. <br>
 (My summaries are in parentheses. I recommend reading the entire articles 
at Credenda / Agenda. The emphasis is in the original.)<br>
 <b><br>
 On the Law, Homosexuality, and the Sin of Pity</b><br>
 <a href="http://www.credenda.org/old/issues/vol3/magi3-11.htm">Knowing Where
to Draw the Line</a>, <a
 href="http://www.credenda.org/old/issues/vol3/magi3-9.htm">Your Eye Shall
Not Pity</a> <br>
 (The Laws of the Bible should be our only laws. These includes the laws
of the Old Testament, except when explicitly overruled in the New Testament. 
No other laws are required or permitted. Biblical punishments would be imposed, 
including death for homosexuals, disobedient children, those who worship another
god, and many others. No pity would be shown to those who are punished, even
when the punishment includes cutting off a woman's hand for touching a man's
genitals.)<br>
 <br>
 "Let's pretend, just for a moment, that we could have it our way. The great 
revival we have been praying for has occurred, and every executive, legislator, 
and bureaucrat in the capital has just been saved. Knowing they ought to begin
applying Scripture in their jobs, but not knowing how to go about it, they
come to you and your church for advice. What will you tell them? How should
they apply God's law? <br>
  <br>
 "Looking at the Bible with an eye toward applying it in the civil realm,
several things become apparent. First, it is pretty small. &#8230; [O]n the average,
a little over 1,000 pages. Think of the money governments will save on printing 
and shelf space!  <br>
 <br>
 "If biblical law is to be biblically applied, then the biblical punishment 
must be used. &#8230; Of course, there would be laws enforced against certain crimes 
which are currently ignored, such as homosexuality. <br>
  <br>
 "The civil magistrate is the minister of God to execute wrath on the wrongdoer 
(Rom. 13:4). God has not left his civil minister without guidance on how to
exercise his office. The Scriptures set forth clear standards of judgment 
for many offenses. Capital crimes, for example, include premeditated killing 
(murder), kidnapping, sorcery, bestiality, adultery, homosexuality, and cursing 
one's parents (Ex. 21:14; 21:16; 22:18; 22:19; Lev. 20:10; 20:13; Ex. 21:17). 
<br>
  <br>
 "In contemporary American jurisprudence, none of these offenses is punishable 
by death, with the occasional exception of murder. The magistrates have dispensed 
with God's standards of justice. Some Christians believe this is an improvement. 
They would be horrified to think that the "harsh" penalties of the law should 
still be applied. Sometimes this is the result of the mistaken belief that 
the Old Testament has no further application after the advent of Christ. This
is an exegetical problem. Too often, it is the result of a sinful view of
the criminal. This sin is called pity. &#8230; Why is pity a sin? <br>
  <br>
 "First, pity is not always a sin. But neither is it always good. &#8230; God included 
in the law specific prohibitions against the exercise of pity in meting out 
punishment. <br>
   <i><br>
 "If your brother, the son of your mother, your son or your daughter, the 
wife of your bosom, or your friend who is as your own soul, secretly entices 
you, saying, "Let us go and serve other gods,". . . you shall not consent 
to him or listen to him, nor shall your eye pity him, nor shall you spare 
him or conceal him; but you shall surely kill him . . .</i> (Deut. 13:6-9). 
<br>
   <i><br>
 "If two men fight together, and the wife of one draws near to rescue her 
husband from the hand of the one attacking him, and puts out the hand and 
seizes him by the genitals, then you shall cut off her hand; your eye shall 
not pity her.</i> (Deut. 25:11, 12). <br>
  <br>
 "God commands the judge to evaluate the crime rather than the criminal.
