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Politics According to the Bible

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    What does scripture say about issues impacting society today?

  • Duration 7:22
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-- -- the -- say anything about gays in the military and what about illegal immigration global warming -- school vouchers.

Other way and -- it looks at more than fifty hot button issues in American politics and what the Bible have to say about them and he's written a book about it.

And -- book politics according to the Bible look comprehensive resource for understanding modern political issues.

In light of scripture and going joins me now with more welcome thank you so glad to have you here -- and we talk we were via Skype against it suitable person -- thanks for being here.

Sit about what Bible say it about politics and how people should -- -- it really make any kind of reference and that.

We learned that.

I've been teaching ethics from the Bible for over thirty years and I realize that I was teaching on a lot of topics that came up in political discussion.

As teaching -- definition of marriage I was teaching unjust war capital punishment the role of civil government according to the Bible.

The question of Israel and how god according to the Bible would view Israel and its future.

Questions of right and wrong regarding disciplining children bringing up children.

Questions of economics and who property belongs to -- what government should do with regard to property in taxes.

There are many things that had an article they were ethical topics -- I was teaching year after year that they had application to political issues.

You look people I'm talking about the Bible they complain that it's the Bible that people used to do a lot of wrong as -- -- how can you -- relying on it to give you.

You know.

A pathway -- for how to look at politics how to look at the different issues that are out there.

People have in the past claimed that the battle justifies wrongdoing that they've been wrong in their interpretation of part of my job is a professor of theology and -- -- Bible.

Is to teach them right interpretations of the Bible and say look there have been some mistakes made throughout history.

One mistake was in the sixteenth and seventeenth century in Europe there were wars of religion between Catholics and Protestants fighting for control of territory.

And they didn't realize that the Bible would give because of respect for human choice and human dignity.

The -- would give I think support to freedom of religion.

Where religion shouldn't be compelled by the government shouldn't be forced on people but matters of faith and matters of individual choice and we should be live free and every back.

In in that way -- should -- religious people be involved in politics you know I think lies and evil one of the -- -- -- you say openly defied.

Wrong views about christianity or Christians in government saturate the church to do.

Battles about politics and the church should do politics not about I mean you know when you're kind of stuck in the middle of those do well let me ask learn I've been going to pastors.

Groups around the country saying look at the Bible itself where it gives a number of examples of -- people who were influencing.

Secular governments that -- back in the first book of the Bible book of Genesis Joseph was second in command.

Over the nation bids -- Egypt secular Egypt incidentally -- Yeah yeah -- but Joseph was number two in command -- Risked her life has queen to go in and and save the Jewish people by asking for king actually are -- -- -- to save the Jewish people from destruction.

Mordechai her uncle was second in command over Persian Daniel was a high advisor to the king of -- And in the new testament -- there's a story where John the Baptist rebuked -- of the Roman ruler.

For all the evil things that we're -- here it had done that may have been quite a long list.

But he stood boldly and actually lost his life.

Well let's get to specifics because it's it's easy to talk what generalities in the violent with specifics what -- actually looking at -- our laws as as a different matter altogether and what about the issue.

The death penalty.

Well I think we back in their early chapters of the Bible -- Genesis nine.

When -- -- they're gonna -- destroying all the people on the earth except Noah and his family they came out of the -- and god said to Noah.

I will require -- reckoning for the life of man and then he said.

-- -- sheds man's blood that's an idiom for killing someone whoever sheds man's blood by man -- his blood be shed for in the image of god he made man.

I think that means the -- was delegating to human beings the authority.

To execute punishment on wrongdoing even up to the ultimate punishment of taking human life for murder and that -- people would say that the new test of the new covenant with with Jesus Christ and naming grace that would -- -- that requirement to kill.

For -- to mistakes in that position okay.

-- -- The first is that when the new testament talks about the old covenant it only talks about the laws given to Moses and the people of Israel from exodus twenty onward.

It's not talking about Genesis and nullifying things in Genesis.

The second thing is the new testament reaffirms this because in Romans thirteen four.

It says that this civil authority does not bear the sword inconvenient.

The sword was an instrument of execution in the first century.

But Romans thirteen says the civil authority is gone servant.

To carry out his wrath on the wrong -- -- so god delegates to human beings the the right to execute punishment through government and even and I think the ultimate punishment taking of life in -- -- in as -- punishment for murder will then let's get -- proportion because you.

No -- both left and right sides have different ideas about abortion and -- and just finally went to the right will say no abortion but -- finally left says.

Pro pro pro choice and abortion but no death penalty right so we've got two different views about -- Byron what personal fiction Jack yeah what about.

Abortion.

-- I think the Bible defends the life of the innocent.

-- just a question of protecting life altogether and capital punishment -- talking about taking the life of a wrong -- was guilty of horrible -- murdering someone.

In the questionable fumble of abortion we're talking about the life -- an innocent person the unborn child.

And I think this civil government is given to punish those who do wrong and reward those who do right first Peter two says.

And certainly I would say doing wrong is taking the life of an unborn child.

Number that the hottest hottest topic on this with the forces by homosexuality and it we have so many arguments about this.

About what it is and what the Bible actually says about it and we.

What do you say what is what is the Bible actually say.

Well both old testament new testament say that there are moral standards of god in one of those moral standards is that.

Sexual conduct should be only between one man and one woman within the confines of marriage.

So it condemns as contrary to God's moral standards.

Adultery incest.

And yes homosexual conduct as well and Romans one is very explicit about that in the new testament.

So I'm not going to back away from that if someone asks me about the moral standards of god.

But then.

If someone says what -- the laws be in our nation.

-- my short answer is.

The laws of our nation should not prohibit and not promote homosexual conduct.

I don't know if you remember a year ago in the -- -- Uganda was considering a law that would outlaw homosexual conduct criminalizing -- -- I wrote a little paragraph or two to give to someone who is influential there.

We're actually take a break -- -- I know where I know we run out of time but thank you very much and I wanted to have a follow the book because it's called politics accordingly the Bible.

But -- -- -- and a lot of stuff in here it's a thick book and but a lot of interest in the facts and about the level -- -- he's sixty he's all right thank you very -- learn.

And we'll be right back with more foxnews.com live after this -- spirited debate be right back.

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