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Maybe, but it could just be the normal glitches with the forums. Especially if you included any links.

(After the first paragraph, this is heavily influenced by the fact that I’m American, and it occurred to me partway through writing that this isn’t necessarily an all-American forum, so it might not apply to everyone.)

So an interesting note on this from my Bible reading a few days ago. Chapter breaks were added to the Bible by translators, which I normally don’t notice too much except that I was reading Romans the other day and the end of chapter 12, which is all about repaying no one evil for evil, would have flowed right into the beginning of chapter 13 about respecting the governing authorities, in the original.

Now, I don’t think this means we should just endure injustice if there’s something we can do about it, and our (U.S.) government is one we have influence over, unlike the government of the Romans Paul was writing to. I do think it’s still our responsibility to peaceably resist injustice. The second amendment rallies come to mind, or (in regards to COVID) just peacefully but firmly saying no to a mask or a vaccine.

I don’t think the government has any right to mandate personal health choices. Strong recommendations are one thing; deciding “you have to do this, or else” is quite another. “Render to Caesar what is Caesar’s and render to God what is God’s,” and my body is the temple of God, which means I’m going to care for it in what I believe is the most biblical manner. I don’t personally think that impeding God’s design for breathing or unnecessarily supplementing the immune system He designed with something man-made is the most God-honoring option. Which is not to say that I don’t think there are people who can benefit from the vaccine, or that anyone who chooses to wear a mask is an idiot, or that I personally ignore the fact that COVID is an illness and act accordingly. I do try to keep my distance from strangers and wash my hands regularly, because those seem to be the most effective means of preventing transmission from a purely scientific standpoint. Being responsible with my health is still biblical; I just don’t think masks and vaccines are the best way to be responsible with my health.

Our government is restricted by a constitution, and power was given to the people to “throw off such [corrupt] government” should the need arise, so in the context of the U.S. I think it’s reasonable to replace government leaders who are “a terror to good works” with leaders who will be a terror to evil, if we keep the proper attitude in doing so.