| Well, this is an argument frequently used by non-believers to explain
why so many people believe in God. And I won't deny that governments have
frequently used religion to keep people in line. And perhaps some religions
were specifically created by governments. But Christianity, at least, was
quite obviously not created by any government. The early Christians stood
in opposition to the government of their day, even against the religious
establishment of their day, and the Bible tells us to put God's laws before
those created by men. It does tell us to be subject to governments (Romans
13:1), but that means to accept the imposed consequences of our disobedience
when we disobey. Christianity as prescribed by the Bible is not something
that would make us puppets of the establishment. |