Governed by God

This week I look at the concept of thanksgiving. First, I consider the importance of giving thanks as described in Romans 1. Then, I address the historical significance of Thanksgiving, including two Thanksgiving proclamations given by Thomas Jefferson and George Washington. Their proclamations are nothing short of Christian in their theology and terminology. If those proclamations were given today by a governor or president, I imagine that the person would quickly be labeled a Christian Nationalist.

As always, if you have any law/government related questions, feel free to email me at [email protected], and I will be happy to address them on the program. Thank you and God bless!

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In continuing our study of John Locke's two treatises on government, today I finish up looking at his second treatise. The premise of Locke's version of Social Contract Theory is that, at some point in the past, everyone was completely independent and free but then explicitly consented to form a government. Locke does not explain when this meeting took place, or why it resulted in a system of majority rule for those who consented. Those who come later still have to consent, but Locke fails to point out that later generations only need to give implicit, or silent, consent. The problem with these two different forms of consent is that no serious long-term relationship can be based purely on consent, whether implicit or explicit. We see the failure of this concept in many different areas within our culture.

As always, if you have any law/government related questions, feel free to email me at [email protected], and I will be happy to address them on the program. Thank you and God bless!

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Today I shift over to a discussion of John Locke and his works on government. Many consider Locke to be both a secularist and a key influence in the American War for Independence. I challenge both of those notions. More specifically, I look at his first treatise on government, which was a response to the concept of the divine right of kings. Then I begin looking at his second treatise on government regarding the matter of consent of the people. Consent is a vague concept, and one that I think hinders Locke from really reaching an accurate conception of civil government.

As always, if you have any law/government related questions, feel free to email me at [email protected], and I will be happy to address them on the program. Thank you and God bless!

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Today I finish our study of Democracy in America, by Alexis de Tocqueville, by looking at what he says concerning the women of America. In the 1830s, Tocqueville drew a stark contrast between American women and the women of France. He went so far as to say that the prosperity, success, and strength of America was a direct result of "the superiority of their women." But what was it about American women that made them superior? The answer might be surprising.

As always, if you have any law/government related questions, feel free to email me at [email protected], and I will be happy to address them on the program. Thank you and God bless!

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Today I look at two documents. The first is the book of Philemon from the New Testament, which sets the stage for the peaceful end of slavery. The second is Alexis de Tocqueville's book Democracy in America, in which he discusses the issue of slavery in the southern states. He argues against slavery not only on the basis of Christianity, but also on the basis of economics. Simply put, slave states were far worse off economically than free states, and that is not an accident.

As always, if you have any law/government related questions, feel free to email me at [email protected], and I will be happy to address them on the program. Thank you and God bless!

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Today I continue looking at Alexis de Tocqueville's work Democracy in America, written in the 1830s. He saw Americans as having an inordinate love of the power of the majority. Yet even so, liberty remained strong in the land. How was that possible? What was restraining the power of the majority in the United States? Tocqueville provides the answer to that by highlighting three things that preserve liberty: demographic/geographic factors, federalism/decentralization, and the Christian faith.

As always, if you have any law/government related questions, feel free to email me at [email protected], and I will be happy to address them on the program. Thank you and God bless!

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To start off this season, I look at the writings of Alexis de Tocqueville, specifically his work Democracy in America written in the 1830s. Today I consider his chapter on omnipotence and tyranny of the majority. In democracy, we say that majority rules. But what restrains the majority from abusing their power? What about when the majority opinion is formed? How are those who go against the majority treated? Tocqueville answers those questions while also describing what we would call the roots of cancel culture in America. Now, almost two hundred years later, the roots of cancel culture have produced the fruit.

As always, if you have any law/government related questions, feel free to email me at [email protected], and I will be happy to address them on the program. Thank you and God bless!

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This week, I finish the series on idolatry and the demonic by looking at our modern context. Secularism, at its root, is a modern form of paganism. The idea that there is no God, there is no meaning, and we are all just little autonomous gods running around is simply paganism repackaged. These ideas have possessed our culture today, similar to other cultures in the past. But there is a solution. So please join me today as I end this season of the podcast looking at a very important, and relevant, topic.

As always, if you have any law/government related questions, feel free to email me at [email protected], and I will be happy to address them on the program. Thank you and God bless!

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This week, I continue with the series on idolatry and the demonic by looking at the god Molech, or Moloch. Molech was a god of death and harvest, requiring sacrifices for success and protection against evil. He was most well-known for the demand of child-sacrifices, something that the people of Israel failed to resist. Join me today as I consider the worship of Molech through the ancient world and how it continues today.

As always, if you have any law/government related questions, feel free to email me at [email protected], and I will be happy to address them on the program. Thank you and God bless!

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This week, I continue with part two regarding the ancient worship of Asherah, or Ishtar. As an androgynous goddess whose holiest month was June, what else did Asherah worship involve? Most importantly, why does that matter for today? This is part of my greater series on idolatry, the demonic, and the pagan deities of the ancient near east.

As always, if you have any law/government related questions, feel free to email me at [email protected], and I will be happy to address them on the program. Thank you and God bless!

Follow me on Facebook or Twitter or go to www.ericluppold.com

Please support me on Patreon!