Modern theonomy

DAVID GADBOIS SAID:

“Steve, I disagree. Clark is representing the view that I find most prevalent in 2K theologians (and, to me, the most sensible) - the idea that the government's responsibility is to enforce the second table of the 10 Commandments, and not the first table.”

Well, David, you obviously suffer from a very wooden caricature of the theonomic alternative. Theonomy is far more flexible and humane than truculent opponents like you make it out to be.

For example, let’s take the case of average idolater. By “idolater,” I mean someone who attends a church with candles, incense, stained glass, or pipe organs.

In a situation like that we’d give the idolater an opportunity to choose his preferred method of execution, whether by burning, boiling, disembowelment, dismemberment, drawing & quartering, flaying, impalement, sawing, or scaphism.

Further, culturally-sensitive accommodations could also be made. For example, a vegan might opt to be boiled alive in soybean oil rather than peanut oil.

Of course, such leniency only applies in the case of penitent idolaters. In the case of impenitent idolaters, we might find it necessary to resort to sterner measures.