It saddens me very much to see Christianity associated with nationalism, both in US and here in UK.
I realise it's been in the traditional Christian DNA since the time of Emporer Constantine, but according to Jesus, it was never supposed to be that way.
Here's my take on how Jesus dealt with it. It's a quote from a couple of my books and a Quora response I did recently:
The following quote from Jesus himself goes a long way to drawing the line between politics and Christian religious belief: Render to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and to God what belongs to God (Mark 12:17).
Not all Christians will agree with the following interpretation, but I believe it needs to be heard...
This wasn’t just a convenient reply to the question he had just been asked - regarding paying taxes to Caesar. Jesus gave us a profound truth: there is a fundamental difference between the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Caesar – or any human government. We see that difference in Jesus’ reply to Pontius Pilate: My Kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would be fighting… (John18:36)
Depending on how it came to power, a human government is answerable to its own hierarchy, or to those who put them in power, be it the people who voted them in, or their representatives (MPs, senators and congressmen), or oligarchs, or their military, or the monarchy, or popular revolution. Whether they are tough on things like immigration or border controls, or are very lax, depends on the concerns or interests of those within the hierarchy, or on the constituents that voted them into office. Murder and theft are generally outlawed, but what other activities are criminalised would likewise depend on the conditions of rule. They may allow slavery or abolish it – or child labour, or domestic abuse. They may restrict religious freedom or freedom of expression if those go against their interests.
It’s nice when the State takes care of the poor, provides education, social services, and covers medical costs from public funds, but that hasn’t always been the case, and the time for that could cease.
All the above is what human government does – what belongs to Caesar - and the servants of Jesus aren’t called to fight to change it.
As for what belongs to God… the Kingdom of God has its own rules that may or may not be compatible with human government. Their interests may overlap like a Venn diagram. The Parameters of that overlap are Romans 13:1-5 on one side, and Acts 5:29 on the other; between where it says we must obey those in authority, and the other that says we must obey God rather than man.
Where the mandate of the Kingdom of God has come into conflict with human government, believers have faced incarceration and even death for their allegiance to the Kingdom of God. Christians were thrown to the lions in Rome, and even today, believing in Messiah carries a harsh sentence in some radical states. Under regimes like ISIS and even in Saudi Arabia, believers are beheaded. In times that slavery was sanctioned, groups like the Quakers and other conscientious believers assisted slaves who were escaping from their masters, following Deut 23:16 and 17 (which forbids returning escaped slaves to their masters even where slavery is allowed). Some believers in Europe risked their lives to save Jewish people from being taken away by the Nazis. Sadly, others understood only one of the above parameters and thought their duty to the state meant handing the Jews over. So, our role as citizens of the Kingdom of God may come into conflict with the expectations of any of the kingdoms of this world.
Nowhere does the New Testament criticise secular governments for doing what they do. Forcing human government to bow to the Kingdom of God, has never been our mandate. Of course, where the system allows it, such as in a democracy, we can vote and even run for office. Paul even pleaded his rights as a Roman citizen on occasion. Citizens of the Kingdom of God may interact with world politics – just don’t let our involvement blind people to the message of the Kingdom of God, as has happened in the West. Always leave scope for “friendship evangelism”.
Also, we can be thankful for good things that have been accomplished by the kingdoms of this world, such as the ending of legal slave trade, abolition of slavery, the defeat of Naziism, and various civil rights acts, guaranteeing various freedoms, and even social services – just as Paul and others were thankful for Pax Romana. All the while, keep in mind that the kingdoms of this world will not be part of the Kingdom of our God until the time stated in Revelation 11:15, when that proclamation is made.
In the meantime, the pendulum could very well swing in the other direction. If that happens, again, take joy, as that would be a trial to make us stronger
... end quote.
The fact is, making the world safe for our kind wasn't the mandate Jesus gave us, rather, to spread the Kingdom of God, which is distinct from any of the kingdoms of this world.
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