CHATTANOOGA, Tenn., Feb, 24, 2023 — Should Christians support my idea of litigation as a mercy ministry and a function of the church?
By David Tulis / NoogaRadio Network
I am a journalist who covers liberty issues on NoogaRadio Network and am involved in two civil lawsuits filed in the public interest to defend man’s good laws in Tennessee and also God’s laws in the scripture. These labors are evangelical in nature, witness of our rich Christian liberty heritage.
➤ One is a lawsuit against Gov. Bill Lee for fraud in the CV-19 overthrow of constitutional government that began March 12, 2020, with his first “pandemic” executive order. My petition for a hearing in the U.S. supreme court is docketed Jan. 20, on Friday, after a complicit Tennessee judiciary that failed to block his illegal acts turns and rends my sufficient and adequate petition or equity and writ of mandamus, filed Oct. 2, 2020. Scotus rejects the petition Feb. 27.
➤ A second lawsuit is against the chief justice of Tennessee’s supreme court, Roger Page, who in conspiracy with at least one underling, John Crawford, maintains a false imprisonment and false arrest policy to keep secret the Tennessee Judicial Conference. At these annual gatherings among several sets of jurists, this third branch of Tennessee government interprets and shades laws, organizes and lobbies for new laws and studies how best to shaft the public (or, maybe not?), and for other purposes intended to increase confidence of the public in the so-called justice system. I am demanding that U.S. district court order the conferences be opened to the public.
➤ This second lawsuit has an additional goal that will affect a long-accepted abuse in Tennessee of the citizenry at the hand of police and deputies. That is a demand that city of Franklin, and all other municipal governments, obey what’s called the arrest by officer without a warrant law at T.C.A. 40-7-103. This law gives exceptions to the constitutional requirement for a warrant when a person is arrested. It gives officers an inch of leeway. They take a mile, with continuing harm upon the weak and the poor, the black and the brown, the orphan and the widow.
Equity, justice are biblical rules
Equity and justice are the cover concepts for my work in Christian resistance and reformation, the assertion of constitutionally guaranteed rights by a belligerent claimant in person.
God’s laws are magnificent. They are intended to witness to aliens, strangers, enemies and foreigners the might and glory of God. Those who say talking about God’s law as legalism and works salvation are confused. God’s commands are the basis of Christendom, and a witness to a lost world.
Therefore be careful to observe [God’s statutes and judgments]; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes, and say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.”
For what great nation is there that has God so near to it, as the Lord our God is to us, for whatever reason we may call upon Him?
And what great nation is there that has such statutes and righteous judgments as are in all this law which I set before you this day?
— Deut. 4:6-8
Christianity about public good
Among the tenets that my court cases defend in terms of men’s laws are:
➤ Lex talionis. This biblical idea means eye for eye, tooth for tooth, or evenness in justice. “But if any harm follows, then you shall give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe” Exodus 21:23-25. This concept underlies the rules of equity in American courts, especially the courts of chancery in Tennessee. All American courts can handle cases in equity, which seek restoration of rights rather than damages and punishment (the other type of case is called “at law”). Equity allows for writs of mandamus or writs of injunction, to forbid or compel an act by an evildoer.
➤ The idea that every man is executed for his own sins, and the judicial process acts upon man and woman personally and individually. “Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor shall the children be put to death for their fathers; a person shall be put to death for his own sin” Deut. 24:16. Our law today is heir of the law in the old Hebrew Republic. It’s called due process. Personal responsibility, personal liability. Hence, no mass arrests, no mass trials, no mass convictions, as in the former Soviet Union — or as in fraudulent states of emergency in states such as Tennessee. Gov. Lee’s state of emergency lacks a probable cause, legal or lawful basis, lacks a nonfraudulent exigency in acts of mass irreparable harm and breach of the constitution. These wrongs may be forgotten today, but they are precedent for future warmaking against the people. Man’s evil governments are marked by impersonalism acting upon groups en masse. We fight for God’s prerogatives by saying “No.” No to mass surveillance. No to “pandemic states of emergency.”
➤ Trials that are speedy, “careful” public inquiries, with the right of evidence and confronting accusers and questioning witnesses. God imposes a terrifying guard against witness or accuser perjury. “If a false witness rises against any man to testify against him of wrongdoing, then both men in the controversy shall stand before the Lord, before the priests and the judges who serve in those days. And the judges shall make careful inquiry, and indeed, if the witness is a false witness, who has testified falsely against his brother, then you shall do to him as he thought to have done to his brother; so you shall put away the evil from among you” (Deut. 19:16-19) (emphasis added). Many abuses in Hamilton County, Tenn., and other jurisdictions arise from misuse of statute, actions brought to court lacking subject matter jurisdiction, the evils of commercial government and prosecutions based on presumption (traffic).
