Render unto the state, and also unto the church
It is time to reexamine the relationship between the Church and the State. Are they pursuing the same goals given the fact that both serve the same community of people?
Today's gospel by St. Mark is about how the Pharisees and the Herodians tried to trick Jesus into making statements constituting a crime against the Roman government which then dominated Israel and Judea. They asked if is the will of God for them to pay taxes to Rome, represented by the Emperor Caesar. Jesus had enough wisdom not to fall into the trap and ask them to show him a denarius. He asked whose face it was on the coin, and was answered "Caesar's." Thus, he said: "Then give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and to God what belongs to God."
That statement is the best modus vivendi between the State and the Church. Oftentimes, the two conflict on many political, economic, social, and spiritual issues. For instance, on death penalty, divorce, euthanasia, birth control, religious instruction in schools, participation of religious leaders in politics, and other issues cutting across the realms of religion and politics. There are many government policies being questioned by the Church, and many religious acts the State considers subversive and bordering on treason, sedition, even insurrection.
On death penalty, the Church says it is against the law of God, but there are government officials who believe hardened criminals are continuing threats to people and peace and order. There are officials who believe they can even be summarily executed or subject to extra-judicial killing. Personally, as a lay minister and a cursillista, I do not agree with killings, but I am open to the State executing murderers, rapists, arsonists, kidnappers, and terrorists after due process and all legal remedies have been exhausted.
As a Church law leader, I do not endorse divorce (I will never even think of divorcing my wife of 40 years) and denounce euthanasia and abortion. But I am open to couples who are already about to murder each other to separate legally and reflect on their marriage with counseling and therapy. I am against artificial birth control but I believe in family planning, spacing, and natural rhythm method. I believe religious leaders should not use the pulpit to denounce politicians. But it is their moral obligation to condemn acts (not persons) that are against the laws of God.
To render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's means we should be good citizens but we must always remember that before we became citizens we are already, from the moment of our birth, first and foremost, children of God.
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