If the crime is one for which God requires death, then death must be the
punishment. Your <i>eye shall not pity</i>. &#8230; Thus, the Bible teaches that
pity is not an option where God has decided the matter. The magistrate, God's
minister, is to faithfully execute justice according to God's standard, not
man's."<br>
  <br>
  <b>On Slavery</b><br>
 <a href="http://www.credenda.org/old/issues/vol4/magi4-6.htm">Moses on the
XIII Amendment</a><br>
 [Slavery is not an evil <i>per se</i>, but is ordained and regulated by
God. Many (most?) slaves were treated according to biblical standards in
the South. By encouraging slaves to rebel against their masters, the abolitionists
were encouraging sin.]<br>
  <br>
 "Nowhere in the Bible, however, is slavery abolished as an institution or 
spoken of as evil <i>per se</i>. What the Bible does say about slavery reveals
it to be a blessing or a curse, as well as a practice ordained and regulated 
by God. <br>
  <br>
 "The inspired and inerrant Word of God declares that Abraham has been given 
slaves by God <i>as a blessing</i>. &#8230; It is impossible to maintain that slavery 
is evil on a biblical basis in light of these verses. <br>
  <br>
 "A slave owner who treats his slaves according to the biblical mandate is 
a blessing to his charges. Examples of such masters abounded in the South, 
as well as in Scripture.... <br>
  <br>
 "Finally, the allegedly Christian abolitionists were not only wrong in their 
reasoning, they were actually guilty of encouraging sin. Paul exhorted slaves 
to love their masters and serve them obediently, for this was pleasing to 
God (Eph. 6:5-8; Col. 3:22-24). Rather than encouraging slaves to be obedient 
and content in their position as the Bible instructs, professing Christians 
were fomenting rebellion." <br>
  <br>
  <b>On Crime and Punishment</b><br>
 <a href="http://www.credenda.org/old/issues/vol4/magi4-7.htm">God's Civil
Minister</a><br>
 [There should be only three punishments for crime: death, lashing, and restitution. 
No jails, prisons, reform schools, or mental hospitals (or public defenders?) 
would be required.]<br>
  <br>
 "Responsibility for the civil order is placed in the hands of magistrates, 
who act as God's ministers of wrath against those who do evil (Rom. 13:1-7). 
<br>
  <br>
 "God's law sets forth three basic punishments for crime: death, lashing
(essentially, a government-sponsored spanking), and restitution. There is
a conspicuous absence of county jails, state penitentiaries, reform schools,
and hospitals for the criminally insane. The goal of the sentence is to execute
God's wrath&#8230;.<br>
  <br>
  <b>On Elected Officials</b><br>
 <a href="http://www.credenda.org/old/issues/vol5/magi5-3.htm">So, Where
Do We Go From Here?</a><br>
 (Our current elected officials and judges are God-hating tyrants. Only Christian
men should be eligible for public office.)<br>
  <br>
 "If we have God-hating tyrants ruling over us (and we do), then we must
recognize that they rule by our invitation.<br>
  <br>
 "First, our rulers are to be able men. &#8230; The responsibility of civil, ecclesiastical 
and family leadership is given to men. &#8230; [I]t is an embarrassment and a reproach 
to the men to have women ruling a nation (Is. 3:12).<br>
  <br>
 "From this list of qualifications, it is apparent that, biblically, it is 
only professing Christians who are qualified to hold public office."<br>
  <br>
  <b>On the Legislature</b><br>
 <a href="http://www.credenda.org/old/issues/vol7/magi7-4.htm">Our Jewish
Liberties</a><br>
 (There would be no legislature. The only laws would be those provided by
God in the Bible.)<br>
  <br>
  The Jewish civil covenant is perfect justice. Israel received the law by 
direct revelation from God.&nbsp; &#8230;&nbsp; A noteworthy feature of the Hebrew republic 
is its lack of a law-making body. The men of Israel did not need to gather 
together once a year to invent laws. &#8230; They did not need to struggle along 
blindly, with only man's fallen reason as a guide. Instead, Israel was blessed 
with the unchanging law of the unchanging God. &nbsp;... We must petition the Lord
for a biblical government.<br>
  <br>
  <b>On Disobedient Children</b><br>
 <a href="http://www.credenda.org/old/issues/vol5/magi5-4.htm">The Church
as Advisor</a><br>
 (Disobedient children would be executed at the recommendation of church
leaders.)<br>
 &nbsp;<br>
 "[A] father may (and must) discipline his son, but he may not exercise capital 
punishment against him on his own authority. Instead, he must bring a son 
worthy of death to the elders of the city, who are charged with applying the
civil penalty (Prov. 13:24; Deut. 21:18-21)."<br>
  <br>
  <b>On Church and State</b><br>
 <a href="http://www.credenda.org/old/issues/vol5/magi5-4.htm">The Church
as Advisor</a>, <a
 href="http://www.credenda.org/issues/13-2magistralis.php">Nursing Fathers,
Part 2</a><br>
 [Judges are to impose God's wrath. If the judge does not know how to apply 
biblical law (there would be no other), then he must ask church leaders for 
instruction.]<br>
 <br>
 "God has established the magistrate for the purpose of executing His wrath, 
but He has not made the civil ruler the exclusive authority on the question 
of when wrath is appropriate. If a matter is too hard for the judges to determine 
with the knowledge at hand, then they are commanded to take the question to
the church for clarification. The church decides, based on God's Word, what
judgment should be carried out, and the judges are obliged to pronounce sentence
accordingly. <br>
  <br>
 "The state wields the sword, and must wield it in submission to God's law. 
