On July 18th, 2011, Mike Winther gave this lecture on Government as an Apologetic at an IPS Government and Economics Conference hosted for Christian educators of private and home schools. The conference was held in Modesto, California. Mike dives right in and talks about what an apologetic is. Most of you have probably heard of Christian apologetics, which means those in defense of Christianity's claims and truths.
Since God has created every type of knowledge, every academic discipline and study should lead us to the Creator. Everything comes down to fundamentals. Mike talks about the fundamental ideas of Government and how it operates. He talks about authority and rights and where authority comes from. Mike explores all aspects of Government as an Apologetic as it applies to authority and biblical principles of truth.
You'll Learn:
- [01:15] In Christian circles, apologetics means in defense of something. We're making a defense for the claims and truths of Christianity.
- [02:12] Every academic discipline can lead you to the Creator. God has created every area of knowledge.
- [03:18] How can the government be an apologetic?
- [05:06] It comes down to the fundamental ideas of what government is and how it operates. Were we created or did we evolve?
- [07:51] The debate needs to be about the same argument.
- [08:45] To be persuasive with people, you have to actually figure out where the issue lies on the decision tree.
- [09:05] One of the first forks in the road with the decision tree is creation or evolution.
- [10:43] One of our apologetics is the creation or evolution debate.
- [11:01] Authority and rights in the government. Rights are powers that individual citizens in the government have. Authority is the government's power.
- [13:46] The source of anything determines the use. This is a biblical principle and key concept.
- [15:46] We need to know where our rights come from. We can't define a right until we know where it comes from.
- [21:46] If the government gave us our rights, they could also take them away.
- [22:22] The UN Declaration of Rights assumes that rights come from the government.
- [23:28] Our constitution. If our constitution is modifiable, then can our rights be taken away?
- [24:47] Secure rights have to come from a non-human source. Our rights come from God.
- [25:58] Logic is a divine science that will lead you to the Creator.
- [27:52] Source of rights. Authority and rights. Principal: The Source determines the use.
- [28:07] If our rights come from God, our authority needs to come from God as well. Rights and authority need to come from the same source.
- [30:40] Biblical guidelines: Jesus has all authority.
- [34:49] Deuteronomy chapter 1. Moses thought that Jethro's advice to appoint judges was good counsel.
- [37:26] Government systems. When teaching government you need to teach the fundamental systems of government.
- [37:38] There are five systems of government: 1. Monarchy rule by one. 2. Oligarchy ruled by a few. 3. Democracy rules by majority. 4. Republic rule by law. 5. Anarchy is the absence of government authority.
- [39:49] Anarchy is a vacuum and would get filled with chaos and other negative things.
- [41:04] A monarchy's source of authority is a king or queen.
- [42:05] Oligarchies are the most common form of government in the world. The committee agrees to watch each other's backs.
- [44:28] Democracy is majority rule. The government does what the majority says. People who control information like the educational institutions and media like the idea of majority rule.
- [45:50] Our founding fathers intended to create a republic which is rule by law. A republic could be the best form of government, but it depends on your laws.
- [49:02] If you base your republic on laws with divine origin, then law does not come from man.
- [52:15] Freedom and slavery are determined by where we get our law.
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