Bonus 4. Let’s Talk About Politics And Religion
My beautiful wife joins me once again to discuss one of her favorite topics: politics! The Bible has a decent amount to say about this topic, although perhaps not in the way that people usually think.
Key Takeaways
Liberal: a person whose political philosophy is characterized by the belief that systems and institutions are the source of evil in the world.
Conservative: a person whose political philosophy is characterized by the belief that a corrupted or imperfect human nature is the ultimate source of evil in the world, even if the corrupt humans often wield the power of systems (e.g., the justice system) and institutions (e.g., the academy) to cause evil.
The Bible seems to agree with conservatives that humans have a corrupted heart. For example,
Genesis 3: The effect of the fall seems to disrupt otherwise harmonious human relationships.
Genesis 6:5: “The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”
Jeremiah 17:1: “Judah’s sin is engraved with an iron tool, inscribed with a flint point, on the tablets of their hearts and on the horns of their altars.”
The Bible also clearly sates that we are to submit to “governing authorities” because they are God’s ordained means of punishing wrongdoing.
Daniel humbly submits to the Babylonian (and later, the Persian) government(s).
Romans 13:1,4: “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… 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.”
It is quite possible that Paul was imprisoned by Roman authorities when he wrote this.
1 Peter 2:13-14: “Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.”
It is almost certainly the case that Peter was imprisoned by Roman authorities (and soon to be executed) when he wrote this.
The Bible also clearly places limitations on our submission to government
Exodus 1: The Egyptian midwives lie to Pharaoh’s officials when they are asked to participate in the genocidal murder of Hebrew baby boys, and God rewards them for this!
Daniel 1: Daniel and his friends Hananiah (Shadrach), Mishael (Meshach), and Azariah (Abednego) refuse to eat the Kings food when ordered to do so (unclear what was offensive, but it seems likely it went against Israelite food-laws).
Daniel 3: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refuse to bow down to Babylonian idol even though they knew they were going to be executed for that civil disobedience by burning in a furnace.
Daniel 6: Daniel refuses to pray to the Persian king Darius (i.e., Cyrus the Great) even though he knew he would be executed for that civil disobedience by being fed to lions.
Acts 5:29-32: Peter refuses the Sanhedrin (think, Jewish Supreme Court in Jerusalem) when they order him to stop telling people about Jesus’ resurrection, saying, “We must obey God rather than men!”
Summary
The Bible seems to recognize that the world, in its current state, is bound to have evil in it because of the corrupted human condition. The Bible also seems to indicate that part of the role of government is to attempt to restrict this evil by setting up and enforcing good laws. Understanding that even though those governments do not execute perfect justice (e.g., their mistreatment of faithful Jews and Christians through history), we should still willingly submit to the appropriate governing authorities. It also permits us to defy those authorities when what they direct is in conflict with God’s word.
