St. Augustine taught that the citizens of the City of God would still use the things of the world as they pertain to things below, but do not make this earthly life their ultimate end. If we are to be citizens of the City of God, we engage with the political realm, but we do not confuse the things of this world—even our cherished political institutions or our beloved homeland—with the City of God.
Religions that are simply about otherworldly salvation, that are about perfecting one's inner self, that are about humble acceptance of the ills of the world—those are perfectly compatible with the status quo. And the Empire will never suppress a religion that supports the status quo.
I. BEGINNING So, I went into the polling place the other day ready to cast my vote as a dutiful citizen. I took my ballot from the ballot clerk and my little golf pencil and walked over to the voting booth. I started to fill in the bubbles next to candidates’ names. I started to…