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Theocratic Blasphemy Laws: A Florilegium of Prudential Observations | Doug Wilson
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Over the last week or so a discussion broke out over my contention in Mere Christendom that while blasphemy laws are inescapable, and that while Christians should be laboring to see that our society upholds the first table of the law as well as the second, we should make sure that we restrain the biggest blasphemer first. That perennial blasphemer, as I argued in my book, is the state. We should topple Nebuchadnezzar’s statue first, and after we are confident that the central offender is suitably chastened, we may then move on to the pressing question of what to do about the rantings of the village atheist.
Until we know how to restrain the institution most given over to blasphemy, we are not to be entrust that institution with the power of coercion over private citizens. Prior to Nebuchadnezzar’s repentance, he ought not to have plenipotentiary power to whack blasphemers—because the smart money is that he will whack the ones who didn’t bow down to his statue.
Make no mistake—righteous blasphemy laws would have to apply to private citizens at some point. This would mean they would have to be applied with a judicious prudence, as Stephen Wolfe would argue, and not with any kind of blinkered torquemadian zeal. But make no mistake on the follow up point also. The one enforcing the law needs to be in a position to cast the first non-hypocritical stone (John 8:3-11Open in Logos Bible Software (if available)). This is not me waffling on the rigors of theocracy. It is one of the requirements of theocracy. The standards must be applied to the enforcers of standards first. Christians must never forget that our faith is founded on the historical fact of a misbegotten blasphemy conviction.
Doug Wilson's Blog & Mablog video is presented by Canon Press.
Until we know how to restrain the institution most given over to blasphemy, we are not to be entrust that institution with the power of coercion over private citizens. Prior to Nebuchadnezzar’s repentance, he ought not to have plenipotentiary power to whack blasphemers—because the smart money is that he will whack the ones who didn’t bow down to his statue.
Make no mistake—righteous blasphemy laws would have to apply to private citizens at some point. This would mean they would have to be applied with a judicious prudence, as Stephen Wolfe would argue, and not with any kind of blinkered torquemadian zeal. But make no mistake on the follow up point also. The one enforcing the law needs to be in a position to cast the first non-hypocritical stone (John 8:3-11Open in Logos Bible Software (if available)). This is not me waffling on the rigors of theocracy. It is one of the requirements of theocracy. The standards must be applied to the enforcers of standards first. Christians must never forget that our faith is founded on the historical fact of a misbegotten blasphemy conviction.
Doug Wilson's Blog & Mablog video is presented by Canon Press.
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