The study of authority is a fascinating one, especially when it comes to governments. The question quickly arises, “By whose authority” things are done.  As kids, we often put this in the form of the question, “Who made you the boss?” This becomes a key question in today’s society for two big reasons, first, whatever is identified as the source of authority can remove that authority, and secondly, the source of authority is also the key to changing that authority.

In the case of the national government, Robert L. Dabney nailed it:

“The constitution of the United States was, therefore wrong, in that it omitted all reference to Almighty God as the source of its powers; and that of the late Confederate States was right in doing so”.

Wow! The CSA identified Almighty God as the source of its governmental authority. Hence it had moral authority to demand obedience to its laws. The US government identified its source of power as the people/the States. The wording makes it difficult to sort out which gave it the authority. If it is the people, then the US is essentially a ‘mob rules’ government. Such a government does not have any moral authority from ‘on high’, but rather the moral basis of its power comes from social consensus. If the majority of the people change their opinion, then something becomes acceptable. We have seen that with how the government has dealt with abortion, infidelity, illicit drugs, and homosexuality. The government is even now dealing with the issue of marriage. Since it has abdicated its ‘higher authority’, it cannot take the strong position based on moral conviction, because ‘God said so’. It has to acquiesce to the social consensus. As the population of the nation changes, its laws will change, since they are based on the consensus. A government that can be changed based on the authority of the people will be susceptible to the ‘winds of change’, whereas a government whose authority is given by Almighty God can take moral stands in an unwavering manner. Part of the problem with the authority being with the people, they can choose to ‘disobey’ and not be under any moral conviction for having done so. The authority of a people driven system has to be committed to the compulsory use of force.  Force is what keeps such a government together. Although the empire may enlist pastors to use Romans 13 as an appeal to keep people in line, they abdicated the right to make that claim long ago, when they decided that they knew better than God how to run a nation. They further lost it when they removed prayer from schools, the Bible from public buildings, Bible readings from travelers on missions to the moon. Yes, they still emblazon the coinage with “In God we trust”, but their actions indicate that their loyalties lie elsewhere. If they trusted in God, they would call out to him and return to his ways. They have chosen to forgo his wisdom and instead make decisions in their own wisdom regarding marriage, sexuality, abortion, the reading and distribution of the Bible and other issues. The government that can make an appeal for the people to follow Romans 13 is one whose laws are not contrary to those of scripture. When the government has surrendered the higher spiritual authority it must rely on force when questions arise, “who made you boss?”. It becomes a thugocracy. In previous generations, people could have answered that they are the God-ordained authority, and that disobedience of disregard of what they said was at ones own peril in this life and the next. The present occupational government cannot make that claim with the voice of authority.

God Save the South,

J Murrah

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