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In God We Don't Trust  /  Chapter 13: An Unjust Government  /  Discussion Questions
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Question 10
The chapter asks: “If it was right… to revolt… was it also right for the South to rebel…?” and warns, “Once we decide we can break God’s law because we think our government is unfair, where does it stop?”; where do you personally draw the stopping point, and what standard—Scripture, conscience, outcomes, national identity—ends up functioning as your real authority?
Another way to ask: The chapter asks if revolt was right, was the South right to rebel too, and warns that making exceptions could have no end. Where do you draw the line, and what really becomes your top authority—Scripture, conscience, results, or national loyalty?

Direct Answer Bercot’s warning implies that the “stopping point” cannot safely be personal judgment about fairness, because that logic has no clear boundary; it can justify almost any rebellion. In his framing, Scripture—especially the explicit command of Romans 13—must function as the real authority over conscience, outcomes, and national identity.

Support from Transcript:

  • He asserts Romans 13 is “black and white” and that Christians “do not have the right to resist or overthrow their government.”
  • He argues the colonists could only succeed by breaking “an express command given by God.”
  • He raises the South as a test case: if revolt was justified by economic unfairness, “was it also right for the South to rebel… because of the economic policies it forced on the South?”
  • He gives the principle: “Once we decide we can break God’s law because we think our government is unfair, where does it stop?”
  • He ties disobedience to distrust: breaking God’s laws shows people “don’t really trust God” and don’t trust outcomes if they obey.
Discussion Follow-ups The question asks for personal reflection, but Bercot’s logic presses hard: if Scripture is clear, do you let national stories, fear, or predicted outcomes override it? What does your instinctive answer reveal about what you treat as ultimate?

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