➤ Enforcement of oath. Public officials swear to uphold the law and obey the constitution, usually by oath invoking God’s holy name. Court cases defending the innocent or seeking to halt evil acts or capricious edicts invoke God’s name in the prosecution of the lawbreaking official, and God’s claims upon the parties. In prosecuting Gov. Lee for fraud, I invoked the oath of office of miscreant judge Pamela Fleenor, and put it into the case record.
Oppose, resist lawlessness
➤ Fighting evil kings, officials. The Word is replete with examples of wicked kings, domestic monarchs such as Ahab and invaders such as Eglon brought upon the children of Israel as judgments. God requires wicked kings to be resisted or overthrown, or challenged in their particulars. The basis for a just action against a lawless official is the 10 commandments, the basis of equity and Christian civilization. A lawsuit demanding a court’s relief from an unjust law declares to the world a righteous standard for legal liberty.
➤ Defending 10 commandments. My labors in court seek to restore what part the 10 commandments have in Tennessee law. The commandments are detailed in the Old Testament books of the law, with many blessed insights about God’s character and its claims on a people. Culture is religion externalized. Law is religion externalized. Numerous precepts come from the Christianity. Cities of refuge. Mens rea or the “guilty mind” standard in a homicide. The right to remain silent under accusation. The right to travel and communicate freely apart from any license or permit. The right to state protection of guarantee of lawful coin and currency (Tennessee rejects its duty under U.S, const. Art. 1, sect. 10, to demand circulating silver coin and lawful representational notes). The right for landmarks to be secure, whether on land or in a constitution.
➤ Upholding Romans 13. Romans 13 is frequently cited by Christians whose theology is compatible to humanism and statism. Verses 3 and 4 tell of the magistrate’s duty:
For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same.
For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil.
Because this negative duty of the magistrate is the standard for governor, king, magistrate, commissioner, councilman, judge, officer and officeholder, verse 5 says,
Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience’ sake.
David, it seems you have thrown down the gauntlet, so allow me to respond as a brother. In decades past I would have been completely in agreement as I was politically active and even ran for office. However, I contend that I have matured as a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ and have repented of my assertive activity in relation to the state.
You quoted Deuteronomy 4, “…what great nation is there…” to give weight to your argument. Please note that “nation” is the Hebrew “gôy” or Greek “ethnos”, which is a group of people bound by a characteristic such as location, language, or culture. It is not a kingdom or country. It is the people who are “wise and understanding”, not the state. This is not a call in any form to setup a state.
The examples, such as Exodus 21, give what man can do in response to a violation of God’s law. It should be loudly noted that the Lord NEVER calls to put someone in prison. That is an institution of man. The Lord command restitution or death only. A judge is not a state office, but people, typically elder men, who review evidence and declare the Lord’s related commands. They do NOT have any power of enforcement. It is the people, not the state, who carry out enforcement. In the case of death, this is why the guilty are stoned, since all of the people have a hand in it.
Deuteronomy 24:16 makes it clear that what previous generations did is not the responsibility of the current generation. The idea of reparations is simply theft.
Romans 13 is one of the most abused passages in Scripture. It should be noted that it is simply a continuation of Romans 12 which includes ideas like verse 14 “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.” Then chapter 13 is more than 7 verses. It includes things like verse 10 “Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.” This state does not love.
You used verses 3 and 4 as if they are to protect the individual from harm. What does the Lord use the state for? Keeping in mind Proverbs 21:1 “The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; he turns it wherever he will.” The Lord uses rules for His purpose to chastise His people since when man setups up a ruler the Lord states it is a rejection of Him (1st Samuel 8:7). Nebuchadnezzar was used by the Lord to do just that and even he acknowledged that the Lord “removes kings and sets up kings” (Daniel 2:1). Your vote means nothing.
One of the most frightening things the Lord declares when we setup a state to rule us is in 1st Samuel 8:18 “And in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the LORD will not answer you in that day.” It is my commitment to trust is the Lord alone and not the state as I desire His gracious answer when I call on Him. To my joy, I can say I have seen that lived out.
There is so much more, but this is enough for now.