First of all, Jesus clearly tells us not to swear oaths.

I don't think anyone is committing idolatry by wanting to live in any part of the world where they can enjoy the basic necessities of life. Granted, many of us here, in the U.S., have well beyond what constitutes basic necessities.

First of all, Jesus clearly tells us not to swear oaths.

God doesn't want to give Israel a king, because God knows, being the rather observant deity God is, that the Israelites will become like all other nations: they will worship their king and not God.

Basically, you know, write the book you want to read, be the band you want to hear, grow the food you want to eat, create the world you want to live in, and so on and so on. I think this translates well for how Christians should approach their present-day situation where the current goal of most everyone, Christian or not, seems to be to procure power.

First of all, the majority of us, regardless of what we may say, are capitalists. That is, we practice it, it's what we "do," it's how we live, we are capitalists.

The church is the cross that Christ was crucified on.