Welcome to General Chat - GAW Community Area
This General Chat area started off as a place for people to talk about things that are off topic, however it has quickly evolved into a community and has become an integral part of the GAW experience for many of us.
Based on its evolving needs and plenty of user feedback, we are trying to bring some order and institute some rules. Please make sure you read these rules and participate in the spirit of this community.
Rules for General Chat
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Be respectful to each other. This is of utmost importance, and comments may be removed if deemed not respectful.
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Avoid long drawn out arguments. This should be a place to relax, not to waste your time needlessly.
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Personal anecdotes, puzzles, cute pics/clips - everything welcome
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Please do not spam at the top level. If you have a lot to post each day, try and post them all together in one top level comment
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Try keep things light. If you are bringing in deep stuff, try not to go overboard.
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Things that are clearly on-topic for this board should be posted as a separate post and not here (except if you are new and still getting the feel of this place)
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If you find people violating these rules, deport them rather than start a argument here.
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Feel free to give feedback as these rules are expected to keep evoloving
In short, imagine this thread to be a local community hall where we all gather and chat daily. Please be respectful to others in the same way
I was reading Romans 13 this morning and it's always difficult for me, as one who admires the freedom-loving spirit of my brethren south of the border in the USA, to reconcile Romans 13:1-5 with the entire notion of how America was founded and what we are fighting for now. Maybe someone can explain how they think of righteous revolution in light of Rom 13:1-5.
In the context of the USA, we the people are the governing authorities through representation according to our founding documents. To many Christians in We The People completely ignore our governing design and bow down in serfdom to our kings and queens ruling over us in a misunderstanding of what this country is and the responsibilities the citizens have, to lead it. When this goes on for to long we end up in the current dystopia we're trying to wake people out of. To rightly apply the passages we must consider our unique government and our collective responsibility to weild that sword Paul mentions upon traitors and tyrants.
But the USA was founded by rebelling against the King of the 13 colonies, which is at least a little difficult to justify in view of Romans 13.
What is meant by governing? Like God? Like Pharoah? My take is that when a God instituted governing body rejects governing for tyrany it forfeits a divine mandate. People are image bearers of God. When a government starts treating them like chattle that government has failed and it is the God honoring citizens responsibility to secure God instituted government. If it's not working for your good, it's probably working in a direction contrary to God's design. The founding fathers wrote it all down and made it happen.
I would go for that if Paul hadn't written those words in the context of the Roman Emperors. I don't see a way around the text with that context.