Tuesday, June 23, 2015

The Role of Government

Government was established by God to manifest and preserve His justice on earth.  This is government's central purpose; as such, the state should concentrate on enforcing justice and avoid meddling in other institutions' business.  Generally speaking, the church was ordained to manifest God's grace on earth, and the family to manifest God's community and creativity (including procreativity).  The government, then, as the institution of justice, should prohibit, prevent, prosecute, and punish injustice.  The church, as the institution of grace, should preach the gospel and be the chief vehicle of charitable aid to the needy.  And families should have chief responsibility for bearing, raising, and educating children, and for creating, possessing, and disposing of property.

Each of these institutions is limited by its own definition and by the other two.  Because government is an institution of justice, not of grace or community or creativity, it should not interfere with freedom of religion, attempt to dispense grace through tax-funded handouts, control family size, interfere with raising children (including education), or control the economy and the disposition of property.  Because the church is an institution of grace, not of justice or community or creativity, it should not attempt to control criminal law systems, to garner the support of the state for its work, or to control family size or business.  And because the family is an institution of community and creativity, it should not use government or the church for its own ends.

David A. Noebel, Understanding the Times, p.628

No comments: