First of all, I am more interested in the theology rather than the stuff in the beginning about 9/11 and how it relates to US patriotism. I don't really understand the connection there, since I am against patriotism on principle and I don't think that 9/11 showed anything that wasn't there before. I find the beginning of the whole 95 Theses a little peculiar for the emphasis on the US. I think that I agree with most of the Theses but they apply to everyone and every nation, not specifically or even exceptionally the US. It seems to me that if you are going to do another 95 Theses, you would write it more generally than that.

Yes, I am in agreement with the first Theses that Jesus called us to become citizens of His kingdom. To Pilate, Jesus says very clearly ... “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.”

If He had not called us to be citizens of His kingdom, then who are the servants He is referring to in this verse?

The same verse above is in agreement with the second of the Theses, that the Kingdom of God cannot be understood to be a world kingdom.

I am in full agreement with the third thesis, that the US has no special place as a nation in that kingdom nor does any other except for Israel - although there seems to be a bit of a quibble about it, since Paul tells us that we are adopted into the nation of Israel through our belief in Jesus Christ. We are told that those who believe among the Gentiles will also serve God as priests in the New Jerusalem and somewhere, not sure where exactly, that it is faith, not genetic material, that sanctifies us into a kinship with Abraham.

Layla