WHY ARE PASTORS AGREEING TO VIOLATE THE U.S. CONSTITUTION?

Why Are Pastors Agreeing To Violate The U.S. Constitution?
By Brannon Howse

The same federal government that has outlawed a pastor or priest from offering an invocation or a benediction at a high school graduation ceremony now wants to use them to usher in martial law. 

In a television news report about this new government program, a pastor can be seen and heard declaring his willingness to assist in taking away your 2^nd Amendment right to defend your family by misquoting Romans 13. (Click here to view the news report: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRIDNQNsUss ).
          By the way, will these same pastors agree to stop preaching and teaching against homosexuality if the government says that it is hate speech? I think the answer is yes!

 Be careful when reading this article and don't assume I am saying more than I am. This article is about one thing; that pastors should not be working with the federal government to deprive you of your right to defend your family and certainly not when there is civil unrest. Look at Katrina in New Orleans. Most of the police left the city themselves. Some of the police that remained were seen and even filmed stealing from the stores. While gangs are out in full force with stolen guns are law abiding citizens suppose to give up their guns and "trust" the government to protect them?
           I am so tired of feminized; milk-toast pastors that don't know history, the Bible and that civil government does not always trump church government. America needs more pastors like Dietrich Bonhoeffer who opposed Hitler and less that are like Mr. Rogers.

Many of my friends who are pastors don't even need to read this article because they could have written this article. However, if you have a Pastor Rogers that lives in your neighborhood and he has a warped interpretation of Romans 13, then pass this article onto him and discourage him from signing up to be part of the government's efforts to trash the U.S. Constitution and deprive you of the right to protect your family and private property when you need that right the most; during massive civil unrest.

As America becomes increasingly secular, and the judiciary takes away more and more of our religious liberties, Christians need to become acquainted with the Biblical response to tyranny and to understand the proper time, place, and type of civil disobedience allowed by God. Unfortunately, many American pastors believe God condemns all civil disobedience, and others believe it is so rarely permissible as to be a non-option. I even know people who believe Corrie Ten Boom sinned by hiding Jews in her home during the Nazi occupation of Europe!

Many of America's pastors believe Christians are always to comply with the wishes of the government. This false teaching comes largely from an incorrect view of Romans 13. In Moral Dilemmas, Kerby Anderson does a great job of describing the most common misinterpretation of Romans 13:

Some critics argue that civil disobedience is prohibited by the clear admonition in Romans 13:1, "Let every person be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is not authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God" (NASB). Yet even this passage seems to provide a possible argument for disobeying a government that has exceeded its authority. The verses following these speak of the government's role and function. The ruler is to be a "servant of God," and government should reward good and punish evil. Government that fails to do so is outside God's mandated authority and function. Government is not autonomous; it has delegated authority from God. It is to restrain evil and punish wrongdoers. When it does violate God's delegated role and refuses to reward good and punish evil, it has not proper authority. The apostle Paul called for believers to "be subject" to government, but he did not instruct them to "obey" every command of government. When government issues an unjust or unbiblical injunction, Christians have a higher authority. One can be "subject" to the authority of the state but still refuse to "obey" a specific law which is contrary to biblical standards.[1]

Similarly, Francis Schaeffer warned, "One either confesses that God is the final authority, or one confesses that Caesar is Lord." We will serve God or serve man, but we cannot serve both. We obey government officials except when those authorities support  civil laws that violate the laws of God. First Peter 2:13-14 also makes it clear that God's plan for civil government is to punish evildoers and to protect and praise those who do right: "Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good."

Kerby Anderson describes the significance of "Lex Rex," a great historical piece written on the subject of civil authority:

The best articulation of these biblical principles can be found in Samuel Rutherford's essay "Lex Rex." Arguing that governmental law was founded on the law of God, he rejected the seventeenth-century idea of the "divine right of kings." The king was not the ultimate authority, God's law was (hence the title Lex Rex, "The law is king"). If the king and the government disobeyed the law, then they were to be disobeyed. He argued that all men; including the king were under God's law and not above it. According to Rutherford the civil magistrate was a "fiduciary figure" who held his authority in trust for the people. If that trust was violated, the people had a political basis for resistance. Not surprisingly "Lex Rex" was banned in England and Scotland because it was seen as treasonous and fomenting political rebellion.[2] 

While we can hope never to have to disobey the laws of our communities and country in order to walk in good conscience with God, there is no guarantee that we'll never be called to civil disobedience. Knowing where you stand from a Biblical viewpoint, though, is the first step in being prepared to do what God requires.

When civil government steps outside of God's ordained purpose and persecutes righteous people, promotes evil, and does injustice to the innocent, the moral authority of the civil government has been lost, and Christians are free to disobey. As we just said, disobedience to government may be required in the process of opposing evil, promoting righteousness, defending the weak, and providing for the safety of one's family.

While God allows governments to come into being, that does not mean God approves of every government. To draw an analogy: God allowed the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, but God did not approve of them. If, for example, the people of Cuba are sick and tired of the killings, beatings, and imprisonments dispensed by the government of their country, they are Biblically justified in overthrowing Castro (who has clearly not fulfilled the God-given purpose of civil government).

