Jurisdiction, Like Context, Is Everything

From an old Credenda Agenda, issue http://www.credenda.org/issues/7-3.php
this issue came out when Republicans controlled congress....

Just Turn it Off!Greg Dickison

In these halcyon days of Republicanism, it is tempting to think that, finally, the civil government might be able to deal with smut. Before we succumb to the Republican temptation, however, we need to consider whether this is even a biblical solution.

Remember that the civil government is not the only authority with a divine mandate. Each of God's ordained governments, the state, the church, and the family are given specific duties within well-defined jurisdictional boundaries. While a given problem may fall within the scope of all three governments, the approach each government takes and the responsibility each bears with regard to the problem is distinct...

The civil government wields the sword to execute God's vengeance on the wrongdoer. It punishes criminals. Those wielding the sword are God's ministers, not autonomous agents...

The church holds the power of the keys and watches over the covenant people of God. The elders of the church oversee the ministry of preaching the gospel to the lost, expounding the Word to the saints, and watching over their souls...

The family bears the power of the rod to drive folly from the hearts of children and train them up in godliness. As the head of the family, the husband serves his wife,...

But what about the pornography itself? Believe it or not, the Bible provides no civil penalty for creating or looking at pornography. Does this mean pornography is acceptable? Of course not. It is an unmitigated evil, and that should be made clear in every family and church in the land. But it does mean that pornography is not a problem which the civil government can deal with...

A division-of-labor approach like this rubs our legalistic American fur the wrong way. For every wrong, we think, "there oughtta be a law." But while the jurisdictional model does not have the apparent simplicity of a legislated solution, it does have the advantage of obedience to God's created order. No matter how pressing a problem is, it cannot be solved by usurping ordained authorities and by violating jurisdictional boundaries...
Read the whole thing http://www.credenda.org/issues/7-3magitralis.php