Hogwash in this case. By your reckoning, had the Founders applied this verse to goven themselves you and I would be subjects to the British Crown to this very day. They were the Lawful Legal Authority before the War of Independence. Did our Founders therefore break God's Law? NO. Did not the midwives in Egypt defy the 'governing Authorities' of Pharoah when he commanded all the Hebrew boys be slain? Did not Shadrach, Meseach and Abendigo (sp?) defy the king? Did not Jesus defy the Pharisees and Sanhedrin (The lawful governing Authorities)? When are we to submit to govt. orders to disobey God?
2. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.
Why then did God bless this Republic as He has if such rebellion against tyranny was forbidden by God?
3. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you.
Americans have not done right. This is why we suffer tyranny. As Patrick Henry said: "When a People forget God, tyrants forge their chains".
5. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience.
At what point does tyranny become tolerable? Is it AFTER the despots order you to refrain from religious exercize? Is it AFTER they forbid you to utter the name of Christ as they had the citizens of Great Falls S.C.?? At what point do we apply the Apostle Peter's example: "It is better to obey God than men"? At what point to Americans apply "Disobedience to tyrants is obedience to God"?
6. This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing.
If THEY were truly God's servants - they would be in submission of God's Supreme Laws and that of our Constitution. They would not be acting illegally outside the bounds of WRITTEN LAW and imposing tyranny and ordering the people to BREAK the 1st Commandment by putting government orders ahead of God, and our INALIENABLE right to acknowledge and praise Him in public if we choose to. Your scriptural use of Romans 13 to insist on appeasement and capitulation to religious tyranny is not only unscriptural - but defies our own written history, our own WRITTEN LAWS and the covenant relationship our Founders established between Govt. and the People.