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To: Alan Chapman
Theocracies are very bad news. No one who understands history wants one. I want a government that honors the true God, understands that every human life has dignity, realizes that God holds them accountable, and makes it as easy as possible to have maximum freedom within a moral code. That is a far cry from a theocracy where the machinery of the insitutional church enters the government, and the government supports a particular church. Even in ancient Israel the stae was not allowed to fool with the established instruments of worship - the LEvites and their ceremonial duties.

In any case, government is a creation of the true God of the Bible. This God exists and knows your name. And if I may be so bold, you are well aware that He exists and that He will hold you accountable.

You claim that rights are not given by the state, yet you also claim that they are not given by God. I am afraid that you cannot have your cake and eat it to here. Either our rights are eternal (and therefore come from an eternal source), or you will have to make something up that is temporal, in which case our rights are not eternal.

Secularists have nothing eternal to call upon. Therefore there is nothing to stop the government from taking away my rights, since they believe that nothing eternal will hold them accountable. A secular state, whether it be left-wing or right-wing, will end in tyranny.

239 posted on 08/01/2002 5:34:25 AM PDT by Zack Nguyen
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To: Zack Nguyen
I want a government that honors the true God...

Which God is the true God and why is it important that government honors it? Is Osiris the true God? How about Isis? Maybe it's Ishtar.

...government is a creation of the true God of the Bible.

If government was a creation of God then government would precede man, would it not? One could argue that the cosmos is a creation of God, yet God didn't create man first and then the cosmos second.

Government emerged after man and at the hand of man. And since God gave man the gift of free will man can choose to have government or not to have government. If government was a creation of God, like the cosmos, then man wouldn't have that choice.

Why do men form governments? What is the purpose of government?

...you also claim that they [rights] are not given by God.

I made no such claim. I asked you a series of questions which you haven't answered. If God is the origin of rights then where did he list them? How did God inform us of our rights?

Furthermore, you said, "...a secularist has no basis whatsoever for the rights of man."

Do atheists have rights? Or, do rights belong only to theists? Suppose somebody believes rights come from Mother Nature. Are they not entitled to the same rights as you?

Secularists have nothing eternal to call upon. Therefore there is nothing to stop the government from taking away my rights, since they believe that nothing eternal will hold them accountable.

Suppose you claim that your rights come from God. Will that stop the state from violating your rights?

A secular state, whether it be left-wing or right-wing, will end in tyranny.

You keep referring to a secular state. When you say "secular state" are you referring to a state which enforces secularism? Or, are you referring to a state which abstains from forcing participation in religion?

240 posted on 08/01/2002 3:35:48 PM PDT by Alan Chapman
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