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In chapter 22 of Matthew's Gospel, Jesus is asked by the Pharisees, "Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?". It was a trap: answering "no" would place Jesus in opposition to Caesar and the Romans and make way for his prosecution by them; answering "yes" would be used by the Pharisees to turn away from him those devout Jews who despised Roman governance over the land of Israel.

Jesus asks for a Roman coin and questions, "Whose image is this and whose inscription?" They respond, "Caesars." To which Jesus replies, "Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God." This raises the question to new level. The coin, which bears Caesar's image, is to be given to Caesar, but people, who are created in God's image (Genesis 1:27), belong to God and are to give themselves to God. Jesus affirms God's place as the one, true God-without burdening his followers with direct opposition to Caesar and their Roman governors.

The question posed to Jesus about the census tax is similar to one faced by people of faith throughout the world today: what is to be our relationship with those who govern us? Here in the United States of America, our response to that question is framed within the context of a democratic government as it was established and understood by our Founding Fathers: a government based upon several self-evident truths acknowledged by them and spoken of in their Declaration of Independence: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

While not a legal document like the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence speaks to the Founding Fathers' vision for their new nation as well as the truths that underpin that vision: that God (the Creator) exists; that God created all people equal in dignity; and that God has endowed all people with certain inalienable or absolute rights: including (but not limited to) life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Inalienable rights have God as their source, which makes them inalienable: unable to be taken from, or even surrendered by, the one who possesses them. To the Founding Fathers of our nation, God was not optional: God is the very foundation of American democracy. Without God, there is no equality among people. Without God, human beings have no inherent dignity. Without God, the basis of morality shifts from human rights to other criteria like human usefulness.

While the American government is not to promote one religion over another, American citizens of all faiths enter into discussion and dialog which hopefully leads to consensus about how to best preserve the God-given, inalienable rights of people in our nation. Moreover, since all people, regardless of nationality or ethnicity, are endowed with God-given, inalienable rights, we, as Americans, ought to also have concern for the inalienable rights of those who do not belong to our citizenry, even if their own governments (or they themselves) reject God and/or the rights God has bestowed.

So, what is to be our relationship with the state: can we be loyal Americans and faithful people of God? Yes...IF: IF we insist upon our right to bring the values of our faith into the conversation of how our nation is governed; and IF we not only insist upon that right, but also take seriously our responsibility to enter into that conversation ourselves as people of faith; and, finally, IF we support the right of people of other faiths to do the same.

Rev. Steven Werner, Pastor

Holy Rosary Catholic Parish-Pomeroy

St. Joseph Catholic Parish-Dayton

St. Mark Catholic Parish-Waitsburg