Do you want to live in a Christian Theocracy?

Rev. Smith · Aug 5, 2004

In threads throughout the forum people are discussing diverse social issues. In each discussion a percentage of Christians posit that Biblical law ought to be imposed on people, even those who are non-believers. Where the concepts of civic virture and biblical virtue are in accord this is a non issue, almost all religious people and non-religious alike agree that murder, theft, adultery and so on are unacceptable, and ought to be regulated. In the areas where the Bible is our source for morality, but civic virture has no prohabition, or lesser prohabition: areas such as abortion, sexual morals, drinking and the role of women in society to name a few, a significant percentage of Christians seem to propose that Bible law ought to be imposed in the civil society.

So, how would you feel about living in a society governed by Biblical standards? If your are in the "yes" group, what civil liberties would you be willing to surrender in order to allow the State Church the power to enforce the law?

slayer-2004 · Aug 5, 2004

Terrible idea .

Cobalt Blue · Aug 5, 2004

Do you want to live in a Christian Theocracy?

Obviously I would not

The Midge · Aug 5, 2004

Where there is compulsion there is no room for love. It woud not be good for Christianity.

ForeRunner · Aug 5, 2004

The Midge said:
Where there is compulsion there is no room for love. It woud not be good for Christianity.

Very Insightful

Ave Maria · Aug 5, 2004

Ugh! No way would I want to live in a Christian theocracy! Talk about taking our freedoms away! And besides, what if the Mormons or the Jehovah's Witnesses decided to take over and be the ones who was running it. I don't think most of us would like that very well. And besides, if someone really crazy wanted to impose their theology on us, they could always make us obey all the rules in Leviticus or something. Sorry but I'll take my free country where I am free to do what I want as long as I obey the law, regardless of my religion!

transientlife · Aug 5, 2004

I concur with Holly and Midge on this one.

12volt_man · Aug 5, 2004

No.

As a Christian, I believe that Biblical morals and ideals are the best way to live happily and sucessfully but, as a Republican who leans toward libertarianism, it's not my place to force those morals and ideals on others.

Even Jesus never held pagans to a Christian standard.

Besides, if we were to be a Christian theocracy today, what says we might not become a Muslim theocracy tomorrow?

Nexus` · Aug 5, 2004

The day America becomes a Christian Theocracy, or any other theocracy, I will take up a gun and start a revolution.

seebs · Aug 5, 2004

I am militantly opposed to the enforcement of moral laws on others. I can accept the laws needed to have a functioning society, but moral law is not useful for governance.

In short... Morally, at least in Christian theology, hating someone is no better than killing them. I do not want laws against hate, but I do want laws against murder. The distinction between the moral law and the practical law is clear and significant.

Oddly, I am confronted with a difficulty: It is not clear to me what methods I may legitimately use to fight such oppression, because I have an objection to enforcing moral values by violence.

Volos · Aug 5, 2004

I can think of nothing more terrifying then living is a society ruled by Christians

slayer-2004 · Aug 5, 2004

Nexus` said:
The day America becomes a Christian Theocracy, or any other theocracy, I will take up a gun and start a revolution.

You wont be alone .

towodi · Aug 5, 2004

Volos said:
I can think of nothing more terrifying then living is a society ruled by Christians

I competely concur.

My ancestors have lived in the land now called the United States for thousands of years. I am proud of that heritage, but the day a Christian theocracy started in the United States would be the day I left the United States and never came back. Seriously.

Magisterium · Aug 5, 2004

I already do... As do all Christians... The christian answers to a higher authority than civil. The problem is that too many don't understand that...

Theocracy is a government run directly by divine guidance or by officials who are regarded as being divinely guided.

Some may say "of course, he's a Catholic (what a knucklehead)" but this applies to all christians. If one believes their preacher to be divinely guided, or even themselves directly by the Holy Spirit, they still live effectively theocratically. Christians exist as members of the Body Of Christ with Jesus himself as it's head. Like the Jews in Jesus' time had a system of living and behaving which was above and beyond the civil laws of Rome, so to Christians already exist in a theocratic "city set on a hill".

In the Lord's Prayer, we Christians say every day (or should say every day) "thy kingdom come" so I voted as I pray "bring it on"....

fragmentsofdreams · Aug 6, 2004

The Handmaid's Tale is a good book to disuade the idea of a Christian theocracy. The danger of theocracy is that it makes leaders lazy. They compel outward compliance instead of working to convert the hearts. The man who wishes to murder but does not out of fear of the law is just as sinful as the man who acts on his wishes.

Seeking... · Aug 6, 2004

Over my cold dead body...

zoe_uu · Aug 6, 2004

I believe living in an American Christian Theocracy would be: Awful

Lotuspetal_uk · Aug 6, 2004

Magisterium said:
I already do... As do all Christians... The christian answers to a higher authority than civil. The problem is that too many don't understand that...

Theocracy is a government run directly by divine guidance or by officials who are regarded as being divinely guided.

Some may say "of course, he's a Catholic (what a knucklehead)" but this applies to all christians. If one believes their preacher to be divinely guided, or even themselves directly by the Holy Spirit, they still live effectively theocratically. Christians exist as members of the Body Of Christ with Jesus himself as it's head. Like the Jews in Jesus' time had a system of living and behaving which was above and beyond the civil laws of Rome, so to Christians already exist in a theocratic "city set on a hill".

In the Lord's Prayer, we Christians say every day (or should say every day) "thy kingdom come" so I voted as I pray "bring it on"....

Amen. I may have mis-interpreted the first post but I took the term theocracy to be a divinely guided government i.e. as in the 1000 yr reign of Messiah. As opposed to a denominational mis-interpretation of G-d's Laws - we'd get it straight from the source so to speak and so it would not be unfair, cruel, nor burdensome.

So yes, I'd love that.

Sopharos · Aug 7, 2004

Daydreaming =/= reality.

You wanna live in a Christian Theocracy? Fine,. But I'm not coming with you.

So here's a compromise:

http://www.christianexodus.org/

Interested?

Philosoft · Aug 7, 2004

Seeking... said:
Over my cold dead body...

You know it's past your bedtime when...

The first rejoinder you think of is, "...he poured the giblet gravy."

Please, pay no attention to this post. Or less, if possible.

Do you want to live in a Christian Theocracy?

I believe living in an American Christian Theocracy would be

Great, bring it on.

Only if it was run by my denomination, or one like it.

Only if it was a very general consensus and constrained by courts

Awful - my beliefs are just that, my beliefs I don't want to impose them on others.

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