Posts Tagged ‘government’
Should Christians apply for unemployment or look for another job?
Question: Dear Sir, Should a Christian apply for unemployment if they are laid off from a job or just look for another job? Answer: Why is this an either-or question? Unemployment is offered so that a person can pay their bills while looking for another job. The purpose of unemployment insurance “is not to guarantee particular…
Read MoreWhat if the church is told not to meet?
Question: If a law is passed that it is unlawful for the church to meet due to this coronavirus problem, would you obey it? Answer: We need to keep in mind that everything currently being discussed are temporary measures enacted in the hopes of keeping our healthcare system from being overloaded. We can’t stop the…
Read MoreGiving Respect
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Giving-Respect.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Malachi 1:6-14 I. The word translated as “respect” in our Bibles comes from an interesting Greek word, entrepo. A. The word has two, seemingly conflicting, definitions. 1. It can mean showing respect or honor – Hebrews 12:9 2. It can mean having shame – Titus 2:6-8 B. Even our English word “respect” as…
Read MoreCan a Christian serve as a military chaplain?
Question: I am really curious about your thoughts on one being a military chaplain. Can one morally make that decision? There is a lot of pluralism in the military. I’m wondering if you are aware of the conflicts of people in the past. Answer: I don’t know of the conflicts in being a chaplain in the…
Read MoreHave Times Changed?
by Austin Hausner “For the Son of man came to seek and save the lost” (Luke 19:10). When we talk with people about Christianity or anything Bible-related we find there are many objections to Christianity. Some of these objections are fairly common. We want to be able to provide a counter-argument to one of the…
Read MoreI have to wait until I get out of debt to get married
Question: Dear Minister, I have to wait four or five years before I can marry because of a strict financial government program to help me get out of debt. I have been engaged for a year now, and I have had intercourse since the day my fiance and I met. We are both Christians, but our…
Read MoreIs it OK to turn another Christian into the police for stealing from you?
Question: Is it right for an elder to detain a sister in a police station because she collected the elder’s ID card and two mobile phones? Answer: Christians are required by God to stop stealing (Ephesians 4:28) and not make a practice of it. Our interactions regarding Christians and what to do about their sin…
Read MoreCan a Christian use the court system?
Question: Is it right for a Christian to take another Christian or non-Christian to court? If yes, please, why? Thanks. Answer: “Does any one of you, when he has a case against his neighbor, dare to go to law before the unrighteous and not before the saints? Or do you not know that the saints…
Read MoreIs Socialism a Biblical Concept?
by Matthew W. Bassford Much to my surprise, for the first time that I can remember since the Cold War, there is a flurry of national interest in socialism. As someone who is a student of history, this concerns me. As someone who is politically unaligned, I’m not sure what to do about it. I…
Read MoreWhat do we do when the government is involved in our child rearing?
Question: What do we when outside government authorities are involved in our child raising? Answer: This becomes a difficult question to answer well because much depends on the reason the government has seen fit to interfere. The best that I can do is answer in general and hope that I have hit upon your…
Read MoreHow can a Christian serve God when the military rules are not conducive to serving God?
Question: My husband is a soldier in the military. Currently, he is on a 14-month deployment (technically, he’s overseas for 9 months and training during the other time). He is adamant about not reenlisting being that he has not been able to worship, nor will he be able to unless he finds fellow soldiers who…
Read MoreIs it a sin to marry without getting a license or having a witness?
Question: Is it a sin to marry without getting a license or having a witness? Can you marry someone in God’s eyes and a couple of years later, when I have the money saved up to actually have a wedding, and then get the license? My girlfriend and I don’t want to wait anymore, we…
Read MoreThe government won’t acknowledge we are married
Question: Good day, I have been trying to be recognized as my late spouse’s wife, as we had married each other, and promised to love each other “until death do us part,” but our plans to remarry under the law were interrupted after my husband became very ill. His family’s plan to stop us was…
Read MoreHow does “live as people who are free” fit with submission?
