Autonomy
Autonomy is being one's own source of law. It is in direct opposition to Theonomy, where the God YHWH is the only transcendent source of law. We either live according to God's laws, or we (mankind) make up laws as we go. There is no other ultimate standard of justice; no other transcendent Law Giver. Any system of government which is not based upon God's law is a system invented by mankind. No matter what merits or problems we may perceive in it, it is merely an arbitrary construction of the human mind. Furthermore, because God's law is the transcendent standard and definition of justice, any deviation from it is, by definition, unjust. Any time a person rationalizes a sinful behavior or a deviation from God's law, they are exercising autonomy; they are choosing to determine what is good and evil for themselves; they are repeating the original sin of our first parents, Adam and Eve.
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