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Published
by the Orthodox Christian
Network, August 19, 2005
GOD
AND COUNTRY |
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Father Christopher Metropulos
Displays of the Ten Commandments are illegal in
government buildings but not on government land,
according to a recent Supreme Court ruling. Some
states are recognizing same-sex marriages, and
others are talking about a constitutional
amendment barring same-sex marriage. The Pledge
of Allegiance contains the words “under God.” Is
that a violation of the First Amendment of the
constitution?
Just where does religion fit in a democratic
society?
Let’s deal with two radically opposed options
first: “Public displays of Religion should be
removed from the Public Square” and “America
should be a theocracy.” Neither of these options
are anywhere remotely possible or desirable.
America is a religious nation, and one can never
remove all mention of faith from public display.
As long as people take their faith seriously, it
will never be relegated to some “back room”
personal closet. And America will never be a
theocracy precisely because the Founders
enshrined in our founding documents the rights
of everyone to practice their faith freely.
So, what is the place of religion in America?
Well, actually that is the wrong question. The
right question is “How will my faith in
Christ affect my actions as a citizen of this
great nation?” That’s the right question
because America is a nation where we have
responsibility as individual citizens to “form a
more perfect union,” to protect and defend
“liberty and justice for all.”
With this in mind, look at St. Matthew 22:15
-22. The religious leaders of Jesus’ day were
trying to trap Him into saying something that
would either offend the Jewish crowd or the
Roman government. They asked Him about paying
taxes, and Jesus’ answer gives us a glimpse into
how we are to behave as citizens of the Kingdom
of Christ and citizens of earthly nations. Jesus
said, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and
to God what is God's."
Here are three insights into how we deal with
our dual citizenship:
First, A Good Christian is a Good Citizen.
When we hear the wisdom of Jesus’ teachings, we
learn that being a believer means that part of
my faithfulness to the Christian Faith is being
a good citizen. St. Paul went so far as to call
government a “deacon” (or “servant”) to God. In
Romans 13:3,4 Paul says, “For rulers hold no
terror for those who do right, but for those who
do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of
the one in authority? Then do what is right and
he will commend you. For he is God's servant to
do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for
he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is
God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring
punishment on the wrongdoer.” The government
is meant to be God’s servant and to be a force
for order and peace.
Second, A Good Christian stands for
Righteousness. We certainly do not stand
idly by while our government leads us into
wrongdoing or slavery. Through the history of
America and even the Western world, it has been
Christianity that has stood up in the face of
slavery, bigotry, and
poverty to say “No” to a society that has
abandoned the wisdom of faith. Our love for our
country can never overwhelm our commitment to
God or His righteousness. Jesus Himself taught
us to pray, “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be
done on earth as it is in heaven.”
Finally, A Good Christian discerns what is
God’s and what is Caesar’s. The balancing
act to which we believers are called is one that
is always informed and shaped by our love for
Christ and His Church, and our love for our
fellow citizens. I will be a citizen of His
Kingdom long after my nationality is irrelevant,
so my faith informs my politics and my civic
responsibility. And it is precisely by becoming
a diligent student of my faith that I perfect my
vision as a citizen of my nation. In the early
days of Christianity St. Justin Martyr wrote his
famous “Apology” dedicated to the Roman Emperor
Antoninus, arguing that Christians should not be
persecuted. Christians were good citizens – the
best citizens. They prayed for the emperor and
served the poor, loving their fellowmen as good,
Christian citizens.
In the end, there should be no conflict in the
heart of an Orthodox Christian about his or her
place in the world. We are called to be model
citizens of heaven and by doing this we will be
the best citizens on earth.
This week Emmy and I will talk to Nicholas
Gvosdev, Senior Fellow in Strategic Studies at
the Nixon Center, Executive Editor of The
National Interest and author of several books.
He joins us in an in-depth conversation on how
Church and State issues manifest themselves in
the American Landscape and where Orthodox
Christians fit in. Listen and learn, and then
live!
Until next week.
Yours for the spread of Orthodoxy,
Fr. Chris Metropulos
P.S. I’d love to hear from you about this
weekly newsletter. If you have a comment, email
me at
mailto:frchris@receive.org
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