Question: I wanted some clarification on what Peter says in I Peter 2:16. What does Peter mean when he says “Live as people who are free”? The context throws me off a bit because he’s talking about being submissive to authority. Answer: “Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king…
Read MoreThe People of God — Their Attitude Toward the Social Order
by Ed Harrell Throughout history, in relating themselves to the world, the two options which Christians have most often pursued were to vigorously strive to control the world or to disdainfully withdraw from it. Some have dreamed that they would make their society “Christian,” necessarily defined in cultural and nationalistic terms, and have passed laws,…
Read MoreThe Christian’s Attitude Toward Government
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/ChristiansAttitudeTowardsGovernment.mp3 by Alan Feaster
Read MoreWhat about Christian Reconstructionism?
Question: I am curious if “Christian Reconstructionism” is real and if so, a cult. Some people said that Christian Reconstructionism is the idea of some Christian trying to bring America back to its Christian roots, but they are trying to follow some Old Testament laws. In doing so, some of them will try to criminalize…
Read MoreDoes God hold us responsible when we pay taxes to a government that uses the money for sinful purposes, such as funding abortions?
Question: I live in a State where Medicare covers abortions. Since our taxes pay for Medicare, will God hold us responsible for this? We are told in the Bible to pay taxes, but as citizens, we don’t have control over how the money is spent. Thank you for your reply. Answer: “Let every soul be…
Read MoreWhat should Christians do about the Supreme Court’s ruling regarding gay marriage?
Question: The recent decision by the Supreme Court regarding gay marriage rights raises serious concerns; as Christians, we are to be peacemakers, kind, gentle, etc. Romans 12:9 says “Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.” If we don’t speak up against sin, who will? Politics puts a strain on the church (our…
Read MoreIf we get married in a church, does it mean we are not married until we get married again civilly?
Question: Hello, I’m from a different country than my boyfriend I will marry my boyfriend later this year. We are getting married with a fiance visa, but seems like the civil wedding has to be in his country first, so we are just going to get married in my country in a church wedding. Our…
Read MoreHow can a government execute the death penalty when we are told not to take vengeance?
Question: Hello Jeffrey, I have a question about the practice of capital punishment. I was having a discussion with my mom about the matter and we came to the understanding that capital punishment is not lawful in God’s eyes. What confused me was in verse 4. It says “he does not bear the sword in…
Read MoreI’m taking prescription medication without a prescription. Will this keep me out of heaven?
Question: I was baptized in a nondenominational Christian church at the age of ten. I fully believed and accepted the message of Jesus Christ and the cross. I backslid at fifteen, had a series of sexual perversions happen to me, and started to use drugs. I have been struggling with drugs ever since. My drugs…
Read MoreA housekeeper has been stealing from her employer. Should the matter be brought to the elders or the police?
Question: Good evening Brother Hamilton, I know that the use of the courts to settle disputes between the brethren is, at best, frowned upon during normal circumstances. However, for actual crimes, is it appropriate to press charges rather than using the eldership to confront the individual? I ask because an older family member of mine…
Read MoreMy girlfriend can’t get an ID, so we can’t get a marriage certificate. Should we get married without the government being involved?
Question: Hello, I am concerned about a marriage oath before God. My girlfriend’s birth certificate and social security card have two different last names due to her mother’s error 20 years ago. Everyone in the system gives her the runaround and we cannot get this fixed. Because of this, she cannot obtain an i.d.; therefore,…
Read MoreIs it possible for a Christian lawyer to defend a known guilty client?
Question: Is it possible for a Christian lawyer to defend a known guilty client? Answer: What lawyers focus on is not whether a client is guilty or not, but whether the government can prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. In other words, the lawyer makes a distinction between actual guilt and legally being found…
Read MoreIs a wicked city better than a gentrified one?
