| This thought-provoking article introduces the | | | | who commit them should either be fined, or |
| reader to various applications of the Christian | | | | beaten with stripes (whipped in public), or both, as |
| worldview to a host of political, social, theological | | | | the magistrate shall determine (but never |
| and economic issues. Seat belts are required for | | | | exceeding 40); both the amount of the fine, and |
| this ride.The issues chosen represent a selective | | | | number of stripes should be determined by |
| sample from Carson's studies. The Mandate aims | | | | judges upon conviction by a jury. In the case of |
| to provide something of an overview of what a | | | | capital crimes, the death penalty is warranted. In |
| Christian nation would look like; for "righteousness | | | | no case should anyone ever be sentenced to an |
| exalts a nation," and "blessed is that nation whose | | | | extended stay in a prison.Prisons only punish |
| God is the Lord." Boy, is this going to be | | | | innocent taxpayers for the offences of criminals |
| controversial or what.1. National Covenanting.The | | | | and dehumanize those so incarcerated. The prison |
| Law of God requires the conjoining of U.S. | | | | system is inherently unjust and inhumane, |
| churches and citizens into a National Christian | | | | therefore, and ought to be abolished altogther, |
| Covenant with Almighty God, to honor the | | | | except for cells used as temporary detention |
| Person, Redemptive Work (Gospel), and Law, of | | | | devices for suspects awaiting trial, or for those |
| the Lord Jesus Christ -- as the only proper | | | | convicted of capital crimes who await execution. |
| foundation of law for this land. All other religions | | | | For it is written: "...that you should not go beyond |
| [meaning false religions] are thereby to be banned | | | | what is written."6d. Personal Medicinal Liberty. The |
| from the public realm; yet they may be practiced | | | | law of the Lord permits no government to ban |
| privately without hindrance from the civil | | | | the sale or purchase of any pharmacological |
| authorities. Although it is sinful at all times to | | | | substance or medical equipment of any kind, |
| practice false religion, yet not all sins are to be | | | | except those used to promote any sin (such as |
| outlawed. Thus, although it be detestable idolatry, | | | | "birth control"). Nevertheless, anyone found guilty |
| yet the Word of God permits that any person | | | | of killing another human being -- even though |
| may legally practice PRIVATELY whichever | | | | accidentally -- while intoxicated or inebriated, |
| religion(s) he will in his or her own home. | | | | because of the effects of some induced |
| Nevertheless, none may publicly promote any | | | | substance upon the killer's faculties -- the guilty |
| religion other than the faith of Jesus in any way, | | | | party shall face the death penalty for negligent |
| nor attempt to provide any good or service to | | | | homicide, which is the same as premeditated |
| aid and abet the unlawful promotion of false | | | | murder in the eyes of God. As it is written: "You |
| religion.2. National Sovereignty. Because the divine | | | | shall take eye for eye, tooth for tooth, life for |
| law recognizes nations and their leaders as | | | | life."6e. Biblical Medical Practices.The psychiatric |
| ordained of God's providence, nations therefore | | | | industry, based as it is upon so many |
| possess legitimate authority with the right of | | | | counter-biblical (false) assumtptions that it offers |
| self-government, and all those other rights | | | | no real help, and does much harm, to persons of |
| necessary for the establishment and maintaining | | | | all sorts -- should be abolished by law -- as ought |
| of good order in society delineated in the holy | | | | also alleged professional counselors and |
| Scripture.Consequently, this mandate rejects the | | | | psychologists.Most "mental problems" are in fact |
| alleged authority of any proposed international | | | | secondary effects of real physical conditions |
| CIVIL government -- whether formed by way of | | | | improperly diagnosed (or undiagnosed) by medical |
| contract, covenant, league, or other means -- as | | | | practitioners. Those in genuine need of sound |
| an attempted usurpation of the Crown Rights of | | | | counseling should seek the advice of the wise |
| Jesus Christ the Lord. For it is written: "but the | | | | elders of a church adorned by sound doctrine and |
| Lamb shall overcome them, for HE is Lord of | | | | good works. The Bible is sufficient for all matters |
| Lords and King of kings." Therefore, multi-national | | | | of faith and practice, such that he who |
| empire-building is unlawful under the New | | | | understands it well, and obeys it, is fit to counsel |
| Covenant, to all but the Lord Himself, to whom | | | | others. The wicked do not meet these |
| the nations were given by God (Ps. 2: Matt. | | | | qualifications -- even if licensed by some board or |
| 28:18)3. Public Reverence for God.3a. In accord | | | | other -- and are therefore not fit to counsel |
