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Jumpstarter 7 of 10

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The Myth of Christian America  /  MCA (7 of 14): Causes of the American Revolution  /  Discussion Questions
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Question 7
Bercot notes parallels between Judea under Rome and the colonies under Britain (foreign rule, tax disputes, readiness to use force, “traitor” label for cooperating tax collectors), then argues the colonial situation was actually easier (shared religion, legal charters, lighter taxes); how does that comparison reshape the claim that Christians may resist because their situation is “unique” or “exceptional”?
Another way to ask: If Judea under Rome had it harder than the colonies under Britain, how does that challenge the claim that Christians today can resist because their case is “special”? What excuses start to fall apart in that comparison?

Direct Answer Bercot’s comparison undercuts the claim of “unique” colonial exception: Jesus and Paul gave their commands in a setting that was as similar as the colonies—and in key ways far worse—yet still required tax-paying and nonresistance. If the “worst possible situation” didn’t justify violent resistance for Christians, the easier colonial situation can’t be treated as an exception.

Support from Transcript:

  • Parallels listed: both under “rule by an overseas power,” both had tax disputes, both had people “ready to use force,” and cooperating tax collectors were viewed as “traitors.”
  • Bercot says this is “almost exactly parallel…the very kind of situation in which Jesus gave His commandment.”
  • Differences making Judea worse: Rome ruled “purely by force” with “no…legal right”; the Romans were pagans with “foreign gods.”
  • Taxes in Judea were “heavy…burdensome” and funded things “harmful,” like armies of occupation and “temples to false gods.”
  • Colonial situation easier: Britain ruled through “charters,” colonists were “citizens of England,” shared the “exact same religion,” and taxes were “very light.”
Discussion Follow-ups If we label our situation “exceptional,” are we using that label to protect discipleship—or to escape Jesus’ plain commands?

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