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In God We Don't Trust  /  Chapter 14: Navigation Restraints and Expensive Molasses  /  Discussion Questions
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Question 10
The chapter ends with the sharp contrast: “rather than trusting in God and following legal channels to find relief, the colonists decided to break the law”; what does “trusting in God” look like in the specific scenario Bercot describes (taxes, trade limits, competitive disadvantage), and where do Christians today justify breaking rules, cutting corners, or “doing what we must” for economic survival while still calling it faith?
Another way to ask: In Bercot’s example, what would “trusting in God” look like when taxes and trade rules put you at a disadvantage? Where do Christians today excuse breaking rules or cutting corners to survive financially while still calling it faith?

Direct Answer In Bercot’s scenario, “trusting in God” looks like accepting economic hardship without illegal shortcuts and pursuing relief through lawful means like lobbying Parliament. He presents the colonists’ lawbreaking as a failure to trust God while facing taxes and competitive disadvantage.

Support from Transcript:

  • The Molasses Act imposed significant costs: nine-penny per gallon of rum and six-penny per gallon of molasses from non-British colonies.
  • Its purpose was protectionism: helping British sugar colonies compete with cheaper French/Spanish rum and molasses.
  • Bercot notes the burden wasn’t only colonial: it made rum more expensive for “British citizens everywhere.”
  • He says political systems often work this way: “welcome to the world of politics,” implying Christians shouldn’t be shocked into sin.
  • He argues colonists had options: “serious lobbying… in Parliament” and “following legal channels to find relief.”
  • Final moral verdict: “rather than trusting in God… the colonists decided to break the law.”
Discussion Follow-ups What “legal channels” do Christians bypass today when money is tight (taxes, licensing, reporting, honest weights/prices)? How do we tell the difference between prudent provision and faithless disobedience?

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