| with the second commandment, no business | | | | anyone. It is written: "Blessed is the man who |
| should be allowed to produce pictures, movies, | | | | walks not in the counsel of the wicked..." (Ps. 1:1).7. |
| films, statues (or images of any kind) which aim | | | | The Holiness of Marriage as a God-given |
| to portray any false deity [idols], nor of any one | | | | Institution.This Mandate stands opposed to all |
| of the three Persons of the most holy, Triune | | | | sexual sin, including birth control (except in cases |
| God of the Bible [the One True and Living God].3b. | | | | of undue health risk to one's wife). It especially |
| No business may lawfully import such products | | | | repudiates the detestable practices of sodomy, |
| (idols of any kind) to offer these for resale to the | | | | adultery, and the unlawful making or annulling of |
| public in this country. For it is written: "You shall | | | | marriage vows. For it is written: "You shall not |
| make for yourselves no carved image, nor any | | | | commit adultery," and again, "You shall not take |
| likeness of anything that is in the heaven above, | | | | the name of the Lord your God in vain."7a. Sexual |
| or on the earth beneath, or that is in the water | | | | Purity. All fornication (including prostitution) should |
| under the earth. You shall not bow down to them, | | | | be outlawed, including all forms of the public |
| nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a | | | | display of sex acts, and sexually suggestive |
| jealous God...".3c. Lawful Oath-taking. All oaths | | | | material; all obscene and/ or sexually explicit |
| must be taken publicly, in the Name of the God | | | | langauge used in public places, and/ or in print, and |
| of the Bible, as in "God the Father, Son, and Holy | | | | or by way of any public medium (such as radio |
| Spirit," (or some approximation thereof approved | | | | or television).8. Honest Money.The law of God |
| by the Christian Church) and in that most holy | | | | requires that nations provide 100% collateral |
| Name only. No oath taken in the name of any | | | | against their national currencies, and forbids |
| other so-called "god" should have any legal | | | | "fractional reserve" banking, and the printing of |
| authority to oblige others to any belief or act; | | | | paper money "at will." It is written: "You shall not |
| indeed, any such a blatant attempt to promote | | | | steal." Thus, the United States of America should |
| false religion should be punished severely by the | | | | cancel all unsecured debts incurred against it by |
| civil magistrate. As it is written: "You shall take | | | | debtor nations, returning promptly to a precious |
| your oaths in the Name of the Lord." And again, | | | | metals currency standard.8a. Lawful Taxation and |
| "Let not the name of other gods be upon your | | | | Payment. This Mandate proposes the abolition of |
| lips."4. Sabbath-Keeping. No person or business | | | | all unlawful forms of taxation (e.g. personal, federal |
| may lawfully perform commercial labor on the | | | | income tax and property tax) and the reduction |
| New Covenant Sabbath Day (Sunday), except for | | | | of all taxes combined to an amount totaling not |
| the causes of mercy or necessity. But all persons | | | | more than 9% of a workers gross income, just |
| must work diligently (as unto the Lord, and as | | | | as the divine law says. Minimum wage laws must |
| God enables) on the other 6 days, to meet their | | | | be abolished, and all employers must either pay |
| own needs, and those of others. For it is written, | | | | their laborers wages daily, or else (if agreeable to |
| "Six days shall you labor and do all your work." | | | | the workers) the employer must add 20% to the |
| And again, "Remember the Sabbath Day to keep | | | | principal owed for each night he withholds the |
| it holy."4a. No professional sporting event should | | | | worker's wage, according to the Law of the |
| ever be held, or be permitted to transpire, on the | | | | Lord.8b. The Abolition of Entitlements. As God calls |
| Lord's Day (any Sunday). No professional sporting | | | | civil authorities ONLY to punish evildoers (as |
| event that requires, or deliberately promotes, | | | | defined by His law), the causes of mercy and |
| violence against others may lawfully be held at | | | | charity fall to the jurisdictions of the churches, and |
| any time, including boxing, American football, | | | | private enterprise. Thus, the U.S. government (at |
| kickboxing, the type of melodramatic "wrestling" | | | | all levels) should abolish welfare, eliminate or sell |
| popular on TV, or other like "sports." No for-profit | | | | the public education system, and cause to cease |
| television programming may lawfully transmit on | | | | all other forms of entitlement programs. As it is |
| the Lord's Day, nor any commercial, nor any | | | | written: "He [the civil magistrate] is God's servant." |
| advertisement for any goods or services.4b. | | | | And again, "Do not add to the words of the Lord, |
| Environmental Responsibility. The law of God | | | | lest he rebuke you, and prove you a liar." The |
