If you're a Christian, you have to believe in the essential goodness of authority Fathers, apostles, elders, deacons kings, judges prophets, and priests were all God's ideas.
But that doesn't mean you obey unfaithful elders, lazy deacons, lying prophets, abusive fathers, or tyrranical kings without question. God's own authority is always open for appeal through our mediator, Jesus.
I love that last idea: that God the father's own authority is open for appeal through God the son.
Tangentially, it reminds me of my favorite song re. the problem of evil - perhaps, in practice and imo, the most neglected issue with Christian doctrine: "Sympathy for Jesus," from The Khrusty Brothers, by Don Chaffer
Full lyrics, b/c why not... (https://www.waterdeep.com/the-khrusty-brothers-lyrics):
"I came stumbling into churchWith a hot gun in my hands
I was ready to talk to Jesus
To tell him my demands
But Jesus ain't no fool
He's seen this kinda thing before
And He had a couple angels stop me
At the front door
I said now come on that ain't fair
You should be accessible to all
He said everybody gets a secretary
Even just to take their calls
So address me to my face
If you think you've got the balls
But I ain't playin' around
Boy, at all
This was not what I expected
So I stiffened in my stance
And I tried hard to remember
Every single shitty circumstance
Then I quivered like a victim
With his predator in sight
I was ready now to vindicate I was ready to start a fight
Now you can stand right there and judge me
Shoot, you can send me straight to hell
I know you got the power
I know that fact full well
But before you do explain to me
Why suffering and why death?
And why did I pray all those years
And waste all that good breath?
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Well the angels sang it under their breath by the door
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
I give up, I can't go on like this any moreWell I appreciate your kind, he said
And then Jesus poured a drink
My face musta looked funny
Cause he said, It's not like you think
I'm saddled with the job you know
Of interpreting my Dad
To a bunch of frightened people,
Frightened or just mad
And most of 'em think they got it right
And then he threw some ice cubes in
But most of 'em are just dead wrong
About life and death and sin
And then I got my fiancée'
She's s'posed to speak my mind
But sometimes she's just chicken
And then she messes it up other times"
Man I love this song...
Waterdeep... if you're out there in #christiannostr in thank you for being yourselves and making music!
That's very good, basically a re-telling of the book of Job
I'm not sure I'd agree entirely with you on that, but there are a lot of similarities in concept between this song and Job. I imagine it could be a retelling of several Psalms, perhaps even something like Lamentations - though, I'm not familiar with the narrative in that book.
The part that hits home for me his how often we (1) neglect to complain and protest God re. injustice as a form of legitimate prayer. and (2) that Jesus stands to reveal the Father to us, often in a way very different from our preconceptions of God.
I'm not sure I agree. It was the people of Israel who asked Samuel to appoint them a king in 1 Samuel 8. God thought it was a bad idea and asked Samuel to let them know what they were in for. Samuel's response would make any libertarian proud.
Yes, that's a very good point. I'm on team "king", but only just, exactly because of this.
The idea of a priest mediating between God and man predates Aaron by a long way. The 'priesthood of all believers' idea in Hebrews and elsewhere empowers the community over a centralised authority figures.
For thousands of years rulers have sort to indoctrinate their people with the idea that they get there authority from on high and compliance with their authority will lead to rewards in eternity and disobedience will lead to damnation. Nostr's favourate political philosopher called this the opiate of the people. The message I read in the Christian story is subversion of centralised authority and non-violent resistance to oppressive power structures. I don't read much doting over authority and systems of control.
I have a focus on reducing institutional corruption, to help stabilize human civilization
Therefore I promote having direct relationships with God, including when you are a Christian
