Rushdoony argues that hospitality and charity are moral institutions, commanded by God and central to biblical faith not optional niceties. From Israel to the early church, caring for strangers and fellow believers was essential to covenant life and survival, especially under persecution. Scripture commands hospitality, but also sets clear boundaries: charity is not unconditional and must honor discipline, doctrine, and responsibility.

Because Christian hospitality creates a real community outside the state, it has always provoked hostility. Just as Rome persecuted the early church for its independent charity, modern governments increasingly regulate, restrict, or criminalize Christian care whether feeding the poor, disciplining members, or educating children claiming exclusive authority over welfare, morality, and judgment. Legal persecution, he warns, is often meticulous and “lawful.”

At root is a conflict between two kingdoms: the kingdom of God and the kingdom of man. Biblical freedom flows from Christ’s atonement and self-government under God’s law; statist “freedom” relies on coercion and control. The choice before Christians is stark: conversion or coercion. Either society is re-Christianized through faith and action, or the church will increasingly be pressured into silence and submission.