The following are a couple really good posts from the Mind Numbed Robot.
God and Government - pt .1
God is already in our politics whether we acknowledge or recognize his presence or not. Those of us who believe in a supreme being are already convinced of his involvement in the affairs of government. The question to us is not "whether", it is "to what degree" and that to me, is the larger issue. The way I see it, God associates himself positively with a country as much as the country's people align themselves with his standards. The problem here in the US is, as a nation we have been disassociating ourselves with God and his standards for quite some time.
God and Government - part 2
It is said that Thomas Jefferson's motto was "Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God." I happen to agree. I think that if tyranny grows, then the dark hours of the end of our world get closer. On the other hand, if we fight back tyrants and put them in their proper place, then we delay the time of the Great Second Coming. (Just think of how much closer we would be if Hitler would have won.)
I know there are those fruitcakes out there who think it's their job to accelerate the pace of this little party called Armageddon but I don't agree.
Here's a couple from me.
Render Unto Caesar
One of the most abused passages in the Bible directly addresses taxation.
Mark 12:17 (New American Standard Bible):
And Jesus said to them, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." And they were amazed at Him.
The standard lesson we're supposed to learn from this passage is:
Jesus paid his taxes, so should you. Case closed.
Let me explain why this blanket interpretation is wrong.
The Christian and the State
Generally speaking, Christians are taught that subservience to governing authorities is required by God at all times and in all cases. Subservience, which implies obedience, means we are always to give honor to whom honor is due, and that we're obliged to give our respect and obedience to our Earthly governing authorities.
The case for this school of thought is based primarily on Romans 13:1-7 and 1 Peter 2:13-17. For the purposes of this post, we'll focus exclusively on Romans 13:1-7, which reads as follows ...
The following post is fitting too.
A Troublesome Servant and Fearful Master
The very essence of government is violent force. It is evil. All throughout history, government has served as the oppressor, an organization of hate, and as a tool of the most brutal tyrants.
Government corrupts, abuses everything in its path, and wastes the wealth of its citizens. It sponsors inequality, confiscates private property, regulates the behavior of individuals, and persucutes crimes a mere pittance to its own. Then just for kicks, it debases the currency so it can steal yet more of its citizens wealth.
