4th of July

I don't normally write posts like this but I couldn't help myself. Maybe it's because I'm pregnant and my hormones are kickin', but I'd like to think it's also the government teacher in me that cannot take this comment lightly. Here's what I'm referring to:

A friend of mine on facebook said the following:

every year i am morally conflicted on the fourth of july.

"there are two great lies that i've heard:
the day you eat of the fruit of that tree, you will not surely die
and that Jesus Christ was a white, middle-class republican
and if you wanna be saved you have to learn to be like Him

my first allegiance is not to a flag, a country, or a man
my first allegiance is not to democracy or blood
it's to a King & a Kingdom"
(derek webb)

My response to that was: Really?! You're morally conflicted?! Let me help you out, Luke 20: 20-26 says:
²⁰ Keeping a close watch on him, they (i.e., the scribes and chief priests) sent spies, who pretended to be sincere. They hoped to catch Jesus in something he said, so that they might hand him over to the power and authority of the governor. ²¹ So the spies questioned him: “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach what is right, and that you do not show partiality but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. ²² Is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”
²³ He saw through their duplicity and said to them, ²⁴ “Show me a denarius. Whose image and inscription are on it?”
“Caesar’s,” they replied.
²⁵ He said to them, “Then give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”
²⁶ They were unable to trap him in what he had said there in public. And astonished by his answer, they became silent.

It's pretty clear that the Lord does not declare that any man or woman's allegiance must be to a ruler, what He says is that what you owe him is to be rendered. Jesus does not say to worship Caesar. Therefore, my allegiance is first and foremost to God and to follows his command that whatever government I live under, I must be responsible and pay the taxes required of me. And secondly, I am 100% thankful that this is the country the Lord allowed my ancestors to come and live. I am 100% thankful that I live in a democratic country which allows comments like the one this person has written and even my own ramblings on this blog to be published thanks to freedom of speech and the press. And I am, above all else, 110% thankful that I live in a country that promotes freedom of religion where I am able to worship and praise my God the way I wish. So really and truly, I am not morally conflicted and there's no reason anyone else should be either because obviously if this is the land God wants you to be to serve Him you'll remain and if it's not, then He'll lead and direct you elsewhere; and wherever you end up living, "Give to Caesar (any government authority) what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's."