| requires that the land be allowed to rest fallow 1 | | | | considerable money thereby saved to the |
| year in 7 (whether done on a rotational basis or all | | | | government's budget should be refunded to all |
| at once). Moreover, the Bible commands all men | | | | taxpayers.8c. As it is not the proper domain of |
| to manage wisely the resources God has placed | | | | the federal government, the U.S. government |
| under their authority. To that end, this Mandate | | | | should abolish all tariffs and import taxes. These |
| supports environmentally sound projects, the | | | | unlawful taxes only serve to harm U.S. business |
| clean up (and prevention) of environmental | | | | interests abroad, and tend to cause international |
| damage, the preservation of wildlife, smog | | | | economic instability (e.g. trade wars).8d. As it is |
| reduction, and biofuels (and/ or clean fuels) as a | | | | not the proper domain of any government to |
| replacement for the use of fossil fuels. For it is | | | | sponsor sporting or cultural events, The U.S. |
| written: "The earth is the Lord's and the fullness | | | | government should withdraw all funding (and |
| thereof."4c. Charity. The Bible requires that we | | | | sponsorship) of any endowments for the arts, |
| seek to bless, protect, and help the weakest | | | | olympic games, and the like, leaving such pursuits |
| members of society: the infirm or injured, the | | | | to private interests.9. Antirealism (Instrumentalism) |
| elderly, the poor, widows, immigrants, orphans, | | | | in the Theoretical Sciences.Unless the central |
| the handicapped, and the very young. For it is | | | | claims of a theory can be tested OBSERVABLY, |
| written, "You shall love your neighbor as | | | | there is no way of knowing whether or not they |
| yourself."5. Biblical Child-rearing.Parents ought to | | | | "refer" (point to) extralinguistic entities. The |
| catechise their children with the standards given | | | | usefulness or predictive power of any model has |
| them by the Church, as well the Scriptures. | | | | no bearing upon its truthfulness, as utility and |
| Moreover, parents must (when necessary) | | | | veracity are unrelated attributes. Science history |
| enforce their God-given authority by either | | | | affords many examples of successful theories |
| sharply reproving their children, or by spanking | | | | presently judged "false" by their respective |
| them aggressively on the butt until those so | | | | scientific communities. This shows that NO |
| disciplined acknowledge their sins, apologising for | | | | scientific way of determining "truth" apart from a |
| them as directed by father or mother (or both). | | | | biblical warrant for knowledge exists. As it is |
| God regards failure to do so as the hatred of | | | | written: "All the treasures of wisdom and |
| children, which he strictly forbids. As it is written, | | | | knowledge are hid in Him [Christ]" (Col. 2:3).9a. |
| "He who spares the rod hates his son." Moreover, | | | | Biblical Creationism.I. No observable evidence |
| it is the duty, both of the elders of the Church | | | | exists for the popular-but-silly claims that life |
| and of the civil magistrate, to aid and abet | | | | evolved from non-life, intelligent life from |
| parents in the sacred duty of discipling their | | | | unintelligent, or that amoral animals evolved into |
| children, insofar as each office permits, and with | | | | humans. If that WERE true, if things "somehow" |
| the permission of the head of the household | | | | become their opposites, this would show that the |
| only.5a. Male Headship. The Law of God charges | | | | world is magical, undermining the assumptions that |
| that only men may hold public office, whether civil | | | | make science possible. Moreover, the |
| or ecclesiastical, and that the husband is the head | | | | interdependence of the organs of organisms and |
| of the wife in each family. The Bible thus opposes | | | | animals renders evolution an "all-at-once" or else |
| the holding of any public office by any woman, | | | | "never-at-all" proposition, since changing one organ |
| regardless of her intelligence, skills, or alleged | | | | would require CORRESPONDING changes in the |
| fitness for office based on the appeal to some | | | | other organs to retain the viability of the |
| other attribute. Both women and men may vote | | | | organism or animal in question.Evolutionary theory |
| at the age of 20 years, if they do and can prove | | | | is therefore: Scripturally false; logically impossible; |
| that they own real estate in the U.S.; this is the | | | | biologically unprovable, and hostile in principle to the |
| same age at which men may enter military | | | | scientific enterprise.II. This Mandate stands |
| service. The military may not impose any draft to | | | | opposed to "scientific creationism," which seeks to |
| induce unwilling participants to fight for a cause of | | | | turn the infallible Word of God into the fallible (and |
| which they disapprove. No woman may serve as | | | | often false) words of men (i.e. scientific models). |
| a combatant (soldier) in any branch of the military, | | | | This would rob the Word of God of its ultimate |
