Rom 13:5 Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience. 6 This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. 7 Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.

Rom 13:8 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. 9 The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

The US came very close in a default of its massive debt, as the law makers debated on raising the debt ceiling. The US is in trouble because her citizens and companies are not paying their debts in taxes they owed to the Government. There are tax loopholes that mainly benefit the rich and the powerful. The US Government in turn borrows money to fund for the basic necessities.

It’s not that being gay is not what’s God’s best for us (as if it is a choice), but being in serious debt. We have our prosperity theology in Christianity making us rich but the debts and rising interest rates may one day make us poor. We have a nation and people on easy credit at low interest rates until it is too late.

It’s not the dangers of a “gay lifestyle” made up by some Christians that is threatening the nations, by an expectation that God will bless us and that we deserved a good lifestyle. We have borrowed money to maintain this delusion.

It's not gays that caused the Roman Empire to decline but that they ran out of money due to the wars and getting less taxes, all in the watch of 4th century Christians who had taken power and control of Rome.

The recent shutdown of the US Government and the battles over the raising of the ceiling deficit for the 80^th time since 1960, posed an important question that we all owe debt and have no make moral choices on spending priorities and for US coporation to pay more taxes.

Do we still spend on the poor, on borrowed money? The US Government debt is at 17.039 trillion. The US debt is serviced at very low interest rates exist because US is the international trading currency and is considered a safe haven.

But Is it Christian to enjoy life when the bills are footed by others? I guess it depends on who is paying the tab? the poor in Asia? When the interest rates hence repayment rises, due to the increased risk, the poor and the weakest groups in the community will suffer.  This can come when US is perceived as less than a safe haven, and as the debt increases exponentially.

Some progressive Christians conveniently ignore the fact that the debt ceiling has exceeded 100% of the GDP or the economy, because it can’t be avoided.  Sojourners portrayed the raising of the debt ceiling as “routine” which it was. However  the 5 trillion additional debt within last 5 years was extraordinary. Does the increased debt helped the rich or the poor?

But all countries owe national debts as a percentage of their GDP eg

USA                       105%
UK                          91%
France                  91.9%
Germany             81.2%
Spain                     92.3%

The US is however are at a juncture of a steep rise in US debt due to the baby boomers retiring. The unfunded future liability is at 126 trillion (16 trillion on social security, 22 Million on prescription drugs, and 87 trillion on Medicare). Between 1946 to 1964, is a period of 21 to 27 births/1000 population versus the current rate of 13 births/1000 population/year.

The crisis over debt ceilings will be common in the future not because of the failure of govern or to consider the poor as alleged by some progressive Christians, but because of the rapidly rising debts and repayments, and the need to make moral choices to reassign the priorities and for the citizens/companies to pay the debt due in taxes. The political decision is to close the tax loop holes.

The bible tells us not to owe any debts even those that are unfairly imposed on us such as the Roman Taxes for the 1^st century church. Although we are of the Kingdom of God, we belong to the kingdom of this world and are to respect the authorities God has put over us.

If we owe debt to the world powers and authorities, it should prick our conscience because wealth is needed for the authorities to govern for the common good. We owe nothing to others except love in how we treat others.

If we steal money by defaulting on our debts or finding loopholes to avoid taxes, are we not causing harm and stealing from our neighbour.

As the world watches precariously on the debt that they had loaned the US to live a luxurious life,  whether we are going to default even though the interests are so low, we burn away the bridges of trust and honour. We are not showing love to our neighbours.

The fact Is that the conscience of some Christians were not pricked on the amazing amount of money owned to our neighbours and kept on spending even giving good moral reason why the funds is needed for the poor.

Do we love our neighbour? Or are we using them to live a good lifestyle whilst they toiled day and night.

The debt situation and the US Government battles will look more dire in the coming years. US as a nation needs God's grace to provide an unending supply and have their debts forgiven.

Only Jesus can perform a miracle to change the hearts of a nation so used to getting a free meal on easy credit, paying so little to the Government, and spending unncessarily on wars.