But if the law is not clear on a particular point, and the state has a question 
about what God's law requires, it is powerless to interpret Scripture on its
own authority. Instead, the state must take the question to the church, which
has been charged with protecting, interpreting, and teaching the law of God.
The leaders of the church are instructed to make a judgment as to what the
law requires, but the church does not thereby take up the sword. Rather,
the judgment is passed back to the state, and the magistrates then wield
the sword in a manner consistent with the judgment of the church. <br>
  <br>
 "[I]t is not enough that the civil government give Christianity a place
at the table, even if it is the most honored place. &#8230; Nor is it sufficient
that the magistrate render 'personal submission to the spiritual government'
of the church. While our rulers should be members of Christ&#8217;s covenant household 
&#8230; a Christian who is also an executive, legislator, or judge owes a duty of
submission different than that of the ordinary layman."<br>
  <br>
  <b>On Non-Christians</b><br>
 <a href="http://www.credenda.org/old/issues/vol9/magi9-4.htm">Leading in
Righteousness</a>, <a
 href="http://www.credenda.org/issues/12-3magistralis.php">Nursing Fathers</a><br>
 (Non-christians would be made to swear allegiance to Christ and they would 
be forced to conform to a Christian standard. Blasphemy, apostasy, heresy, 
swearing, and working on the Sabbath would all be punishable by death.)<br>
 <br>
 "[T]he political leader is the head of the civil covenant. If that head
acknowledges that his authority comes from God (as he should), is it enough
that he honors God personally? &#8230; Or can he also require, for example, oaths
of allegiance to the Lord as a prerequisite of citizenship? (Before you balk,
keep in mind that we don't have any problem saying pledges of allegiance
to mere flags or the nations for which they stand.)<br>
  <br>
 "Again, we have no problem making school children dutifully recite the pledge 
of allegiance, or requiring new citizens to swear oaths of loyalty to the 
U.S. government. Why can't they also be required to acknowledge the sovereignty 
of the one true God, and to "zealously renounce all heathen practices?" &#8230; 
Someone who is required to renounce Buddhism as a condition of citizenship 
is no longer trapped by a spiritual snare, and can't be a snare to anyone 
else. That is a blessing.<br>
  <br>
 "Reforming the State is not about forcing people to be Christians. But it 
is about forcing people to outwardly conform to a Christian standard and about
protecting the Christian religion. Historically, the civil magistrate has
enforced laws against blasphemy, apostasy, heresy, swearing, and working on
the Sabbath. The difficulty is not in defining or punishing these crimes; 
the difficulty is finding the strength and wisdom to do so."<br>
  <br>
  <b>On Environmentalists</b><br>
 <a href="http://www.credenda.org/old/issues/vol3/magi3-5.htm">Ecodisobedience</a><br>
 (It is sinful to try to protect the environment from human caused damage. 
The environmentalist philosophy is evil. Christians must oppose any and all 
attempts by the government to protect the environment. God will send droughts 
and famines on those who try to protect the environment.)<br>
 <br>
 "An environmentalist who seeks to 'manage' the environment by letting it
run wild is disobeying God's command to fill, subdue, and exercise dominion
over the earth. <br>
  <br>
 "The consequences of environmentalist philosophy are disobedience to God
in the short run&#8230;. Droughts and famines do not come upon a people who are
obedient, but they are promised to those who disobey. An earth left to itself
will only yield thorns, thistles, disease, and decay. If Christians are to
be obedient to God's dominion mandate, they must oppose the rebellion inherent 
in environmentalist government policy."<br>
  <br>
  <b>On Pluralism</b><br>
 <a href="http://www.credenda.org/issues/13-2magistralis.php">Nursing Fathers,
Part 2</a><br>
 (There wouldn't be any.)<br>
 <br>
 "[T]he Christian magistrate acknowledges there is such a thing as a true
church, and that he has a responsibility to nurture that church so that it
thrives and to protect it against those things that threaten to do it harm.
Obviously, this excludes the idea of pluralism."<br>
 <br>
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