Welcome to the conversation, Is that matter of podcast? My name is John Harris. We are going to reflect in this episode on the last year, a year of contradictions. We're going to talk about Dr. Fauchy, we're going to talk about

just everything that's happened. We've had travel ban, lockdowns, what was it, 15 days I think it was to stop the spread we've had masks now double

masks we've had the quote-unquote vaccine there's there's just been a lot going on and and that's only on I mean I'm not even talking

about all the social justice stuff that accompanied the BLM's movement, but this is just the lockdown virus COVID stuff.

And I remember when we were still in that, might even be before the 15 days to stop the

spread, but it was right on the cusp of that whole situation.

For those who were listening at that time you know that I was

arguing against locking down churches and businesses almost in every

episode I mean I just really came out strong and I saw it as a threat to civil liberties, a threat to

religious liberty. I saw it as not a fair application of Romans 13 which is the argument that really we were hearing ad nauseum

at that time in evangelicalism. It's loving your neighbor to put on the mask, lock down the church, not sing at church as the case may be.

We were hearing Romans 13 used all the time that we have to submit this is our duty.

And I was pretty alone at first I remember

feeling that loneliness I think it was there was a few other voices it was not

many James White was one of them I think one one of the things, it's not the only thing, but I think one of the big things that separated those who were early on against this stuff and those who were, well, let's give it a try, you know, let's submit to the government and

then they woke up kind of later.

John MacArthur might be a good example of someone like that where I remember, I distinctly

remember, because I was discouraged by it.

He had done a podcast with Phil Johnson or an interview

and he did use Romans 13 as the reason that Grace Community Church had to shut down

and then it was like three months later he's saying nope Romans 13 doesn't allow the government to shut down and then it was like three months later he's saying no

Romans 13 doesn't allow the government to shut down our church this is something God's

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