Young Mexican-American on the Texas/Mexico border you seem to conveniently forget that the Bible in no way sanctions total unconditional obedience towards secular authorities but instead sanctions submission (not obedience) to the authorities only as far as their demands do not contradict and go against gods own commandments, this because sincere Christians serve only one master, God as commanded to in the following Biblical passage:
Matthew 6:24: "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other…"
And according to Christ in Mark 12 the greatest commandment was that:
"You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second resembles it: you must love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets" .
Thus any secular law or authority that goes against these two commandments is not to be submitted to by sincere Christians. A sincere Christian will not submit to a commandment by an earthly authority that will place him outside of god’s commandments, this would seem especially to apply to the above two greatest commandments as illuminated by Christ. At the very least Christians have a duty not to call upon the authorities to enforce such laws nor take part in the enforcement of those laws themselves.
Now is advocating a militarized border manned by armed guards that has caused over 400 desperate people to die of thirst, exposure and exploitation in the Calexico/Mexicali area alone simply because the authorities label them as ‘aliens’ a sincere way of following god’s commandment to “love your neighbor as yourself”? If it seems so then it seems that one has accepted a very odd interpretation of scripture. Borders are an impediment towards sharing the natural wealth of the world with our neighbors in a way that tries to be sincerely mutually beneficial to all. Borders also stand as an impediment towards Christian solidarity, a solidarity and love that knows no conditionally and certainly no borders.
For Christians I recommend the following articles below for an understanding of Romans 13, 1-7 seemingly not considered by those who attempt to use it as a justification for unconditional obedience to secular authority .
Anti-authoritarian agnostics and atheists could also benefit from reading those articles as aid in countering authoritarians who attempt to use Christianity as a justification for authoritarian rule.
God and the State
Young Mexican-American on the Texas/Mexico border you seem to conveniently forget that the Bible in no way sanctions total unconditional obedience towards secular authorities but instead sanctions submission (not obedience) to the authorities only as far as their demands do not contradict and go against gods own commandments, this because sincere Christians serve only one master, God as commanded to in the following Biblical passage:
Matthew 6:24: "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other…"
And according to Christ in Mark 12 the greatest commandment was that:
"You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second resembles it: you must love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets" .
Thus any secular law or authority that goes against these two commandments is not to be submitted to by sincere Christians. A sincere Christian will not submit to a commandment by an earthly authority that will place him outside of god’s commandments, this would seem especially to apply to the above two greatest commandments as illuminated by Christ. At the very least Christians have a duty not to call upon the authorities to enforce such laws nor take part in the enforcement of those laws themselves.
Now is advocating a militarized border manned by armed guards that has caused over 400 desperate people to die of thirst, exposure and exploitation in the Calexico/Mexicali area alone simply because the authorities label them as ‘aliens’ a sincere way of following god’s commandment to “love your neighbor as yourself”? If it seems so then it seems that one has accepted a very odd interpretation of scripture. Borders are an impediment towards sharing the natural wealth of the world with our neighbors in a way that tries to be sincerely mutually beneficial to all. Borders also stand as an impediment towards Christian solidarity, a solidarity and love that knows no conditionally and certainly no borders.
For Christians I recommend the following articles below for an understanding of Romans 13, 1-7 seemingly not considered by those who attempt to use it as a justification for unconditional obedience to secular authority .
http://romans13.embassyofheaven.com/understanding.htm
http://www.jesusradicals.com/essays/theology/Romans13.htm
http://www.harmlessasdoves.com/romans13.html
Anti-authoritarian agnostics and atheists could also benefit from reading those articles as aid in countering authoritarians who attempt to use Christianity as a justification for authoritarian rule.
T.Rios