Sure there are abuses, but . . .

. . . we can't just abolish the State altogether; we must reform it.

Sure the State kills too many people and charges too much to finance its activities.

But our goal should be to be vigilant and reduce government waste and corruption.

Not to abolish it.

WRONG!
You cannot "reform" the Mafia. Our criticism of the State does not depend on its being "abusive" or "corrupt." The "ideal" state is still immoral, and the closer to " ideal" it is, the more it exposes the corruption of the individuals who support it. No reforms can ever make the State just.

Go ahead. Paint a picture of the "ideal state."

Never mind Lord Acton's warning that "power corrupts";
Never mind that even if we were to return to 1789 and transform our present government into precisely the government established by our Founding Fathers, which gives some men the right to confiscate wealth and take vengeance on their enemies, this moral ambiguity would lead once again to a world where 10,000 die every day with the State's blessing;
Never mind that history shows that once a state is in place, in continues to grow until it collapses under the weight of its own unrighteousness.

Never mind all that. Let's limit our discussion to a state that kills just one bad guy a year and charges taxpayers only one dollar.

Can this minimal state be justified?

If the Scriptures prohibit vengeance, is it morally acceptable to take vengeance only once (as opposed to 10,000 times a day)?
If the Scriptures prohibit theft, is it morally justifiable to steal only one dollar, only once (as opposed to confiscating trillions of dollars over the generations)?
If the Scriptures prohibit kidnapping, is it morally acceptable to imprison or conscript only one person, only once (as opposed to imprisoning millions, most for non-violent violations of laws which did not exist with the Constitution was ratified)?

Isn't the very idea of the state -- the essential concept of the state -- institutionalized sin? Isn't POLITICAL SCIENCE the moral justification of actions which would clearly and universally be recognized as sin were they to be committed by a "private" party? How do we justify these otherwise sinful actions?

What does the person who supports the State really want?

He wants to take vengeance on his enemies, even though the Bible says not to.
He refuses to trust God to keep His promises to protect His people.
He wants to fund his favorite social project, even though he can't persuade people to contribute voluntary, even though God says not to take money by force from those unwilling to give it to you.
He wants to "be as god" (Genesis 3:5)

(Of course, most people who defend "the State" also really want social order, peace, and prosperity. They genuinely fear that without "the State," society will collapse into chaos. This website is passionately committed to social order. But pagan idolators really want salvation, and genuinely that they will be lost without their shamans or human sacrifices. The end does not justify the means. God forbids the crowning of a king and promises that He will be our King, our Lawgiver and our Judge, and that He will save us (Isaiah 33:22), that is, bring national security and prosperity. To seek social order and social salvation through political means is simply faithlessness.)

The burden of this website is to convince the reader that there is no Biblical justification for the institutionalization of murder, theft, and kidnapping which we call "the State."

Click here to return to the Outline where you left off.

The Christmas Conspiracy

Virtue

Vine & Fig Tree

Paradigm Shift

Theocracy

Vine & Fig Tree
12314 Palm Dr. #107
Desert Hot Springs, CA 92240
[e-mail to V&FT]
[V&FT Home Page]

Subscribe to Vine & Fig Tree
Enter your e-mail address:

vft archive
An e-group hosted by eGroups.com