With the summer upon us (and the Fourth of July around the corner), this article explains how the Bible suggests Christians today can practice good citizenship.
Jesus told Jerusalem's leaders that, in spite of their discomfort with Roman policies, they must still "render unto Caesar" what is Caesar's (Matthew 22:21). This concession to civil law infuriated many of the Jews who were hoping for Jesus to lead a violent, messianic revolt against Roman rule.
The principle of rendering unto Caesar is indeed a Christian one. Christians are called to good citizenship. Paul makes this clear in his letter to the Christian church in Rome when he writes that God "ordains the higher powers" and that Christians must be "subject" to its authority (Romans 13:1-7).
How then can Christians take these principles of Scripture and apply them to today? Here are a few very practical and biblical steps you can take to be a good Christian citizen in the 21st century:
1. Be a GOOD citizen
Both Paul and Peter emphasize law-abiding citizenship in their epistles. They also encourage believers to honor and pray for those in authority.
Do you respect the institutions of your community and country? Does your life reflect that of a respectful, law-abiding, tax-paying, constructive citizen? Are you the kind of citizen that adds to society or takes away from it?
Does this mean you can't protest or object to government policy? Hardly. Daniel refused to honor King Darius' policy that people could only pray to him - and was thrown (briefly) in the lion's den for it. Don't forget the three Hebrew young men thrown into the fiery furnace for openly defying King Nebuchadnezzar. They too survived.
In the New Testament, the tradition continued. All twelve of the apostles were imprisoned, persecuted, and ultimately executed for practicing and proclaiming their faith against the policies and wishes of the governing authorities. The exception was John. But, according to Eusebius, they tried killing John. When they failed, they exiled him to Patmos.
Bottom line...civil protest and even civil disobedience is a biblical tradition. BUT...in each case, respect and honor was nevertheless shown to the governing authorities. AND...the protest and disobedience was based on a HIGHER calling, namely the call to serve God.
Oh, and they made sure they were in God's will when engaging in civil disobedience. They didn't just do it to defy the government or advance their own agendas.
2. Know who your elected officials are – at each level of government.
The Bible teaches stewardship. Accordingly, you should know your government. Call your local Registrar and verify the political districts of your residence along with the elected official that serves each of those districts.
For example, each state has two U.S. senators and a governor. Get their names, office numbers, and addresses. Find out what U.S. House of Representatives or congressional district do you live in? Get the district number and then the name and contact information for your U.S. Representative. Repeat this process for the state legislative districts you live in - you should have a state-level senator and a state-level representative or delegate.
Then, go to your city or county level and finally, if you live in one, your town. Once you know your elected officials, the levels in which they serve (national, state, or local) and their contact information, you're ready to start contacting them - and influencing them.
3. Stay informed on the issues
Get to know the issues that your elected officials at their respective levels of government are facing. That means you must follow the news. In this Information Age, there is no excuse for being ignorant. For federal-level issues, you can listen to the radio during your commute to and from work, watch TV at night, read one of the major dailies each morning or at lunch, or read through any number of news websites.
Don't be an ignorant voter that's easily manipulated by bumper stickers and sound bytes. Be informed.
4. Affirm Tradition and Bedrock Values
There is a repeated tradition of remembering the "days of old" and guarding the "landmarks" in the Old Testament. And in the New Testament, Paul and Peter each emphasize that we should render honor where honor is due.
Therefore, KNOW YOUR COUNTRY'S HERITAGE. If you're a citizen of the United States, you should know why we have a country to begin with. Study American history, especially the founding era - where it all started.
In addition, read books on faith and philosophy - things that help explain the world we're in. As a Christian, read the Bible daily. Always get to the foundation of what you believe and why. That will fuel your passion and make your a citizen-leader of purpose and conviction.
5. Master the framework of your government.
As the old saying goes, the "devil is in the details." When Lyndon Johnson first came to Congress, he became an effective leader very quickly, because he, among other things, mastered the intricacies of congressional rules and procedures.
To be an effective citizen, you must know the lay of the land. For starters, this means understanding the nature of your government. That means, for Americans, reading and studying the Constitution of the United States, which lays out the three-branch system of government we have at every level of our society.
Then, study the laws of your state and locality. Go over the rules of your community group, homeowners association, and so forth. Learn parliamentary procedure.
Be knowledgeable. As James Madison said, "Knowledge will forever govern ignorance."
By following these steps, you will be the kind of citizen everyone respects and many will follow.
The copyright of the article Render unto Caesar in Protestantism is owned by Brian Tubbs. Permission to republish Render unto Caesar must be granted by the author in writing.
Comments
Jun 8, 2007 6:06 AM
Pink
:
. A good article, Brian. Again, we need more like this one. . As we prepare to vote in our next upcoming national elections, we should keep your admonitions in mind. We ARE a self governing society--at least that is what our Declaration says about us. We are the governors of our government. . I noticed after the recent debate, among Republican candidates, in an interview withTom DeLay that he was asked about Romney's response to any loyalties he might have to the Mormon religion. DeLay defined what it means to be a person of faith. Such a person would HAVE to put their beliefs ahead of everything else. That made me think about people like Senator Lieberman from Conneticutt who has dual citizenship--aside from being a U.S. citizen, he is a citizen of Israel. . How do you feel about dual citizenship in those people who want your vote as they run for office to represent you? What if a person has dual citizenship? Where are their innermost loyalties? Is it something you want to take a chance on? . Do Christians have dual citizenship? Are Christian candidates not only citizens of the United States; but, also citizens of Heaven? Where do Christian candidates for office put their loyalties? What comes first in their minds, the Bible or the U.S. Constitution? I think we need answers on these questions. . In America, the leaders have a biblical injunction to be loyal to the people and their interests and desires--the people are the rulers. .
