Christians have frequently stated that we were founded as a Christian nation.

There are a lot of problems with that, but one of the many is that the Revolutionary War itself went against biblical principles.

The “endowed by our creator with certain inalienable rights” bit in the Declaration of Independence — that’s borrowing from John Locke, not directly from the pages of scripture. The New Testament doesn’t focus on how to govern. It basically says that, as much as you can, when you’re governed you should basically try to keep your head down and just go with it. Which is part of why we have a separation of church and state that most Christians on the right seem to agree on when we discuss things like wars and such. Jesus may say turn the other cheek, so the argument goes, but that’s in your personal life. War, on the other hand — that’s at the secular level. Obama was right when he doubted that our current Department of Defense would survive the entire Bible being strictly enacted (to thunderous applause — see video below). So we say, “No, that’s the secular side,” oftentimes. And thank goodness.

But that’s not being a bible-based Christian nation. That’s being practical. I mean — I’ve noticed that the same Christians who insist that gay marriage should be illegal are often the ones who seem most interested in saying the “turn the other cheek” principle is irrelevant when it comes to our foreign policy. Seriously, people — we spend more on our military than the next 7 countries on the list COMBINED, and every time I turn on FOXNEWS, a talking head is on there arguing that Obama is a coward. So, many Christians in this country are pretty darn selective when it comes to application of biblical principles. A more cynical person might just say that they were more interested than being selfish than being Christian….

Anyways…back to the American Revolutionary War.

The Bible says in Romans 13:1-5 (NIV):

Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience.

Usually I write longer blog posts, but this seems to be an open and shut case to me. Did the revolutionaries submit to the governing authorities? No. No, they didn’t. There’s a reason they called it “The Revolutionary War.”

So it was unbiblical. Like everyone else does these days, they started thinking practically, separating many straightforward readings of the Bible from government decisions to justify the war.

“But the taxes were high,” someone might protest. “They were intruding on their freedoms!”

Well, it wasn’t all that bad, actually — probably not as bad as Rome. I mean, taxes weren’t being used to imprison people for being Christians back in the day, were they?

And Paul addresses this whole taxes issue, too, in the next couple verses (NIV):

This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.

And Jesus, when asked if people should pay taxes, agrees with Paul when he says, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar, and to God what is God’s.”

I could cite a ton of sources to try to hammer the point home, but perhaps this point is best made simply. Did the revolutionaries, in making war, owe taxes? Yes. Did they pay them? No. They basically started a huge war, costing thousands of lives, because they didn’t want to pay taxes.

So even if I DID admit they were all fundamentalist Christians — which I’m not, but even if I gave you the point for the sake of argument — the fact remains that in setting up the very foundations of our country they were playing fast and loose with Scripture. Same way they do today.

And if you, member of the Christian right, can do it to send hundreds of thousands of troops overseas so that you can read this post in peace, doesn’t it seem hypocritical not to bend things a bit so that two people who love each other can get married without having to worry about who is going to bake their goddamn wedding cake?

Or you can do like I did, notice Christians are horrendously inconsistent because it’s a ridiculous book to follow in the first place, and throw the whole thing away. A bit less hypocritical and a lot more honest.

Anyways…just a little something to think about next time the Star Spangled Banner is playing or you see those 4th of July fireworks…

Just sayin’.

Thanks for reading.

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