Originally posted by spgoode:
..."For rebellion as is the sin of witchcraft." 1 Samuel, 15:23



This is what I love about Christian haters. They pull what they want from the Good Book only what confirms their seething aggrivation with religion. Care to finish that passage, so the context is put forth in the proper light? No, of couse not. Given that, let me do it for you:

1 Samuel, 15:23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.

I can pull words and half-passages from Ezekiel and Isaiah that would make you think I was condoning mass-murder, hatred, rape and whole slew of things that the Bible specifically rails against...

Originally posted by spgoode:
Would they have initiated a rebellion if indeed they thought it was equal to witchcraft (a crime punishable by death)?

You really need to polish up on your history. The ENTIRE biblical story of the Jews and Christians is one of CONSTANT rebellion and strife against the powers of the time and the establishment, be they Egyptian (Old Testament) or Roman (New Testament). The Romans had so many flare-ups in their Southern provinces due to Jews throwing fits that there are decrees sent down by the Roman Emperors to the regional rulers on how to handle the situations and what to expect if they didn't...

Originally posted by spgoode:
The New Testament gives clear instructions to Christians on how to behave when ruled under a monarchy, as were the Founders.

Wrong. It gives clear instructions throughout the course of The Bible that God's Law superceedes all human law and that any countermanding of that law by human authorities is to be met with resistance. Through tactically picking and choosing single lines of texts, you are missing the ENTIRE message; does the phrase "can't see the forest for the trees" ring a bell here?

Originally posted by spgoode:
1 Peter 2:13: "For the Lord's sake accept the authority of every human institution, whether of the emperor as supreme, or of governors, as sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to praise those who do right."

Again, the underlying assumption is that the human institution isn't usurping Christian doctrine and trying to supercede God's Law AND that the rulers are just, wise and fair in their dealings with their population.

Originally posted by spgoode:
Paul wrote in Romans 13:1: "Let every person be subject to the governing authorities; for there is no authority except from God, and those authorities that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resist authority resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment."

Refer to Acts 5:29, which profoundly states the following: "Peter and the other apostles replied: We must obey God rather than men!

Again, you're entirely missing the point that Christianity in and of itself was a REBELLIOUS movement; it flew in the face of established religions and political enties in power during the time of the Romans.

Originally posted by spgoode:
...If that was not clear enough for everone consider the 1796 treaty with Tripoli. It states that the United States was "in no sense founded on the Christian religion." This treaty was written under the presidency of George Washington and signed under the presidency of John Adams.



I'll let the learned Law dept. from Yale in my above post answer that one.

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