Scenarios
- The state should decide everything
- The state should keep out of everything
One-liners
- What's your model?
In-brief
Some feel the state should control everything: income, education, health, beliefs... cradle-to-grave. Others want freedom to decide on personal economics, what their children should learn - particularly around ethics, health priorities vs cost. They hold that the state is not competent to make these decisions and should keep away.
What about world government as pursued by the World Economic Forum and parts of the UN?
The question is how do we think about these things and where do we get our guidance?
A biblical approach sees different 'spheres' each with its own responsibilities and limits.
The nation-state is a unit God works with - as exemplified in Israel. He works against too much centralising of power as we see in the Tower of Babel, and the fall of empire-like civilisations. Within the state the authorities have been given a role in punishing evil and rewarding good. It has been given 'the sword' ie power to coerce within its legal limits. There are further divisions eg in Government with 'separation of powers'. The aim is that each does its job and does not arrogate additional powers to itself - overreach.
The church has its own area of responsibility and should not seek to take over civil governing, nor should it allow the state to dictate beliefs. Both can express views but not exercise power. 'Separation of church and state' was designed to keep the state out of the church rather than the other way round, as is often quoted.
Likewise families have responsibility to God for their activities in society and the bringing up of children.
The 'state' is in any case not an all-knowing entity, it's just a bunch of people like us - who may have civil power for now but need rational-humility and should not presume to know what is best for other people in other areas of their lives.
Shield verses
- Jesus Christ, who is … the ruler of the kings of the earth.
Rev 1:5
Digging deeper 