Question: I recently saw a documentary about New York in 1977. A bunch of people, who used to live in New York, say that it was awesome during the time. The drugs, sex, clubs, music, and attitude were more “in your face” and sleazy. Of course, I wasn’t born then, nor did I ever live…
Read MoreMorality, The Government, and Christians
by Doy Moyer Moral statements and positions will, necessarily, impact political issues. This is not because morality is inherently political, but because the government has the task of recognizing the difference between good and evil, so moral issues will have to be dealt with (Romans 13:3-4). This means that, contrary to what is so often…
Read MoreHow should Christians treat illegal aliens?
Question: How should Christians feel about illegal aliens? The Old Testament teaches us to be welcoming and hospitable, but they are technically breaking a law. Many of them are coming here for safety, and my heart goes out to them. How do we balance God’s mercy and love for everyone with the fact that they…
Read MoreIs it sinful to support candidates who openly approve of abortion and same-sex marriages?
Question: Dear Minister, Would it be a sin to lend support to candidates who openly acknowledge their approval of abortion and same-sex marriage? Thank you for your time. Answer: When anyone advocates sin, Christians cannot support the stance. “Who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death,…
Read MoreYou Shall Not Murder
by Jim Dearman “You shall not murder!” That was God’s command as part of the Ten Commandments, and it is reinforced in the New Testament. In Romans 13:9, the apostle Paul refers to the commandment from Exodus 20:13. There he writes, “For the commandments, ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall…
Read MoreShould a government legislate morality?
Question: I have had a question for some time now, and have found it difficult to find clear answers in the Scriptures. I know there are many Old Testament accounts, but as far as a New Testament church, it seems quite muddy to me: Should a government legislate morality? I attend a church that has…
Read MoreShould Christians end their business because of the health care laws that include birth control?
Question: I’m not directly affected by this change in law but I know people who are. Should Christians with employees end their business because of the health care laws that now include birth control as a “women’s right?” Answer: Roman Catholics protest this new requirement because in their beliefs any prevention of the possibility of…
Read MoreIf the government took away guns, would Christians have to give their guns up?
Question: I have a question. In Romans 13:1-4 “Everyone must submit to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those that exist are instituted by God. So then, the one who resists the authority is opposing God’s command, and those who oppose it will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers…
Read MoreWe Lost the Surprise Somewhere
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I remember watching Mayberry RFD and related shows most of my childhood. Poor ignorant Gomer Pyle who worked as an auto mechanic was a notable character. But I can still recall my shock when I found out that Jim Nabors, who played Gomer, could sing — not casually, but with a…
Read MoreIf I know someone is abusing the welfare system, should I report it?
Question: I am very concerned about our national debt, and the abuse of the welfare system. I am a Christian and want to know if it is my place to report the welfare abuse of two individuals who live in my area or to just let it go. Answer: I wrote the Welfare Fraud Department…
Read MoreIs something a sin if it’s illegal?
Question: Is something a sin if it’s illegal? Answer: Sin is breaking God’s law. “Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness” (I John 3:4). One of God’s laws is “Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which…
Read MoreState Court Recognizes Unborn Children as People
Source: John-Henry Westen, “Alabama Supreme Court: ‘unborn children are persons with rights that should be protected by law’,” Life Site News, 11 January 2013. “The ruling states, “The decision of this Court today is in keeping with the widespread legal recognition that unborn children are persons with rights that should be protected by law.” “Today,” the…
Read MoreGovernment Argues Businesses Are Secular
Source: Steven Ertelt, “Obama Admin Tells Court: Hobby Lobby Must Obey HHS Mandate,” LifeNews.com 01 November 2012. The government continues to push for change by insisting that businesses pay for birth control pills and “morning after” pills as a part of their employee’s insurance plans, even if the owners of the company object to such…
Read MoreShould Christians fill out census forms?
Question: I would like to know how a Christian should react to government requests to fill out census forms. Answer: “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of…
Read MoreShould Gay Rights be Voted On?
Source: Juan Perez Jr and Erin Golden, “Churches push to get Omaha vote on gay rights,” Omaha World-Herald, 14 October 2012 This is an issue local to my region, but arguments reflect a national trend. The Omaha city council last spring, by a close vote of 4 to 3, passed a measure that gave lesbian, gay,…
Read More