Thanks kjos

I grew up in communist Bulgaria when public false worship of the national false god was mandatory. One of the major roles of the government, and why not the main purpose, was to ensure obedience to the ideology of the ruling cult – the communist party.

The above photograph has recorded a so called “manifestation” of the people in Bulgaria under communism. All schools, universities, factories, and all workers had to show up for these parades and shout worshipful slogans to the communist party, the state and its leaders. The socialist utopia was at its highest frenzy.

Some of the slogans we had to shout had an unreserved religious overtones: “Eternal glory to the Bulgarian Communist Party!”, “Forever Unbreakable friendship with the USSR!” and many others. They were evoking eternity!? The communists were supposedly banning religion and Christianity as the “opium for the people”, but were engaging in worship of the state and Marx, Lenin and other communist leaders.

If one thinks that socialist utopia is far behind us, in the annals of history, they are mistaken.

Today, western governments are also imposing its ideological tyranny on people. They are redefining the nature of family, education, service, atheism, and human relationships. They are imposing a new, state-sponsored and mandatory view on gender and marriage. These words from the British Prime Minister were publicized by the media:

"Speaking shortly before MPs vote on the gay marriage bill, the Prime Minister said: 'Today is an important day. I am a strong believer in marriage. It helps people commit to each other and I think it is right that gay people should be able to get married too.' This is, yes, about equality. But it is also about making our society stronger."[1]

No, Mr. Prime Minister! This is not about equality. This is about making sinful behavior mainstream and about destroying traditional marriage and the family. This is about announcing to God – “We are strong and your ordinances will not break us. We will set up our own morality, our own family, our own marriage, and we will make your church, accept this!”

I don’t think my statement is an exaggeration. In France, regardless of massive street protests their legislature adopted marriage to be the union between two individuals of different or the same gender.[2]

The conservative members of the UK parliament voiced clearly their position:

"Nonetheless, some Conservative lawmakers added a strident note to Tuesday’s debate. 'It is not possible to redefine marriage,' said Sir Roger Gale, a right-wing backbencher. “Marriage is the union between a man and a woman, has been historically, remains so. It is Alice in Wonderland territory, Orwellian almost, for any government of any political persuasion to seek to come along and try to rewrite the lexicon. It will not do.”[3]

But you may say: “Why should we concern ourselves with politics? Christians should be concerned with spiritual things and the salvation of souls, right?”

God and Caesar

I am not so concerned with politics. I am very concerned with public idolatry. And when idolatry becomes public -- and when the state forces Christians to embrace its idols -- the battle is primarily about religion, faith and souls, not politics.

If one reads the Bible with the appropriate attitude he will be most likely surprised by the ample participation of the secular government in the interaction with the prophets and ministers of God, including Jesus. Three of the gospels record Jesus’ opponents trying to entice him into anti-government statements. The issue of paying taxes was as poignant in the early times as it is today. However, in the mentioned exchange the Lord teaches about more than taxes. He sets up the powers and the priorities for his followers, regarding these powers.

"And they brought [him a coin]. And he said to them, 'Whose likeness and inscription is this?' They said to him, 'Caesar's.' 'Jesus said to them, 'Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's' And they marveled at him. (Mark 12:16-17)

The Biblical context shows Jesus' theological opponents wanting to catch him in a teaching that they could use against him before the government. There are three aspect of this verse I want to point out:

1. There are things that belong to Caesar, (or the state).
2. And there are things that belong to God.
3. These two categories are different; they are not to be confused.

We cannot give to Caesar what is God’s (thus making Caesar God). And we shouldn’t give to God what is Caesar’s, as if our Lord were simply a secular, lower level authority.

What does this message mean for us today? Erwin Lutzer puts it this way:

"We shall discover that we always find ourselves caught between our responsibilities as citizens of earth and our responsibility as citizens of heaven. The church has always been poised between two gods and two crosses.

"On the one side is our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who died on a Roman cross, executed for the sins of the world. On the other side are any number of lesser gods and other crosses that promise a false salvation. These other gods are almost always embodied in the state; they most often come to us dressed in the garb of Caesar. And in the end they are committed to crushing religious freedom."[4]

Indeed “statism” is one of the most wide spread idolatries of today.[5] Today's secular state seems determined to have a policy on all kinds of private and family-related issues, which in a "free" nation, would should be outside its domain. Those vital issues include health care, education, the family (caring for children), gender and marriage, and even worship.

Even the "free" nations of the west are now ignoring Christ’s wise command to give God what is God’s and Caesar what is Caesar’s. The totalitarian state is now reaching out to claim and control what is God’s, and the masses barely notice their loss!

We have come to a time and place where it is not only the Communist or Nazi nations that intrude into areas that are not properly matters of secular government. Even the "free" nations of the west are now ignoring Christ’s wise command to give God what is God’s and Caesar what is Caesar’s. The totalitarian state is now reaching out to claim and control what is God’s, and the masses barely notice their loss!

 

true that is here as well,,, the mases are stupified by entitlement, like fly dope......

 

Get free!!! the people of faith need to get out of it as well, been inside the bug bottle far to long.