Gov. 1A-10: The Sovereign Family In Genesis

Let it be known that this essay had been completed and edited, but, for technical difficulties, was not saved in complete form. therefore It is not my belief that investing more time into this essay would be a productive use of my resources. Hence at this time, I have decided not to complete and publish it.

Write a 500-word essay on this topic. Describe family government in terms of the five institutional characteristics:

sovereignty

hierarchy (authority)

law

sanctions

succession

    There is no institution more fundamental than the family. Throughout all of human history, virtually no human affairs would be possible without the governing influence of the family. There is nothing more natural for humanity than the sacred vows of marriage and family. The lawful partnership of husband and wife, the subordination of children to parents, the succession of authority and properties through generations, and the sovereignty of the elder's leadership. All of these are human universals, as students of the humanities, we focus on what unites us. Today we are exploring the universality of the sovereign family and its biblical description

    To understand the family we must first understand the nature of its establishment. Each family begins with marriage, a voluntary oath between a man and a woman. Genesis 2 says this "Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother, and cleave to his wife; they shall become one flesh." In this passage Eve is depicted as the side of adam, she was made to live beSIDE him in literal terms. This is not a contract mediated by any other entity, the Law of marriage is defined by the nature of man according to his commitment to his wife. It is also an exclusive contract, the family government almost universally excludes all other entities from its jurisdiction. That exclusivity extends to the parents of the partners, a son leaves them and joins his wife. 

    As everyone knows children follow marriage, However, creation and history inevitably reflect this ethic. Deuteronomy 21: 18-21 establishes the right of parents to place sanctions on their children, which firmly establishes them as authoritative in the family hierarchy. this is done to enforce discipline and reverence for the good among God's people. Through this passage, we begin to see the family dynamic emerge in The Bible, a dynamic that is universal to human civilization.

    But some things are still unclear from this picture. Despite all modern protests, in history patriarchy is almost universal. The exact biblical dynamic between husband and wife is a question for another day, but suffice it to say that it holds up to popular criticism. 

• Progress in the Family: Low tome preference, optimism, inheritance
• Lesson 9: family jurisdiction

  • Right to exclude
  1. Husbands lead wives exclusively
  2. children are under their parent's authority
  3. parents define law
  4. Parents enforce rules by sanction
  5. Adult sons succeed in their father's role as sovereign
  • Immunity to interference
  1. The state did not create the family
  2. The state is not responsible for children
  3. The family decides its own moral values
  4. The family has the right to defend itself
  5. Adults are not to be prevented from exercising their rights
  • Education
  • Education is never neutral
  • predicated on the educator's worldview
  • The family should regulate its own education
  • The family chooses its own methods
  • the state and the family have divergent motivations
  • leads to a conflict of interest
  • the state indoctrinates
  • the family supports itself
  • "He who pays the piper calls the tune"

  Conclusions

  • The family has legitimate jurisdiction
  • the family is not an agent of the state
  • the family has a zone of immunity
  • parents enforce discipline
  • children inherit
  • the state conflicts with the interests of the family
  • the state expands at the expense of the family