Give Unto Caesar That Which Is Caesar’s

Summary

The article reflects on the application of Christian teachings to contemporary political and social issues in the United States, questioning the consistency and integrity of actions taken by certain Christian individuals and groups in the context of these teachings.

Abstract

The author poses a series of questions to Christian readers, challenging them to consider the implications of Biblical verses, such as Matthew 12:25 and 22:21, in the context of current events. The article suggests that the division within the United States mirrors the Biblical warning that a house divided against itself cannot stand. It criticizes the hypocrisy of some Christians who support politicians and actions that seem to contradict the teachings of the Bible, including the vilification of individuals based on their sexual orientation, attempts to subvert democratic processes, and the spread of false witness. The author emphasizes the importance of the rule of law and the dangers of polarization, drawing parallels between historical events and current political climates. The piece calls for a practical approach to Christianity that promotes unity and adherence to the teachings of Christ, rather than division and selective moral righteousness.

Opinions

The author believes that the current division within the United States aligns with the Biblical prophecy that a divided nation cannot endure.
There is a perceived hypocrisy among some Christians who denounce individuals like Pete Buttigieg for his sexuality while overlooking the lack of character and integrity in certain political leaders they support.
The article suggests that the actions of individuals like Ginni Thomas and Mark Meadows, in attempting to overturn the 2020 election, are contrary to the Biblical directive to render unto Caesar what is Caesar's.
The author argues that the pursuit of a moral high ground by some Christians is undermined by their support for politicians who act against the principles of honesty and consistency in pro-life stances.
The piece criticizes the mixing of church and state, advocating for a separation that allows for the pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness without imposing one's beliefs on others.
It is implied that Christians should apply Biblical teachings with practicality and without prejudice, as exemplified by the verse from Matthew 7:3 about recognizing one's own faults before judging others.
The author promotes the idea that unity and constructive contribution to society are more in line with Christian values than divisive politics and the demonization of those with differing opinions or backgrounds.

Give Unto Caesar That Which Is Caesar’s

Illustration created by BSIENKART (used with permission from artist)

I have a question for all my Christian friends. Maybe not for all my Cristian friends, but for all of them that say the Bible is the word of God. Here comes. What does Mathew 12:25 mean? I’ll include it here just to refresh your memory. “But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.” Folks, does that verse say that if the United States is divided against itself it will not stand? If it does then I have a couple of more questions for you.

Are any of you good Christian folk paying attention to the news these days? Have you noticed that Russia is acting like the US in the 60’s? Seems like Russian folks who are disagreeing with their Dear Leader are being rounded up and shushed up at the same time. Kind of reminds me of the Nixon years here in the states. That did not work out well. We Boomers pitched a bitch. We went on to chase money and fame to be sure, but for a brief period of time we just had had enough. Does anyone think that history won’t repeat itself?

So how do my Christian friends stand by and encourage Marge to vilify Mr. Buttigieg because he’s gay? He’s also a Rhodes Scholar, an army vet and way smarter than Marge. It doesn’t stop there though. Mrs. Thomas and Mr. Meadows had a conversation about ending the rule of law by subverting the last elections. Careful now. Jesus said, “Give unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s and give unto God that which is God’s” (Matthew 22:21). The election belongs to Caesar in this case. Yes it does. It does not belong to Mrs. Thomas nor Mr. Meadows, that is for certain.

I think I recall at least one place in God’s word where it says “Thou shalt not bear false witness.” or did I read that wrong? If I didn’t then how is it that you’re all hot to trot for Daren the XLV? You and I both know that man bears false witness about nearly everything. And Ronald Mac Kevin Kathy ain’t a saint in that regard either. Now, I understand that you folks consider abortion to be your business and you don’t want to support it. You shouldn’t. However, is what you’re doing any different? Come on now. If you’re pro life like you say then don’t you kind of have to be internally consistent? I mean you can’t very well claim to be pro-life while you advocate for the overthrow of the government so you can best the libs, can you? If you were to actually best the libs what would you have left? Please consider that the ¨libs¨ represent over 14% of GNP just in California alone.

Of course anyone with any common sense at all, knows that you can’t maintain the US lifestyle without all the parts functioning. You see, this is where we Americans forget how we got to the party. We complain about how much of the world we carry on our shoulders and how everyone in the world wants to come to our country to live. Of course they do and of course folks with good sense want them to come. We want them to come and work and pay taxes and contribute to our way of life. I mean that is how we attained our way of life. It was built by Irish, Chinese, Italian and African populations immigrating to the United States. Why would we want to kill the goose who laid the golden egg?

Well, if we want to kill that goose it is not because of our highfalutin moral righteousness, that’s for sure. That would be what my dear old mother used to call cutting off your nose to spite your face. I don’t think that people who are possessed of common sense will be that stupid. So, I have to wonder why I hear on newscasts about those folks who are complaining about how bad their life in the US is. People like the Hawley boy from Missouri. Like the nice man from Texas who hides his Mexican last name. Cruz is not an English surname is it? And that De Santos kid down in Florida has Spanish or Portuguese parentage, doesn’t he? Should we all be against those fellows because of their ancestors? No, because that would be dividing our house against itself.

Here’s the thing. One thing that Daren the XLV got right was the idea that what we hear on the television is pretty much fake news. Not for the reasons he stated, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t have it about right. When we watch any newscast these days we can see the same folks with the same opinions as yesterday saying pretty much the same things. We know what their biases are and we even listen to them because of those very biases. But folks, those biases are what is dividing us. The Cuomo family have been just as corrupt as the Trump family. So? Neither one is correct, there is a difference, but it isn’t about corruption nor sexual activity. It’s about how they think about people.

If we return to the Bible for my Christian friends, John 1:9 says, “Anyone who wanders away from this teaching has no relationship with God. But anyone who remains in the teaching of Christ has a relationship with both the Father and the Son”. So what does a good relationship with God mean? One more verse for the friends, Timothy 3:16–17. Verse 16 “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.” Verse 17 “God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.” If this is true then, I don’t see how honest Christian folk can support people who are dividing us and acting as though they have dispensation from God himself to visit their righteousness on the rest of us. I don’t think righteousness even belongs to that bunch of yahoos.

It is not a practical idea to divide the country. It is not a practical idea to mix church and state. It is not a practical idea to support spoiled children as government officials at the state or federal level. Christianity is above all a practical way of living life. Once a man has been forgiven for his sins against his God, he is free to live his life in the pursuit of liberty and happiness. Please note that means he is free to pursue his life, liberty and happiness. I am free to pursue my own life, liberty and happiness, but not his. So look my Christian friends, if you’re going to hold Mr. Buttigieg to a strict interpretation of the scripture then don’t you think you have to hold yourselves to just as strict interpretation? Again from the Good Book, folks, Matthew 7:3 : ¨And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?¨ Good ol’ common horse sense, huh? Practical like.