I reason that “thou shalt not steal” is universally applicable, to one man and to many men whether the theft is done personally or by proxy; representative government.

Meaning, that the 8th Commandment, “Thou shalt not Steal” is the most solid reasoning the authors quoted above are assuming.

A bold pure Darwinistically reasoning God hater could reply to them:

“Like hell, if I can get away with it, I will steal as much as I damn well please. And if I can get enough other con men & types like me, we’ll band together and NO one will oppose or stop us.”

Behold, the genesis of the State, unhindered by God,
God’s Word or Christians.

That is what we get when Christians are afraid of quoting Him, front & center, without apology. God is the Creator of all things, more powerful than any creature, and only HE has the power, right & authority to tell anyone & everyone – the ‘State’ included, what they can & cannot do.

Only God’s Law even forbids THINKING about stealing. If the thought is ‘seed of the deed’, then even thinking about stealing is Wrong, so says the 10th Commandment, “Thou shalt not Covet, thy neighbors…..anything, house, servant, wife, goods, you name it.”

As the Apostle Paul says in the New Testament, “I would not have known that coveting was wrong, had God’s commmandment not explained “Thou shalt not covet…anything that is thy neighbors…”

Consider well what this means:

Doesn’t this absolutely forbid any type of welfare state ? – Doesn’t the theft of taxation begin with coveteousness on the part of men, for subsistance at the expense of their neighbors – in short, ‘Coveting’, that which belongs to others ?

I’m not gainsaying the reasoning expressed by the Libertarian authors quoted above, but I am urging us not to neglect the authority of God’s Word.

Assumptions determine conclusions, and proper authority MUST back any action we hope to be correct. Otherwise, it’s just opinion vs. opinion.

[Here I picture two of my girls fighting over what they both THINK is my standard, without reference to what I have already told them - they could both be at odds with each other, and yet not be holding to my standard. To apply this example, the father's authority is as God's and the two girls are well meaning, but fallible & finite people debating what is a proper standard for them to adopt - ]

[The fatal flaw of athestic Libertarianism is the assumption that human relationships, in purely horizontal fashion, can provide a firm basis for Liberty....but that is a whole 'nother topic.]

Nor should our defense be with Natural Law reasoning, alone, for it falls short (it can only stand firm with God’s Law in tandem, as the Declaration cites….”The Laws of Nature & Nature’s God…” That is Natural Law & Biblical Law, in modern parlance.)

Christians, don’t be ashamed of God’s Law. And champion a fuller understanding of it, so that our wicked, unjust society may be reformed.

Galatians 5:1: “Stand fast therefore, in the Liberty where with Christ has set you free & do not be enslaved again with the yoke of bondage….”

And bravo for the Libertarian impulse to be very explicit when discussing Principles of Liberty.

Once Christians can articulate these Principles, and link them to God’s Law, the State will be starvation diet !

Meaning, that the 8th Commandment, “Thou shalt not Steal” is the most solid reasoning the authors quoted above are assuming.

A bold pure Darwinistically reasoning God hater could reply to them:

“Like hell, if I can get away with it, I will steal as much as I damn well please. And if I can get enough other con men & types like me, we’ll band together and NO one will oppose or stop us.”

Behold, the genesis of the State, unhindered by God,
God’s Word or Christians.

That is what we get when Christians are afraid of quoting Him, front & center, without apology. God is the Creator of all things, more powerful than any creature, and only HE has the power, right & authority to tell anyone & everyone – the ‘State’ included, what they can & cannot do.

Only God’s Law even forbids THINKING about stealing. If the thought is ‘seed of the deed’, then even thinking about stealing is Wrong, so says the 10th Commandment, “Thou shalt not Covet, thy neighbors…..anything, house, servant, wife, goods, you name it.”

As the Apostle Paul says in the New Testament, “I would not have known that coveting was wrong, had God’s commmandment not explained “Thou shalt not covet…anything that is thy neighbors…”

Consider well what this means:

Doesn’t this absolutely forbid any type of welfare state ? – Doesn’t the theft of taxation begin with coveteousness on the part of men, for subsistance at the expense of their neighbors – in short, ‘Coveting’, that which belongs to others ?

I’m not gainsaying the reasoning expressed by the Libertarian authors quoted above, but I am urging us not to neglect the authority of God’s Word.

Assumptions determine conclusions, and proper authority MUST back any action we hope to be correct. Otherwise, it’s just opinion vs. opinion.

[Here I picture two of my girls fighting over what they both THINK is my standard, without reference to what I have already told them - they could both be at odds with each other, and yet not be holding to my standard. To apply this example, the father's authority is as God's and the two girls are well meaning, but fallible & finite people debating what is a proper standard for them to adopt - ]

[The fatal flaw of athestic Libertarianism is the assumption that human relationships, in purely horizontal fashion, can provide a firm basis for Liberty....but that is a whole 'nother topic.]

Nor should our defense be with Natural Law reasoning, alone, for it falls short (it can only stand firm with God’s Law in tandem, as the Declaration cites….”The Laws of Nature & Nature’s God…” That is Natural Law & Biblical Law, in modern parlance.)

Christians, don’t be ashamed of God’s Law. And champion a fuller understanding of it, so that our wicked, unjust society may be reformed.

Galatians 5:1: “Stand fast therefore, in the Liberty where with Christ has set you free & do not be enslaved again with the yoke of bondage….”

And bravo for the Libertarian impulse to be very explicit when discussing Principles of Liberty.

Once Christians can articulate these Principles, and link them to God’s Law, the State will be starvation diet !