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  • Should Religion Be Involved in Politics?
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    • Did Jesus get involved in politics?

      No. Jesus did not get involved in the politics of the world.

      Jesus did not seek political power. He refused to accept control of human governments when Satan the Devil offered him “all the kingdoms of the world.” (Matthew 4:8-10)a On another occasion, people who recognized Jesus’ leadership qualities tried to push him into politics. The Bible reports: “Jesus, knowing that they were about to come and seize him to make him king, withdrew again to the mountain all alone.” (John 6:15) Jesus did not yield to the will of the people. Instead, he refused to get politically involved.

      Jesus did not take sides on political issues. For example, in Jesus’ day the Jews resented paying taxes to the Roman government and viewed these as an unjust burden. When they tried to get Jesus to take sides on the issue, he did not get into a political debate about whether such taxes were just. He told them: “Pay back Caesar’s things to Caesar, but God’s things to God.” (Mark 12:13-17) He remained neutral on the political issue but showed that the taxes demanded by the Roman civil authority, which represented Caesar, should be paid. At the same time, he showed that obedience to secular authority was limited. A person was not to give the State what was due to God, including devotion and worship.—Matthew 4:10; 22:37, 38.

      Jesus promoted a heavenly government, God’s Kingdom. (Luke 4:43) He did not get involved in politics because he knew that God’s Kingdom, not human governments, would achieve what God wants for the earth. (Matthew 6:10) He understood that God’s Kingdom would not operate through human governments but would replace them.—Daniel 2:44.

  • Should Religion Be Involved in Politics?
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      • “There is not a shred of evidence which would allow us to think that Jesus had military/political ambitions, and . . . the same applies to the disciples.”—Jesus and Judaism, page 231.

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