Is Jean Jacques Rousseau right when he says that the 1st

atoz

Is Jean Jacques Rousseau right when he says that the first
of all laws is to respect the laws?

"The first of all laws is to respect the laws:
the severity of penalties is only a vain resource,
invented by little minds, in order to substitue terror for that Respect, which they have no means of obtaining."
JJR, A Discourse on Political Economy, 1758.

Does JRR's statement tie in with anything God says in the Bible or not?

with al Love and R,
atoz

atoz · Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2008 12:22 am Post subject:

Exodus 20:
12Honour thy father and thy mother:
that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

"To DESPISE legitimate authority,
in whomsoever vested,
is unlawful,
as a rebelion aginst the Divine Will;
and whoever resists that rushes wilfully to destruction."
Leo X111, Encyclical Immortale Dei, 1885.

with all Love for all parents and all children,
with no Hate for any parent nor for any child,
atoz

wilber · Banned Joined: 20 Dec 2007 Posts: 581

Sounds like a dangerous idea to me. I prefer the example of St Polycarp.
If there are evil laws then we may need to stand firm against them. We are citizens of another country. Our loyalty is to another.

I have heard some preach that the first and most dangerous sin is rebelion. They did so in order to tell their congregation to 'toe the line'. Shut up and do what the leaders tell you!

Others say that it is 'Pride', in which case it will be those who are in highest position who will be most at risk.

wilber