Control?

Some people think that Christianity is a tool used by governments to retain control over the people. I've made the point several times that that's complete nonsense, because God's laws often rigidly contradict the ones imposed by human governments, to the point of, in many countries, being completely illegal to follow. Even in the countries where Christianity isn't fully illegal to practice, following God's teachings entirely can easily get you in trouble anyway (if you evangelize somewhere without a "permit"?) and will still get you a pretty bad reputation. Even among many Christian populations, because of people who have their own "interpretations" of scripture, or people who pick and choose which parts of the Bible to believe, or what have you.

It's pretty telling that the argument on one hand is that Christianity is a mind-control tool used to keep people in line, but the argument on the other hand is that many Christians don't follow the Bible. Which is it? A mind-control tool invented by a government, or a book with perhaps some kind of special origin that people are free to not follow in self-righteous ignorance?

It's neither, of course, it's a divinely-inspired book of truth.

But anyway, I've decided to read the Bible fully from beginning to end recently, and I'm at Exodus 5, and pharaoh's words stuck out at me a bit, regarding this topic. According to the Bible, pharaoh's heart was hardened by God. Let's see how governments back in Old Testament times, seeking to retain complete control over groups of people, responded to the word of God:

And afterward Moses and Aaron came and said to Pharaoh, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Let My people go that they may celebrate a feast to Me in the wilderness.’” ² But Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and besides, I will not let Israel go.” ³ Then they said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please, let us go a three days’ journey into the wilderness that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God, otherwise He will fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword.” ⁴ But the king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why do you draw the people away from their work? Get back to your labors!” ⁵ Again Pharaoh said, “Look, the people of the land are now many, and you would have them cease from their labors!” ⁶ So the same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters over the people and their foremen, saying, ⁷ “You are no longer to give the people straw to make brick as previously; let them go and gather straw for themselves. ⁸ But the quota of bricks which they were making previously, you shall impose on them; you are not to reduce any of it. Because they are lazy, therefore they cry out, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’ ⁹ Let the labor be heavier on the men, and let them work at it so that they will pay no attention to false words.”

This is the attitude that self-serving governments have toward the true word of God, and true observance of it. A government that wants control over the people won't put God first in their lives. 

May this post serve God's will and guide you all in some way. In Jesus' name. Amen. 

By the way, God does not ask for literal sacrifices anymore. Also, this post is not to imply that I 100% follow God's teachings. I cannot honestly make a claim like that, in case anybody were getting that out of this post.