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This lecture marks the continuation of Mike Winther’s series on the Biblical Principles of Government. In the first session, Mike introduced himself and discussed his approach to influencing hearts and minds, the importance of political engagement, and the role of ethics and clear boundaries. He highlighted the Bible’s capacity to guide us through these issues.
This time, Mike explores the philosophical and theological foundations of order, rights, and authority, making the case that intelligence is crucial for bringing order out of chaos. He insists that the concept of a Creator is inseparable from the origins of rights and authority. By comparing different sources of rights, like government, constitutional laws, and divine intention, he strongly supports the view that rights are granted by God.
He emphasizes that without recognizing a divine source, the basis for rights and authority becomes unstable leading to chaos. He also talks about the dangers of granting excessive power to governments. He argues that governmental authority and individual rights both come from God. He takes us back to the biblical principles that lead to an organized and balanced society.
You’ll Learn:
- [00:36] Chaos or order and disorder. You can’t create order from randomness without adding intelligence.
- [01:21] The creation and evolution debate and the idea of gender. The debate over the origins of man.
- [03:14] When we talk about the government, we also talk about rights. If we’re going to know what they are. We need to know where they came from.
- [04:18] Mike shares a lecture he shared with high school kids that leads to the creator.
- [06:07] He began with rights and their source, because the source determines the use.
- [07:02] The source determines the use. Who is our source? God.
- [07:56] Sources of rights. Government? Majority? Constitution and Bill of Rights? No rights? Space aliens? God?
- [09:39] If the government gives you your rights, who can take them away?
- [10:36] The Source determines the use in all of these cases.
- [15:53] The last two choices are either space aliens or God.
- [16:20] This exercise has never not produced the desired outcome.
- [18:08] There’s a pragmatic way to lead someone to say what kind of world you want to live in.
- [20:14] If evolution is true, then everything is the survival of the fittest. Even the human level.
- [21:33] Source of authority. We want the government to have proper authority.
- [23:44] The people aren’t necessarily your source of government authority.
- [28:43] Taking by force is theft. Where does the authority come from?
- [30:15] Authority basically describes what the government can and can’t do.
- [31:10] God is the author of authority and he tells us through scripture.
- [34:10] What John Adams said about our rights. Rights are derived from God.
- [35:24] We are endowed by our creator with certain unalienable rights.
- [37:16] The source of our rights must be in the same place as the source of our authority.
- [37:39] Rights are liberties and powers that the people have. Authority is the power that the government has.
- [38:37] We need the same origin for government authority and our rights.
- [39:13] As Christians, we need to be clear on God’s word.
- [41:18] A caution about giving the government more power.
- [41:52] Should we purchase security by spending our rights?