Scripture calls rulers "ministers of God." The description "ministers" shows clearly how important the responsibility of a civic leader actually is. Since Scripture calls these people "ministers," it stands to reason that God would call Christians into this occupation just as He calls some people into the ministry of being a full-time pastor.

Christians in Germany should not have shown "honor" to Hitler. The Bible says we are to give honor to those who are due honor, and Hitler did not deserve any such thing. He was not a "minister of God" and was not a legitimate government official because he violated the God-ordained purpose for civil government.

While God allowed Hitler to come to power, He did not approve of him. I do not believe God would hold it against German pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer for assisting in the assassination attempt on Hitler. Pastor Bonhoeffer understood Romans 13 correctly and understood the Biblical mandate to defend the defenseless and to oppose evil. He also understood the Biblical right of self-defense.

We live in a fallen world where man has a free will to do good or evil. While it is true that the church often flourishes during times of extreme persecution, this happens largely because of the civil disobedience of Christians who worship underground, smuggle Bibles, and distribute Scripture contrary to the laws governing them.  Some governments are so evil, corrupt, and ungodly, Christians are obliged not to support them because to do so would be to participate in what they do.

According to Christ, the government according should work in harmony with the church (Matthew 22:21), and when it does, God approves of the government in power. Understand, though, that church government is not inevitably superceded by civil government. Many people in the Bible took part in civil disobedience:

• When Pharaoh commanded the Hebrew midwives to kill all male Hebrew babies, Moses' mother lied to Pharaoh and did not carry out his command (Exodus. 1-2);

• When Nebuchadnezzar ordered Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to bow down to his golden image, they refused and were cast into a fiery furnace (Daniel 3);

• Daniel prayed to God in spite of the king's dictate to the contrary (Daniel 6);

• In Acts, when Peter and John were commanded not to preach the gospel, their response was, "We ought to obey God rather than men" (Acts 5:29).[3]

We should do the same and that includes the Biblical mandate to protect your family.

By Brannon Howse Email: Brannon@worldviewweekend.com Click here for bio and archived articles

