valid case fw ~hrtkima anarchism, any more than a valid
case for ‘lXistian” soczkksrn. But a careful reading of
the Bible reveals that the civil government is basically
an institution for establishing God’s justice by means
of courts of law. The principles of biblical law are to
be imposed on the market: restitution, prevention of
coercion, prevention of fraud (false weights and
measures: Leviticus 19:36), national defense, law
enforcement, enforcement of contracts (including
marriage contracts). The Bible rejects the socialists’
utopia of a caretaker State. The Bible’s description
comes far closer to the traditional free market ideal
of a night-watchman State.
The State is to prevent moral evil. The Old Tes-
tament is only too clear on this point. Sexual devi-
ation is prohibited: homosexual acts (Leviticus
20:13), prostitution (Leviticus 19:29), bestiality (Ex-
odus 22:19), adultery (Leviticus 20:10), and incest
(Leviticus 20:11). Z% State is not creating good man by
enforcing such laws; it is merely pwwnting euil acts
between consenting, but deviant, adults. These laws
protect the family, and the holiness of God demands
that the State enforce such laws. The anarchist
would not allow the State to punish a homosexual
adult who solicited sexual favors from 8-year-old
boys in exchange for heroin. Those who proclaim a
zero-State society, whether in the name of Christ or
the name of reason, are forced by the logic of their
position to come to just this conclusion. The Chris-
tian doesn’t have to accept this conclusion. Pure
anarchism (anarcho-capitalism) is unbiblical.
Why should the State prohibit sexual acts by