Jun 8, 2007 8:06 PM
Brian Tubbs
:
<i>Do Christians have dual citizenship?</i>
In a way....yes. Former Watergate conspirator turned Christian Chuck Colson wrote an EXCELLENT book on this subject. It's called <i>Kingdoms in Conflict</i>. It's written from a Christian POV, but you would LOVE it. You probably wouldn't agree with all of it, but knowing you....I'm confident you'd be enthralled by it. It's a little dated. Came out in the 1980s, but still a great read. I do recommend it, as it is ALL about these questions that you've raised.
<i> Are Christian candidates not only citizens of the United States; but, also citizens of Heaven? </i>
Same answer as above. Christians in a way DO have dual citizenship, and this includes Christian candidates.
<i>Where do Christian candidates for office put their loyalties? </i>
Those that I'm aware of would answer that they are loyal to both God and country
<i>What comes first in their minds, the Bible or the U.S. Constitution? </i>
Depends on the situation. In terms of bedrock values and daily living....the Bible. In terms of law and politics...the U.S. Constitution.
But, certainly, a person's faith WILL influence their worldview and thus will influence their values - which, in turn, will influence his or her politics. I don't think there's anything wrong with this. But, it is part of the answer you're looking for.
Jun 9, 2007 6:48 AM
Pink
:
. The crux of my post is in this short paragraph: . <i>How do you feel about dual citizenship in those people who want your vote as they run for office to represent you? What if a person has dual citizenship? Where are their innermost loyalties? Is it something you want to take a chance on?</i> . When I see men like Huckabee making comments that it's okay if "you" want to believe humans descended from a monkey that's your business; but, he believes the Bible. I'm not willing to take any chances on putting such a nut in charge of America's destiny. . It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see where religionists will take us if we give them an inch than they have already taken. It is vital that some of us continue to sound the alarms. . ..
Jun 9, 2007 9:03 AM
Pink
:
. These questions require open and honest dialog outside the demagoguery laid down by leaders motivated by religiosity. . When a discussion can be ended with the cold blast out of some ideology, we are in deep trouble. . .
Jun 9, 2007 9:12 PM
Brian Tubbs
:
<i>When a discussion can be ended with the cold blast out of some ideology, we are in deep trouble</i>
You mean like calling a Creationist a "nut"? See your comment on Huckabee.
Jun 9, 2007 9:41 PM
Migisi
:
. We could use Huckabee and Creation as one example. . If Huckabee was elected President, do you think his Creation belief would negatively impact federal funding of evolution science, or have an effect on public education curriculum?
Jun 10, 2007 7:09 AM
Pink
:
. My point was clear. . In the first post regarding the idea of divided loyalties and a <i>dual citizenship</i>, I wrote, . "How do you feel about dual citizenship in those people who want your vote as they run for office to represent you? What if a person has dual citizenship? Where are their innermost loyalties? <b>Is it something you want to take a chance on?</b> . "Do Christians have dual citizenship? Are Christian candidates not only citizens of the United States; but, also citizens of Heaven? Where do Christian candidates for office put their loyalties? What comes first in their minds, the Bible or the U.S. Constitution? I think we need answers on these questions. . "In America, the leaders have a biblical injunction to be loyal to the people and their interests and desires--the people are the rulers." . ____________________ . I think that can be put together. I doubt that my comment about Huckabee was misunderstood. This is the year 2007. Anyone who denies the facts of evolution IS a nut based on the facts. I have a shirt tail relative for whom I have a great deal of respect; but, he swears up and down that no one has ever landed on the moon. He thinks science is a religion in competition with the Bible. I have an idea that that is the case with Huckabee. He sure comes off as a nut case to me. .
Jun 10, 2007 11:37 AM
Brian Tubbs
:
Asking those questions are valid. Calling him a "nut" for believing in Creation is another. Do you see the difference?
As to the questions themselves, if the evolutionists are so confident that their theory is superior and that Creationism is so obviously stupid and crazy, then why are they afraid of giving Creation some time in the classroom?
For my own part, I don't believe six-day Creationism should be taught in the public school science classroom. I would teach it, if at all, in philosophy class or religion class. And, yes, I do believe that public schools SHOULD have classes on religion and philosophy - classes that explain the basic tenets of the various world views and the major world religions.
Jun 10, 2007 11:40 AM
Brian Tubbs
:
<i>Anyone who denies the facts of evolution IS a nut based on the facts.</i>
You are dancing close to anti-religious bigotry here, Pink. There are a lot of extremely intelligent people, including scientifically trained people, who believe in Creationism or at least Intelligent Design. Quite a few. For you to just sit back and call them nut jobs strikes me as bigoted.
Jun 10, 2007 12:58 PM
Brian Tubbs
:
Getting back to your questions (we'll probably debate Creation v. Evolution more in the other thread)...
Consider this quote...
"God who gave us life, gave us liberty. And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are of the Gift of God?"
How does a quote like this, from a former President of the United States, strike you? Is this ex-President guilty of dual citizenship? Is he guilty of mixing church and state? Is he one of those "nut jobs" you are warning us about?
