Civitas Dei

"God of State" was quite popular in the middle ages. This single concept, in the long run, has done more harm to the cause of Christ than almost anything else. For the very concept of a God-State link reduces the Almighty to the rank of mere instrument of state control. If you look at the results of Civitas Dei in Europe today you see a land full of sumptuous churches and cathedrals where few actually go to church. On the contrary where you see God apart from the state you see little churches bursting at the seems. If there is a heresy to fight against it would be the very notion of linking God with any earthly human construct. States have no souls, or spirit. There are no country's that are Christian. There may be Christians living in them, but each persons soul is his or her own.

To serve the state is not to serve God, since the latter needs no service. We should never fall into the temptation to think that God needs us. Very great evil comes from this way of thinking. We are the needy ones, not God. No human is placed in domination over another because God decided so. He gave us free will to dominate or not. Kings and Queens are made so because their parents were kings and queens before them. Presidents are made so by the will of the republic and their own desires to be in office. And rulers are tossed off the top by various tools of fate.

I do not pretend to speak for God. How can I do that? I occupy a tiny blue speck that orbits a tiny yellow speck, itself lost in a haze of billions of other such specks. However I can think rationally and can deduce from my relative tiny self that I lack the perspective to understand an entity that could bring about the totality of existance. We can barely make it through a day here on our speck, let alone figure out the wishes of God.

So do we sit in a self centered stupor? No we should love our neighbors as ourselves and treat others the way we wish to be treated. To be just within our power to be just, and merciful within our power for mercy. And refrain from thinking any of us can speak for God. We can only speak for ourselves.