Render Unto Caesar

All the right-wing fundamentalists who have, to a much greater degree than anyone wants to admit, hijacked our government, need stop trying to drive the political bus, and do it now. Even Jesus himself made a distinction between secular and spiritual matters. Check out Matthew 22:19-22, where he talks about giving Caesar what is his, and God what is His. Ok, I know he was talking about money, but he did throw the money changers out of the temple because they did not belong there, which implies that he believed that secular concerns have NO PLACE in the Temple.

And look at what has happened every time people (even decent, deeply faithful, well-intentioned people) have let their Church take over the Government. The best known and most often cited example is the Inquisition which led to the deaths of thousands of people, but there are other examples as well. For all its anti-religious posturing, the Communists made a quasi religion of its atheist beliefs and killed countless thousands in the name of stamping out the "opiate of the masses."

Aside from all of that is the simple fact that those who would put themselves forward as leaders, should be better than those they would lead. Read Matthew 7:15-23--15 “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 “You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? 17 “So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 “A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. 19 “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 “So then, you will know them by their fruits. 21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22 “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23 “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’"

Also read Matthew 7:1-5--1 “Do not judge so that you will not be judged. 2 “For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. 3 “Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 “Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? 5 “You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye."

With all the corruption rampant in our government (not that it's anything new, just more public), why should we support any of our so-called leaders? And with all of the scandals coming out of the evangelical leadership, why should we listen to anything they have to say about the way we should live? And why should we let the two camps merge to form a theocracy that will rob us of not only our money but our spiritual salvation? To the Pat Robertsons and Ted Haggards and George Bushes of the world, I would say this: get your own house in order, before you come and tell me how to order mine.