Government

Worldly philosophy teaches that inflicting injury is necessary to deter evil. Human society has relied on injury, vengeance, and fear as instruments of order — enthroning them in weapons, armies, penal codes, and government force. When non-resistance is proposed, many cry out in fear that such teaching would upend civilization itself. But in reality, the reliance on injury has only perpetuated global violence and cruelty. Despite its failure, people continue to worship this grim idol — INJURY — through war machines and systems of punishment. The doctrine of Christian non-resistance challenges …

The idea of separation from the state and from all participation in civil affairs, was universal among Christians for the first two or three hundred years. That then they began to grow worldly, apostatized from fidelity to God, lost faith in him, formed alliance with the civil power, became supporters of human government and imbibed the spirit of the civil institutions with which they affiliated.

To vote or use the civil power is to use force and carnal weapons. Christians cannot use these. To do so is to do evil that good may come. This is specially forbidden to Christians. To do so is to fight God’s battles with the weapons of the evil one. To do so is to distrust God. The effective way for Christians to promote morality in a community, is, to stand aloof from the political strifes and conflicts, and maintain a pure and true faith in God, which is the only basis of true morality.

Sovereignty, rightly understood, is inalienable – once yielded, it is no longer possessed. Therefore, the soul must remain sovereign, not by permission, but by nature.

Coercion is not only a moral wrong; it is a theological usurpation and a political disease. We contend that coercion should be ended not merely because it is unpleasant or unjust, but because it violates the rightful supremacy of God, corrodes moral relationships among individuals, and undergirds oppressive institutions. We envision a society ordered by voluntary interactions under God’s ultimate authority.

True change begins when we tear down the idol of empire and embrace Christ’s radical call. Only then can we build a society grounded in the love, justice, and peace of God’s kingdom – one that refuses to bow to the false gods of domination and human authority.

Apply the teachings of Romans 12 to the State, and you will wreck the State; or apply Romans 13 to the church, and you will wreck the church.