Devoted to the Propagation and Defense of New Testament Christianity
VOLUME 11
November 12, 1959
NUMBER 27, PAGE 10-11a

My Rights As A Citizen And Responsibilities As A Christian

Billy T. Jones, Grand Prairie, Texas

Let me begin by defining "citizen" and "Christian." Webster defines "citizen" as: "A member of a state; a person, native or naturalized, who owes allegiance to a government, and is entitled to protection from it; — opposed to "alien." The definition of "Christian," coming from the Greek "Christianous," means a follower of Christ and since no one can properly follow Christ without belonging to Him or being a part of His body, the church, the word would include of necessity one who belongs to the body of Christ. (Galatians 3:27; 1 John 1:7)

As a citizen of the United States, I have always been entitled to the privileges and freedoms of said nation. That our Lord recognized citizenship is seen in Matthew 22:21, "Render therefore unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's and unto God the things that are God's." As a citizen I am entitled to things that would not be mine were I not a citizen. Among these is the freedom of speech, freedom of worship and freedom to make a living in a lawful way. In substance, freedom to think for myself and do for myself. These basic individual freedoms have imparted the incentive to our forefathers to build this great nation and make it what it is today. It is understood then that as a citizen I have the right to voice my opinion about anything that, in my estimation, would endanger or threaten those rights that are mine by virtue of my citizenship.

As a Christian in the kingdom of Christ I owe allegiance to no man but bow only to the Son of God. (Acts 2:36; Philippians 2:9-11) He is the head of the kingdom, the church and is the authority in all matters that pertain to it. (Ephesians 1:15-23; Matthew 28:18; Col. 1:18) I have no God-given right to question or doubt His authority or legislation. (James 4:12) To do so would amount to transgression. (2 John 9) And as a Christian I have a burden of responsibility to bear. (Gal. 6:5) This I must bear if I am to please God and realize the eternal reward. (Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 9:23) A part of this responsibility, and the part with which we shall be concerned in this article is "to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered unto the saints." (Jude 3) This obligation I am bound to fulfill even if it means a conflict between myself and the government of which I am a citizen. (Acts 5:29) For instance, if this government were to forbid me to teach and preach against all other religious organizations, my course has already been set. "We must obey God rather than men."

At the very moment that a person emerges from the watery grave of baptism he is pitted against all the forces of evil. (Eph. 6:10-19) This would include all "plants which my heavenly Father hath not planted." (Matthew 15:13) So, even as I have responsibilities that are peculiarly mine because I am a citizen, I likewise have responsibilities that are peculiarly mine because I am a Christian. The fact that I am a Christian does not make void my rights as a citizen UNLESS those "rights" or responsibilities conflict with my God-given responsibility as a Christian. In other words, my status as a Christian takes preeminence over all other relationships in this life. (Matt. 6:33; 1 John 1:7) But neither does my status as a Christian allow me to disobey the laws of the land but rather intensifies my responsibility thereto as long as there is no conflict. (Romans 13; Acts 5:29) One relationship does not necessarily change the other. Hence the kingdom of Christ while not of this world nevertheless is able to exist here in this world. (John 18:36)

I am opposed to Senator John Kennedy being president of the United States because of his being a member of the Roman Catholic Church and for what it upholds concerning the union of church and state AS A CITIZEN and not AS A CHRISTIAN. I recognize the devastating threat to my freedom of worship if he were able to enforce the Romish decree of union of church and state. Such would deprive my rights as a citizen but could not and should not do away with my responsibility as a Christian to worship God. As a Christian I am opposed to Roman Catholicism basically because it is a blasphemous religious organization propagating false doctrine. As a Christian I am opposed to any and all who uphold and propagate false doctrine whether he is president of the United States or a ditch digger in faraway China. It is strange that some brethren who have never seemingly opposed anything should suddenly as Christians (or so it seems) be opposed to Roman Catholicism because of its stand on church and state. And thus as Christians are opposed to a member of that group being president of this United States. Tell me, would the religious affiliation of any president change our responsibility to God? To be sure it might interfere with our rights as a citizen to worship freely but no power on earth can change our God given responsibility to worship him. (John 4:24)

As a Christian I oppose many things in Roman Catholicism because those things make it the false and ungodly institution that it is. But on those grounds I oppose every religious organization that God has not authorized. (including some started by my own brethren)! I think we can more clearly see the point if we will back up a few years and see that there was no opposition to Harry Truman because he was a Baptist or Dwight Eisenhower because he is a Presbyterian and yet they were and are presidents of these United States. As a Christian did I oppose them in their religious beliefs and practices? Why certainly so. Why? Because their religious beliefs and practices are contrary to the doctrine of Christ. I offered no opposition to these presidents as a citizen because their religious beliefs and practices did not conflict or threaten my rights as a citizen. Do I oppose Kennedy as a Christian? Why certainly so! Why? Because and for the same reason that I would oppose any man upholding false doctrine. The fact that he is running for president of the U. S. has nothing to do with my opposition to him as a Christian. The fact that he upholds and practices Roman Catholicism does. This [is] due to the threat of Roman Catholicism to the cause of Christ. Am I opposed to John Kennedy being president of the U. S. as a citizen? Yes! Why? Because he is a Roman Catholic and their aim is to do away with a cherished freedom of mine as a citizen. The fact that Harry Truman was a Baptist had no effect on my rights as a citizen, but had he been a Catholic could have had some effect on my rights as a citizen. The reason being the religio-political face of Catholicism.

Let me conclude by saying that as a Christian I am "set for the defense of the Gospel." This means to defend it from false doctrine and false teachers, it matters not whether it be Catholicism, Denominationalism, Judaism, or anything else. Neither does it matter what position the propagator of such teachings occupies. As a citizen I am opposed to any power, foreign or otherwise, threatening or destroying those freedoms that are mine as a citizen.