Re: Why Are Pastors Agreeing To Violate The U.S. Constitution? Posted On: 09/10/07 11:54:12 AM Age 64, GA I think all of your readers would profit from reading: http://frfrogspad.com/religion.htm (Fr. Frog and the Church). This website was set up by Verger John Schaefer. You all may find something of value in this website. I do not think law abiding citizens are to be left to the mercy of criminals either in society or in the government. That is not the way I interpret the Bible or believe that it’s God’s will for us. It’s appalling to me that any Pastor would put his church congregation in jeopardy. The right to bear arms is guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution and it’s not the law-abiding citizens we worry about; it’s the criminals. The criminals are going to be armed whether there’s a law or not. Also I believe all the anti-firearms laws that are being proposed by many politicians are in violation or the Constitution and Bill of Rights. Regards, Bob Re: Feminism Posted On: 09/10/07 03:23:02 AM Age 19, OH I think I understand what you are saying, but I also think that feminism gets a bad rap. There's a difference between radical feminism and mainstream feminism (I'm probably telling you nothing you already know). I call myself a feminist. It is my way of reclaiming the true meaning of word: equality. I think it's detrimental to criticize men as 'feminist.' Being a feminist does not harm one's masculinity--many of my male friends are feminists. When I hear the word 'effeminate' I immediately think of the stereotypes that often are applied to women: passive, gentle, soft-spoken, etc. People should be careful using that word, for in doing so they are unconciously perpetuating a harmful stereotype. I also think of Christian men who do not fit the typical defintion of masculinity. To be criticized as feminine (and all the stereotypes society has applied to the word) seriously damages them. What if they are dealing with same-sex attraction? An insult like that could greatly hinder their recovery. Re: Why Are Pastors Agreeing To Violate The U.S. Constitution? Posted On: 09/08/07 10:44:41 AM Age 51, WV I agree with the article. I am no Bible scholar, but have noticed two things about Romans 13 and its applicability which support the article. Both have to do with the definition of "government". The first is that, at the time when the book was written, government was imposed from outside, and individuals had no part in it nor influence over it. Today, in this country, in theory, WE are the government. So our own consciences, responsible exclusively and directly to God, are now on the same level as "the government" Second, the passage of Scripture goes on to describe,or in effect, to define Government. Government IS that which rewards good and punishes evil. If an institution does not reward good and punish evil, then it is not a [biblically defined] government at all, and deserves neither respect nor obedience "Feminist" or feminine??? Posted On: 09/03/07 11:44:16 PM Age 59, OR Dear Age 19, OH, I appreciate and agree with your assessment of both the term “feminine”, and yourself [& gifts] within that term. “Femininity”, although you did not make use of this term, is also complementary. As to derogatory terms, I did not find the above poster at all using or including either term; “femininity”, or 'feminine', and especially “as an insult”. ‘PGW’ did, in fact, correctly use ‘feminist’, and you correctly added ‘feminized’ “as insults”, although you admit “I fail to see the point of using the words 'feminized' and 'feminist' as insults.” Please learn to separate the latter terms from the former and note that they are more or less the modern-day equivelant of “effeminate” warned against in 1Cor. 6:9, unless you have a problem with God’s use of these terms in the NT [of which, I have not noticed such in your other recent posts above]. Before you object, please note that I am a supporter of “CBE” [Christians for Biblical Equality] and other “egalitarian” forums. In our current day and age, these 2 terms have been found to be absolutley ‘agenda created and driven’ for the endtime of the ‘nuclear family’, our nation and of this ‘Age’, and I would caution you to reseach the connections to those terms and carefully withdraw yourself from their influences [Refs provided if you request]. Please don’t read me as ‘dissin’ you, but at my age, unless you are a ‘speed-reader’, and an avid, careful reseacher, you would be hard-pressed to catch up to all the reading, and then the “eye-witnessing” of the 2, 3 generations before me of researchers who suspected, wrote of, and documented ‘peoples, places, and events’ that have somehow ‘worked’ toward that predicted NWO, as found in the Final Book, what can you say?... Dan RN Re: Why Are Pastors Agreeing To Violate The U.S. Constitution? Posted On: 08/31/07 10:01:02 PM Age 83, WA Pastors who agree to violate the US Constitution are not literate in the history of Germany in 1932. The religious institutions did not respond to the methods of the Nazi party and therefore lost control of the government. The Weimar republic had a constitution based on the US Constitution and Bill of Rights. There was not a Moral Majority to warn all citizens. Jerry Falwell was later mirrored by Dietrick Bonehoffer, Hans Lillja, Martin Neomueller, but by then the noose that killed the freedom of expression was tight and strangled free speech. Further, the Pastors have not learned the lesson of Purple Finger Day in Iraq. These people were willing to die to vote and speak freely. Re: Re: Why Are Pastors Agreeing To Violate The U.S. Constitution? Posted On: 08/31/07 08:55:56 PM Age 19, OH I assume that you are aware that George Washington was a Freemason, not a Christian. In light of that knowledge, please provide the quotes that prove that George Washington spent so much time in prayer. Re: Re: Why Are Pastors Agreeing To Violate The U.S. Constitution? Posted On: 08/31/07 08:50:57 PM Age 19, OH Instead of slinging unfounded assertions, why don't you provide evidence for your claims? Where is the statistic that proves that men form half of the abused population? And, who came up with that statistic? Was it an independent organization or one with a clear bias? Domestic abuse is extremely serious. It is rampant in Christian and secular homes alike. http://www.endabuse.org/resources/facts/ I urge to visit this link to learn the actual facts of abuse. Re: Re: Why Are Pastors SHEEPISH??? $$BAAA$$ Posted On: 08/31/07 08:46:39 PM Age 19, OH I fail to see the point of using the words 'feminized' and 'feminist' as insults. As a woman, it's highly offensive for me to read that pastors are weak because you somehow believe that they are feminine. Obviously, you have an extremely skewed idea of what it means to be feminine. I am a woman. I am a rather young woman. However, I am not weak. God gave me an excellent mind and a strong will so that I may use both for His glory. It is not in my nature to be passive, nor is passivity a feminine virtue. God made women as unique individuals, so do not apply 'feminine' as an insult. Re: Re: Re: Why Are Pastors Agreeing To Violate The U.S. Constitution? Posted On: 08/29/07 11:05:44 AM Age 51, MI I respectfully disagree, brother. Jesus (Yahushua) came unto His own & His own received Him not. We know His purpose, we all know why He violated Jewish law, which was a gross misrepresentation of God's (His own) Law. We are discussing armed rebellion, armed defense, physical force, are we not? Show me where Jesus used a sword. We do not follow Muhammed. Lets get back to the example of the Apostles, who I believe gave sufficient instruction as to how we are to behave. I see no example or instruction to take up arms against anyone, including the Government. As Hal Lindsey has said, "We are not told to clean up the pond, only to fish in it". You asked for examples of how the Roman Government was more repressive than that of the U.S.A., correct? Are you serious? We may not have far to go, but until my head is separated from my body, we're not there yet. A Christian living in Saudi Arabia can truly appreciate what the Apostles endured. Re: Re: Why Are Pastors Agreeing To Violate The U.S. Constitution? Posted On: 08/29/07 09:56:29 AM Age 37, GA God Bless you! Love is always our banner. But it's not love to simply remain silent when something is wrong. We are in a country that thrives on opinion. I disagree with using the King David example. His respect was for the King's Anointing. He never violated God's laws or moral truths in submission to King Saul. When it became obvious that his life was at stake, he hid himself to avoid touching "God's Anointed". What would we have the Christians in China do? Should they obey and discontinue witnessing through their underground movement and let millions of people suffer an eternal fate? I know none of us want that. Neither should we be silent in our country and just go along with the wishes of our fellows that have not yet received Jesus as Lord. We must speak the truth which is what brings true freedom.