The "Prima Facie" Case Against "The Powers That Be"

"Prima Facie" means "at first appearance." The Prosecution must present a "prima facie case" against the defendant, or else the defendant goes free without even presenting a defense. Here is my "prima facie case" against the idea of "civil government"/"The State"

  1. Basic Christian morality:
    1. "Don't Hurt People and Don't Take Their Stuff"
  2. If I want to hurt other people and take their stuff I am an unsanctified rebel. "Political Man" rather than "Economic Man."
    1. The Origin of the State
    2. The State is a "Monopoly of Violence"
  3. If I approve of those who hurt people and take their stuff because I think I benefit in some way, I am an idolater.
    1. Those who exercise a monopoly of violence with your approval are my "gods."
    2. I think their acts will bring me "salvation" (in the holistic socio-economic sense of that word, found in the majority of occurrences of the term in Scripture).
    3. But the Bible says Jesus is the only King we need to create social salvation (Isaiah 33:22)
  4. Although every human being is required to leave vengeance to God (Romans 12:19), every civil government squarely rejects this command. By design. By definition.
    1. If an individual or a group of people are not sinning -- violating God's Law -- by engaging in extortion to fund violent acts of vengeance, then that individual or group is not a "civil government." It is a business, or a charity, or a voluntary association of some kind, but it is not "the State."
    2. "The State" is inherently -- inescapably -- sinful, or else it is not a "civil government."
  5. There is no verse of Scripture to which anyone in 2022 can point and say, "This verse assures me that if I hurt people and take their stuff, God will not hold me guilty of sin."
    1. Jesus prohibits His followers from being "archists" (Mark 10:42-45).
    2. It is a sin to be an archist.
    3. The Bible is an Anarchist Manifesto

The Prosecution closes by arguing that those who occupy positions of political power should abdicate -- after preventing succession by abolishing their office entirely.

The Defense moves for summary judgment, arguing that the Prosecution is promoting "anarchism," and "everybody knows" that anarchism is chaos and is wrong.

Prosecution replies that

  1. The absence of civil government in the area of computers, housing, groceries, automobiles, and recreation has not resulted in "chaos."
  2. It is the presence of government intervention that creates shortages and economic uncertainty ("chaos").
  3. The Prosecution is not encouraging widespread social lawlessness ("anarchy!") by indicting the lawlessness of "the State."
    1. Anarchy (that is, anarcho-capitalism; the abolition of "civil government") is never the result of anarchy (that is, chaos and lawlessness in society). (Throughout history, more civil governments have been overthrown by other civil governments than by "anarchists.")
    2. The only path to anarchy is Theocracy. The only society that will ever abolish the State is a deeply Theonomic one.
  4. If you don't approve of those who hurt people and take their stuff, and they want to hurt you and take your stuff, God commands you to "be subject" to them.
    1. Forgive enemies (Matthew 6:14-15)
    2. Love enemies (Matthew 5:44)
    3. Bless enemies (Romans 12:14)
    4. Pray for enemies (Luke 6:27-28)
    5. Give gifts to enemies (Romans 12:20)
    6. Render unto Caesar, your enemy who invaded your country, slaughtered thousands of your countrymen, and put your country under tribute (an undemocratic occupation government that enslaves and pillages your people) (Matthew 22:15-22; Mark 12:13-17; Luke 20:20-26)
    7. Exhort your enemy to repent (Matthew 18:15-17)
    8. And if all these fail to bring repentance, restitution, and reconciliation,
    1. In short, to follow "in His steps" (1 Peter 2:21), you have a moral obligation to "be subject" to sinful acts which the defendant/perpetrators have a moral obligation to repent of (cease and desist).

Motion for summary judgment denied.

At trial, the Defense raises Romans 13, claiming that God would only require pacifism (non-violence in the face of violence) if the State is justified in its violence.

Prosecution responds:

  1. Romans 13 is about "the powers." Everywhere that word is used in the New Testament it signifies demonic evil. Verses
  2. Everyone in Paul's day -- Christians and Romans alike -- believed that the Empire was guided by "demons." See the references in the link above.
  3. The fact that the Empire "served" God's purposes does not mean that Empire wasn't sinning and had no moral obligation to repent of the acts which God predestined them to commit for His own reasons, and which God commanded victims to "be subject" to. All men are commanded to "beat swords into plowshares" (Micah 4:3), but those who disobey this command still serve God's purposes.
  4. No Empire -- no matter how evil -- ever bears the sword of violence "in vain."
  5. God works all things together "for good" (Romans 13:4; 8:28) even the evil things that governments (the "principalities and powers" [Romans 8:38; 13:1]) do (causing tribulation, distress, or persecution [Romans 12:14], or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword [Romans 8:35]). Those who do such things are morally obligated to repent of them (cease and desist).

Result?