You're right. And all the good laws in the world will not make a wicked person righteous. Religious (preaching the Gospel) and civic duties (standing up for freedom) definitely go hand in hand... as has been said, it only works with a moral and religious people.Hyrcanus wrote:I'm not saying that the punishing of vices itself is tyranny, only that the same authority we assign the government to punish those vices can be used for tyrannical means. As an example of this I'd hearken back to the despicable persecution of the Church over Celestial Marriage. Much of the argument and rhetoric revolved around what the government saw as horrible immorality. Clearly the Lord doesn't see it that way, but what was usually used to prohibit real vices like adultery, sodomy, etc, was turned on a people following the Lord's explicit will.
"Wherefore, be subject to the powers that be, until he reigns whose right it is to reign, and subdues all enemies under his feet."