I'm never quite sure where to post things like this, so I'll do it here and the moderators can move it if they like.<br><br>On another Christian Reformed forum, there are several who have been commenting on the nature of our national loyalties, if I have it right. They are saying that the US is interested in nothing more than promoting her own economic interests, and that we ultimately want to build an Empire, if you will. They assert that we want the world to look just like us, as if there is no other good way of doing things politically and governmentally. As Christians they are cynical about things like what this new government in Iraq will look like, the fact that it will be for a while administered by an American, and extrapolating from that that soon there will be abortuaries on every street corner.<br><br>I need to step away from that and get my head screwed on more tightly with regard to this stuff. I assume this is a form of Libertarianism, of which I admit I do not know much.<br><br>Let me be clear: there is much about our country that I do not love. I don't love abortion, I don't love 'tolerance', I don't love the social welfare system, and I hate the whole godless twist that 'separation of church and state' has taken, as if it were even a part of the Constitution. My country is in trouble.<br><br>However, there is also much that is right with it, and we have been given position and power to do much good as well, and thanks to a President who appears to be both a believer and a great leader, we have done some real good.<br><br>I have always assumed that one's loyalties lie first with the Kingdom of God, then to one's spouse and family, then to the people of God (and sometimes those last two must be flexible, especially if you are a pastor), then to one's governing authorities, all of them subject to the Word. I am certainly not prepared to put democracy on a divine pedestal.<br><br>All that being said, what exactly do we do when we follow Christ's command to render unto Caesar...render unto God? Did Christ mean that we should pay taxes only insofar as our countries use them for godly purposes? Did Caesar use all those taxes for godly purposes?-of course not- they went to pay soldiers to hunt down Christians. Some say we should not even vote for people within this corrupt system. They call our government tyrannical, and call for its fall. They say we should not obey tyrants who trample the Constitution.<br><br>On the contrary, I read in the Word that we should pray for our governing authorities. I do this. I understand that God has put them there, in His own wisdom, and that I am to obey them until they tell me to do things that violate my loyalty to God. If my taxes are paying for schools which throw God out, should I then pay taxes? Or not?<br><br>Does not God use His people even in corrupt regimes as they obey trustingly His commandments to submit to the governing authorities? Did Christ encourage His people to rebel against Caesar?<br><br>Having some trouble finding the lines in the sand here...

Stand Fast, Craigellachie!