The New Testament makes clear in many places that God expects Christians to be good citizens of the nations where they reside. (See Matthew 22:21, Mark 12:17, Luke 20:25, Romans 13:1-6, I Peter 2:17, I Timothy 2:1-2) Although Christ forcefully challenged the Jewish religious leaders of his day, he preached and lived submission to the Roman authorities in Judea. Moreover, as representative democracies did not exist during the time of Christ and his apostles, one could certainly make a reasonable argument for Christians to vote when it is clear that they can make life better in the here and now - that is certainly a matter of personal conscience.
Unfortunately, however, too many Christians have lost their way and are confused about what should be their primary allegiance. I'm speaking, of course, about their devotion to God, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, each other, and God's Kingdom! In his letter to the saints of Philippi, the Apostle Paul wrote that the people of this world have their minds "set on earthly things." (Philippians 3:19) He went on to say: "But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ." (Verse 20) In writing to Timothy, he compared the Christian walk to serving as a soldier, and he said: "No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer." (II Timothy 2:4) Likewise, in the eleventh chapter of the book of Hebrews, we read about several great examples of faith. (Verses 4-12) Continuing, we read: "All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them." (Verses 13-16) Peter addressed Christians in his first epistle in the same fashion. (I Peter 2:11) Hence, from a Biblical perspective, it is clear that a Christian's primary citizenship is in heaven.
It is, therefore, highly ironic that a nation (the United States of America) - which was founded on the principle of separation of church and state - should have caused so much confusion among Christians with regard to their responsibilities toward God and the nation which they call home. Indeed, every school age child in the United States' public school system is taught that European colonists came to these shores to escape the state religions of their homelands and have the freedom to pursue the dictates of their own consciences. This, we are told, is the reason that the language, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof," was included in the Bill of Rights. Nevertheless, even before we came together to form a constitutional republic on this continent, many of our people have also believed that God had inspired his saints to establish a "shining city on a hill" here. In other words, it has always been a popular notion among folks of European ancestry to think of America as the Divinely favored and inspired assembly of God's saints.
In modern times, this very old notion that God had planted an outpost of his kingdom in the New World has manifested itself in a number of beliefs that have reinforced a conviction that the United States of America is God's chosen nation among all of the peoples of the earth. Among the most important of these beliefs are the convictions popular in some circles that the United States was founded by Christians, that its governance was based on Christian principles, and that it should consequently always be regarded as a "Christian nation." Not surprisingly, many of these beliefs have found their greatest acceptance among conservative Evangelical Christians within the United States. This, coupled with the phenomena of patriotism and nationalism, has given rise to a kind of secular religion in the United States.
In this secular religion, the Republic itself becomes the object of devotion and worship - the god. The citizens become the individual members of the congregation. The Declaration of Independence, Constitution, Federalist Papers, Washington's Farewell Address, Lincoln's Inaugural Addresses, and Gettysburg Address become part of the canon of the religion's scriptures (note the widely held belief among these people that these documents were Divinely inspired). The White House, Capitol Building, and monuments become the temples of the faith. Politicians and bureaucrats become the priesthood of the religion - with the President himself serving in the capacity of High Priest! Like its Christian counterpart, this faith also has numerous symbols (flags, seals, portraits, etc.) and rituals (voting, standing for the National Anthem, the Pledge of Allegiance, etc.) to assist the parishioner/citizen in his/her worship of the state. And, like the hymnals available to the parishioners in Christian churches, the citizens of the United States have an extensive catalogue of songs available to assist them in their worship of the state (The Star-Spangled Banner, America the Beautiful, God Bless America, My Country Tis of Thee, This Land Is Your Land, etc.). The Great Republic even has its own pantheon of martyrs - those who gave the last full measure of devotion to the object of their devotion! Moreover, like their Christian counterpart, the secular religion is divided up into many different denominations and sects (Republicans, Democrats, Socialists, Libertarians, etc.). And, just like their Christian counterparts, those sects and denominations of the Republic love to demonize and criticize each other!
Do we begin to see the potential peril this secular religion poses for Christians? What did Jesus say about a person's ability to serve two masters? (Matthew 6:24 and Luke 16:13) Does that principle only apply to money? What about those commandments? You remember: "You shall have no other gods before/besides me. You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God." (Exodus 20:3-5) We must also never forget that Christ distilled the Law into two great principles. When he was asked about the most important commandment, he said: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these." (Mark 12:30-31) What about Christ's prayer for his disciples just before his trial and death? In the Gospel of John, we read: "I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified." (17:13-19) In the first epistle of John, we also read: "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever." (2:15-17)
Finally, the book of Revelation makes very plain that Christians are not supposed to participate in the Babylonian political system(s) of this world! We don't want to be among those who wonder after the beast and ask questions like "Who is like the beast? Who can wage war against it?" We don't want to be among the vast majority of folks who will worship the beast and give it our allegiance! (See Revelation 13) We're supposed to be praying: "your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." (Matthew 6:10) So, how about you? Are you a Democrat, Republican, or a Christian?
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