Oh my! The 10 commandments were for the Isrealites wandering the desert, but there were a whole bunch of exceptions and specific rules, and in the old law, looo

Oh my! The 10 commandments were for the Isrealites wandering the desert, but there were a whole bunch of exceptions and specific rules, and in the old law, loooooots of the punishments for breaking those rules were death. Not just any old death, specific kinds of death, like impaling someone with a beam from their own house. Christianity is a bit different, generally believing the old law (including those gruesome punishments) to be done away with, but there are still scriptures in support of local governing authorities. The more commonly cited scripture is Paul's letter to the Romans (Chapter 13, verses 1-2): > Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. There are a few other examples, but at least from a Christian point of view, the guiding principal is to presume that the government is at least partially put in place by the hand of God, and should generally be respected. (Disclaimer: I am not a religious person, but I grew up in a religious household.)