5 Responses to Should Christians submit to the census?

1. Richard says:

   Wednesday 6 March 2013 at 4:35 PM

   See also Romans 13:1-7.
2. Richard says:

   Wednesday 6 March 2013 at 4:37 PM

   The position of LibertarianChristians.com is that Romans 13 is about prudence in action toward governmental intrusion in life. While civil disobedience is not immoral and certainly is great to do in certain cases, one must be very careful in executing such measures. For instance, my first responsibility is the caretaking of my family, and then serving the church. I will not do things that bring unreasonable risk upon them. Frequently enough there are better ways of making a difference. But most of all, LibertarianChristians.com does not and will never advocate violence as the answer to our problems.
3. Tim says:

   Wednesday 6 March 2013 at 8:53 PM

   I had to think about this question before I decided to burn my Census form.
   To my mind it comes down to the fact that Democracy is a very different form of government to ‘Kings and Governors’ because our democracy purports to be Government *by the people*… ie *We are our own government*. We participate in the process, and thus by burning my census, I am actually participating in the Democratic process… my activism is expressly designed to effect how we are governed… and by burning my census I have not broken any moral law.
   Furthermore it can never be said that a Government elected by the will of the majority is the same thing as a government installed by the will of God! To equate the will of the Mob with the Will of God is a most heinous blasphemy which violates every tenet of scripture!
   Such an Idea would virtually endorse Utilitarianism which was expressly formulated to oppose Christian ethics.
   Thus our age of Democracy is actually ‘a political dispensation’ whereby God allows Mankind to govern himself…. it is a test…. wich will inevitably end in failure like all of Mankinds other Godless endevours… and thus prove the fact that Man ought not to be Lawmaker or Rule over his fellow Man. Ie We Need Christ the King!
4. Richard says:

   Wednesday 6 March 2013 at 9:32 PM

   Tim, Romans 13 tells us

   Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. …

   For me, I find it hard to comprehend that God established the Third Reich. Or that the Third Reich was “ordained by God” (KJV).
5. reed says:

   Wednesday 6 March 2013 at 10:10 PM

   The way I see it (*subject to change)…

   Government is overstepping its God given authority when it does the census by threat of fine.

   This irritates me but I’m not compromised if I complete the census.

   It concerns me that the Government unjustly penalises people that refuse to fill in the census.

   Subjecting myself to the unjust penalty is of no value.

   There is more reason we should not pay taxes than complete the census – yet we pay our taxes.