The reason it appears the USA has been singled out and made the biggest issue in regards to the Bible believer and his view towards supporting political wars, is because it is now the greatest nation on earth, and is now in a position to go about wielding its power unchecked since the disintegration of the Soviet Union a few years ago.  Another main reason is because most of the hundreds of people on my list are from the USA, with many being proud of its achievements, whether politically or militarily, justifying their nation as Christian; in contrast to others who openly oppose this notion, believing they are Bible based, yet remain loyal American citizens ...  Render(ing) to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.

In order to come to grips with this scenario, it is enlightening to go back in history and in an unbiased way, face situations neutral families had to deal with when their homes came under occupation from an opposing side.  The 1965 movie "Shenandoah" comes to mind here, where actor Jimmy Stewart portrays a father of a Christian family caught in the crossfire of both sides of the Civil War conflict, when the battle front would change direction across their land.

Following is an account of our brother's family history, who found themselves caught in the middle of the conflicts between the US and Canada a couple of centuries ago.  Like many situations in history, the side you happened to fight for was determined by which side of the border you happened to settle on.  This often led to the dilemma of brothers fighting brothers because circumstances had them in different places at the same time.

The question here that is often asked:  Which brother was fighting for the just righteous cause, with God on His side ...  the Loyalist or the Revolutionist?

This dilemma is found when we look at the scripture about the nature of God, that He is not a God of confusion or shadow of turning.  While this ongoing debate is always an issue, the Lord's remnant goes beyond the political and are not caught up in carnal conflicts, but seek another country as strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

Encouraged and used by permission ...  here is our American brother's account:

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The first 'Kellers' to arrive in the 'New World' came from the Palatine area of Europe in 1709-10.  That area is on the Rhine River between France and Prussia and Switzerland.  The residents had survived the 100 year war, the 30 year war, and the Inquisition before that.  But apparently there were some years of severe weather that damaged the crops so badly that thousands had to leave the area and float down the Rhine to Holland in the early 1700's.

Holland didn't want all these refugees or displaced persons.  The queen of England offered them land in the colonies if they wanted to go there.  Most did ...  some ended up in Ireland and Scotland to displace the Catholic influence there ...  My ancestor and his wife went to the colonies in North America.  They became indentured servants on the Livingstone Plantation on the Hudson River south of Albany NY.  Christian died the first year there, leaving his widow Anna Margaretha and son Conrad.  Anna remarried.  The son grew and fought in the French Indian wars all along the Hudson river and in what is now Canada below the St. Lawrence River.  He married and had sons.  It is these sons and their sons that fought on both sides of the Revolutionary War.

Conrad's son, Christian and his two sons fought on the Loyalist side.  As a result of England loosing the war, those who fought on that side experienced a lot of persecution and the eventual loss of their properties to the Revolutionaries.  King George then offered land in Canada to all those Loyalists ... From Georgia to New England.  Most ended up in the Maritime provinces and along the St. Lawrence River.  Christian and his sons and families settled in the wilderness of what is now Ontario, on Hay Bay, which is a part of the Bay of Quinte at the east end of Lake Ontario.

Jim Kellor (of Ottawa) doesn't know to what extent our ancestors fought in the War of 1812.  But a lot of that war was fought along the Great Lakes.  AND I would imagine that the settlers in those regions weren't too happy with the prospect of being displaced from the land they had so desperately cleared, by those who caused their displacement from the colonies.  The war ended with no change to the previous boundaries ...

Prior to the Revolutionary War, there was a greater respect toward the native Americans.  To the extent that large portions of the land, what is now the state of Michigan, were to be solely designated to the natives.  The War ended that idea and set in motion the policies toward the natives that persisted into the 19th and 20th centuries.

About the mid 1800's there were several factors occurring in Canada. The completion of railroads brought lack of work for many, there was a general recession after the war of 1812.  And there were laws made that gave the Catholic church equal rights to land that were given to protestant churches.

I always wondered why there seemed to be a general dislike for catholicism by my family.  Maybe it was something that was carried down from the ancestors from Europe who survived the Inquisition ??  If you read the book by Chiniquey (a catholic priest from Canada) you might get some idea of the push of Catholicism in Canada in the 1800's.

Anyway, one of the grandsons of Fredrick (the revolutionary war fighter who came to Canada) left Ontario with his family and his father, one of the sons of Fredrick, and ended up in Southern Wisconsin.  They are all buried in Oregon Wisconsin, the place where my mother was reared and where I, and all my cousins were born, but since have moved to all parts of the USA.

I've always wondered why I seemed to have a 'different' concept to politics and religion ...  Now I speculate that it may be because my ancestors lives have always been effected by religion (the inquisition?) and pawns of political power or influence in the lands they lived in.

I have had good email conversations with my distant cousin, Jim, from Ottawa.  He has sent me a great documentary of the War of 1812 from the Canadian perspective of history.  He has explained the nature of the Canadian mentality toward their relationship with England and the Loyalists stand during the Revolutionary War.

We can justify and rationalize the causes for the rebellion to Mother England in the 1700' ....  There were members of English Parliament that tried to convince their peers that the citizens of the colonies were under the same constitution as the citizens of England.

But, you and I both know that, rebellion is rebellion, and the scripture states that rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft.  This nation has become a 'great' nation since that time, BUT, not through righteousness.  Much of what has made this nation 'great' has been very evil.  And just being 'great' doesn't guarantee longevity, peace and safety.  We are seeing those concepts being destroyed today because of some of the things that have been done in the past to perpetuate our 'greatness'.

I believe that everything boils down to the 'two trees in the garden'.  The tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  EVERYONE born since the time of the ejection of Man from the Garden has lived off of the tree of Knowledge of GOOD and Evil.  Man knows good and what can be accomplished by being 'good', but he also knows Evil and will use either good or evil, which ever is expedient to accomplish what he desires to do or accomplish.

It is only by and thru the Grace of God that anyone is brought to the Tree of Life!  That we have an understanding of that and have been 'called out' of the world systems of religion and politics is only by that Grace!  It is nothing that we can boast in, but can rejoice in and be diligent in listening to the guidance of the Lord thru His Holy Spirit.

For some reason known only by the Lord, we have become the offspring of generations that survived political and religious corruption ...  to see the present times and circumstances.  Somehow, we are here in our imperfection and human ness to carry a portion of His Word to this age. Not all will listen or heed, but it will be an encouragement to those who have been touched by the Lord and need to know that they are not alone in their rejection of the 'status quo' of either religion or politics.

In the Beginning, and in the End, it has been and will be the Lord who initiates ALL things ...  in the heavenlies and on earth ... through the hearts of those He chooses to bring forth His Will.

Our responsibility ...  to be still enough to listen and hear His 'still small voice' and then DO ONLY that which He instructs us to do.

Gail Kellor

  1/5/03.  Updated last 29/7/06 NZ. 

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