CHURCH, STATE CAN TUG IN 2 DIRECTIONS

Let me pose a trick question: Can a person be a loyal citizen of the United
States, yet also be the faithful subject of a distant king?

The answer is not only "yes," but 90 percent of the people you know are
just that. Thanks to the First Amendment, we can be American citizens and,
at the same time, loyal subjects in the Kingdom of God.

It is one area where Americans can split their allegiance without betraying
their country.

For example, the drug peyote is illegal here; unless, of course, you belong
to the Native American Church. Then you can smoke it in your ceremonies.

It's unlawful to avoid the military draft, except for, say, a Jehovah's
Witness.

And don't even think about performing ritual animal sacrifices- unless,
that is, you practice a certain sect of Santeria.

The push and pull between loyalty to the country and loyalty to one's faith
has produced some moments of high drama in America. Those two opposing
forces have also produced some rather memorable characters; Joseph Smith
and Martin Luther King Jr. come to mind.

Last week, Sen. Orrin Hatch - an interesting character - came by the
Deseret News. He wanted to explain his position on stem-cell research and
some aspects of cloning. Being in favor of such things, he said, had
generated a few letters that scorched his mailbox.

But this is not the first time the senator has taken positions that have
conservatives scratching their heads. His interest in child welfare laws,
his friendship with liberal Massachusetts Sen. Ted Kennedy - even his deep
interest in women's issues - have made a few old bull elephants in the GOP
wrinkle their brows. But as I listened to his comments, I realized in every
case he was being perfectly consistent. In each case he was being loyal to
the "kingdom," not his party. Hungry children, disadvantaged women, people
with incurable illnesses were suffering for reasons beyond their control.
And his response was a show of Christian goodwill.

And what about Christian goodwill to drug addicts, gays and illegal aliens,
you ask? Why doesn't he reach out to them?

Convince him their plight is not of their own making - that their lot is
not due to their personal choices - and I suspect he would. He believes in
Christian compassion. He also believes in personal responsibility. And
being Christian - and living in the world - can mean feeling yourself
tugged in two different directions. That tension is built into the
Constitution. It is part of American life.

It is a tension that H.L. Mencken noted when he said America's oddest
contribution to the world was the notion of a "Christian businessman."
Being in business usually means out-hustling and outsmarting the other guy,
not fretting over his needs. Being a businessman means fretting about money
and searching for an advantage. In short, it means putting yourself first,
not last.

But then, the same can be said for lives led by Christian soldiers,
Christian athletes and - yes, readers - Christian writers. We all spend a
good share of the day torn between two opposing impulses: Do we advance
ourselves, or advance others? And though the tension that causes can be
rather uncomfortable, it does make for an invigorating life.

If we're lucky, in fact, it can also teach us invigorating - and invaluable
- - lessons about how to live.