| but she may serve the military in a medical | | | | authority, foolishly subjecting God's surely-truthful |
| capacity, or in some other needed support role. | | | | claims to man-made (and erroneous) tests for |
| For God has appointed men to serve women as | | | | credibility. It is written: "You shall not put the Lord |
| protectors and leaders. Just as it is written: "But I | | | | your God to the test."9b. Biblical Education. The |
| would have you know that the head of every | | | | public education system should be rejected as a |
| man is Christ, and the head of the woman is the | | | | competitor to the biblical educational model |
| man, and the head of Christ is God."6. The Right | | | | (discipleship). OGC favors private education |
| to Life for Infants, and All Other Innocent | | | | offered from a thoroughly Christocentric |
| Persons.This Mandate stands opposed MOST | | | | perspective in: Biblical theology, literature and |
| EARNESTLY to the detestable execution of | | | | languages; logic and critical thinking; English; math; |
| prenatal infants under the guise of "abortion | | | | history; political science; the physcial sciences; |
| rights," or "embryonic stem cell research," or | | | | foreign language studies; economics; computer |
| under any other guise. For it is written: "You shall | | | | science; philosophy, and all studies preparatory for |
| do no murder."6a. Just Foreign Policies.Nations may | | | | real-life occupations.Parents are to play a vitally |
| lawfully wage defensive wars only, and only | | | | central role in the rearing of their children in the |
| against those directly responsible for acts of war. | | | | fear and the admonition of the Lord, and must |
| The U.S. has cause against Al-Qaeda operatives | | | | oversee the education of their children, whether |
| and conspirators, whose involvement in the "9/11 | | | | directly or indirectly. For it is written: "Fathers, |
| attack" can be proven in a U.S. court of law. | | | | teach your children;" and again, "Be fruitful and |
| Saddam Hussein has not been implicated by any | | | | multiply, fill the earth and subdue it."10. Fiscal |
| such evidence to date. Iraq thus falls outside the | | | | Wisdom.The law of the Lord permits no form of |
| proper domain of U.S. jurisdiction. The Bible implies | | | | gambling to the public. This includes all forms of |
| therefore, that the President of the United | | | | "wagering," or the use of machines or animals to |
| States, the honorable George W. Bush should | | | | bet upon or put money in; all attempts to |
| order an immediate, yet orderly and convenient, | | | | generate (or receive) random payments for |
| withdrawal of the U.S. military from Iraq; publicly | | | | money wagered should be outlawed. This does |
| apologize to God, the world, and the people of | | | | not include prize drawings as incentives to |
| Iraq for this sin; and to repay the Iraqi people | | | | purchase goods and services, where one wagers |
| double the market value of the damages caused | | | | no money or capital for the opportunity to win -- |
| by the recent U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq. | | | | as any person has the right to give away his |
| For it is written: "Righteousness exalts a nation, | | | | money or property however (s)he may |
| but sin disgraces any people."6b. The Death | | | | choose.Finally, no casino should be permitted to |
| Penalty for Heinous Crimes.The law of God | | | | operate, for it is written: "You shall not covet." |
| condemns to death some 30 kinds of criminals, | | | | Nevertheless, all forms of trading and investing |
| after a full investigation and jury find the suspect | | | | are lawful, whether it be the trading of stocks, |
| "guilty as charged" by the testimony of 2 or 3 | | | | futures, options or any other lawful product or |
| credible witnesses [The witnesses cannot | | | | service -- tangible or intangible -- including all |
| themselves be guilty of the crime in question.]. No | | | | tobacco and alcohol products. Yet all tobacco and |
| suspect of a capital crime may be convicted upon | | | | alcohol products should display clear warnings on |
| circumstantial evidence only, nor acquitted by | | | | their labels as to the potential health hazards of |
| reason of insanity.Upon conviction, the magistrate | | | | overconsuming such products, and the magistrate |
| must carry out the penalty stipulated by God | | | | may properly restrict smoking to private places, |
| (stoning) or its cultural equivalent (firing squad), | | | | according to the sixth commandment.Carson Day |
| immediately and publicly. In a few cases (such as | | | | has written some 1.3 gazillion articles and essays |
| adultery, or kidnapping where the victim survives), | | | | on a host of topics, which aim to glorify God and |
| the law of God allows the victim to waive or | | | | truly help people by passing on thought-provoking |
| mitigate the stipulated sentence, depending on the | | | | insights and more efficient ways people can live |
| nature of the crime.6c. Just Criminal Punishments | | | | wisely and well. |
| (Judgments). In the case of lesser crimes, those | | | | |