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To: exnavy; MtnClimber
No, you didn't specifically mention "anarchy;" rather, you condemned all government, which amounts to the same thing:
"Government is an unspeakable evil, a vile and pernicious predator..."

Anarchy:
1. general lawlessness and disorder, esp when thought to result from an absence or failure of government
2. the absence or lack of government
(World English Dictionary)

I notice you have a certain respect for Scripture, in that you quote it on your home page. But when I cited a scriptural passage and asked you to square your pronouncement with its assertion, you ducked it.

So, I'm left with the task of resolving it for the three of us.

I start with the scripturally-based idea that God instituted laws and governors to administer those laws for our benefit, as Paul asserted; thus, God rejects anarchy. That statement challenges your unqualified assertion that "government is...evil." In any argument between God and you, I'll tend to lean in His direction.

Had you said "some governments," I would agree. But to implicate all governments, as you did, demands challenge. While absolute power corrupts absolutely, our government does not (yet) possess it. And as long as our Constitution remains, it operates to do the very job for which it was created--to limit government's power.

But again, wise people rely on Scripture to interpret itself, where it does, and take the whole counsel of Scripture, and do not merely cherry-pick those parts that seem to agree with their preconceptions. Thus, although it clearly insists that governments are God-ordained, we also have clear examples throughout the Bible of people of faith resisting evil governments and being commended for it (e.g., cf Hebrews 11). Where government contradicts God's laws, God expects us to defy the government--that's explicitly clear in Scripture, too (e.g., Acts 4: "18 Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John replied, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God. 20 For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”)

So, God established government, first through Himself and then also among and by men. When men violate God's laws, we may in good conscience resist the human government in favor of our faith in God's government; but where they are not in conflict, we are bound to submit (the good folks who own Hobby Lobby are facing this tension now). There will come a time when the King of Kings and Lord of Lords is Himself the governor of all who choose to submit to His Kingship and Lordship, but that time has not yet come.

12 posted on 12/31/2012 8:12:08 AM PST by Hebrews 11:6 (Do you REALLY believe that (1) God IS, and (2) God IS GOOD?)
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To: Hebrews 11:6
Save your lecture, you're putting words in my mouth that I did not say or imply.

You hypocrite, take the log out of your own eye.

13 posted on 12/31/2012 8:22:20 AM PST by exnavy (Fish or cut bait ...Got ammo, Godspeed!)
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