Second American Revolution: Rousas John Rushdoony (4 of 9)

Question:-- How did Christian philosophy influence our form of civil government?

R.J. Rushdoony: One of the things most people don't understand about Christian Reconstruction is that first it is nothing new. It has been the historic position of the Christian church over the centuries. In Western Europe and the America it has receded in the past century or two, but it has been the Christian way of life. Then what we have to understand is that in our time, we've had a totally false picture of reality -- a top-down view of whatever faith it is that people hold -- that we have to capture the upper echelons of society, or the machinery of the state, and impose something on the people.

We have never had a more top-down culture than for about 1500 years, than since Rome fell. Rome fell because it confused simplicity with efficiency. They simplified the state and centralized more and more as if that were the answer. The more they centralized, the more they destroyed the fabric of society. We are following the Roman pattern. We are centralizing as though that were the answer and we are destroying the pattern of society.

Now as Christians we believe that the basic starting point is the regeneration of man. Then man takes and applies that faith. For Christians the basic government is the self-government of the Christian man. Then the basic governmental unit is the family. This means that every father and mother will be more important in the sight of God than heads of state, because He controls children, property and the future. Then the third is the church as the government, fourth the school as a government, fifth your job governs you, then sixth society governs you with its ideas, beliefs and standards, and seventh, one among many forms of government, is the civil government.

Today, we are implicitly totalitarian. We speak of the state as the government. That's totalitarian. So we have to rid ourselves of such things. The Christian theonomic society will only come about as each man governs himself under God and governs his particular sphere. And only so will we take back government from the state and put it in the hands of Christians.

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• Rousas
• John
• Rushdoony
• Christian
• Reconstruction
• Reformed
• God's
• Law
• theonomy

[marxotube]

What kind of Protestants celebrate the Catholic dark ages that Luther & Calvin revolted against?

[jcr4runner]

@marxotube

Two big misconceptions here:

1. The "Dark Ages" is a term coined by Renaissance humanists who preferred the paganism of Greece and Rome.

2. Luther and Calvin were not Revolutionaries. They were Reformers. They wanted to reform Christianity to the theology of the Bible and Church Fathers -- especially on the doctrine of salvation by grace alone. They did not believe in throwing out everything the Catholic Church taught.

[jaymthegenius]

Didn't Rome fall because of the disregard of education and the inability to maintain the aqueducts and roads? The rise in the dark ages directly and "coincidentally" correlates with the rise of Christianity.

Isn't the guy in the video the one with the false sense of entitlement to kill witches and gay's? Whoever said that gays and witches should be executed deserved to have his skull cracked open where wild animals eat his brains, along with anyone whom agrees with him.

[jcr4runner]

The term "dark ages" refers to the Christian age. It was a term invented by Renaissance humanists who preferred the classical age.

Ironically none of the classical writings would have survived were it not for Christians.

While the literature of most civilizations has been lost, Christianity has preserved much of western writing because of the work of monks during the so-called "dark ages."

In most cultures the literature and language of one culture disappears once it is conquered or changes.

[brunettehoney0]

I am muslim but have cried many nights over the proposed destruction of the family unit when I think of what the many generations after me will be facing. I am uniting with the Christians in this war being waged against society's most basic unit and really do not want to see the moral fabric being torn to shreds. I believe in the fundamental messages of the bible just as I believe in the Quran and we should unite forces against this terrible wave of atheism.

[Itrytotestify]

Heyy I'm reading his Revolt Against Maturity.

[brunettehoney0]

Granted the comments on this video are over 6 months old I just wanted to say that there is nothing wrong with peaceful spread of information about religion. Physical force/blackmailing is what should present a problem.

[dunn98632]

so what he means by central is like one type of religion and one type of united speach and stuff like that instead of being seperate . Im Christian i i know that at one time tmost of the country was religous. I wonder if they were working on changing a our country to what its trying to be today all the way back when someone wanted witches burned . We all know that witches work from the earth and just help people never hurt people .

[jcr4runner]

You remind me of atheists like Joseph Stalin, Pol Pot and Mao tse Tung who say they want all people live in an equal communist state and then we find mass graves of dissidents.

[Blasphemer2]

You remind me of the muslims who say "oh we're a religion of peace" when they are talking to the infedels, but turn around and preach world domination when they are talking amongst themselves.

Liberals like myself just want a world where everyone can do there own thing (thus the term...liberal) so you (and me) don't have to worry about some imam or preacher pronouncing me (or you) a heretic and ruining our day.

A secular govt is the only way to do that.

One more time; You're free...I'm free