The passage in Matthew 22 in which Jesus tells the Pharisees to "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's is "a revolutionary text, and its public implications have been working themselves out for almost two millennia," according to George Weigel, president of the Ethics and Public Policy Center of Washington, D.C. In an essay entitled "The Christian Citizen and Democracy," Mr. Weigel noted that the Scriptures say to submit to the governing authorities and to pray for them (1 Peter 2:13-14, Romans 13:1), but that Caesar is not God, contrary to a common belief in the times of Jesus.

Mr. Weigel questioned whether atheists can really be good citizens, arguing that democracy requires a standard of truth and morality outside the scope of fallen human beings. Richard John Neuhaus, editor-in-chief of First Things, was quoted as saying to an atheist who asked, "Is this the opening salvo of a campaign to deny atheists their rights?", "Relax. Your rights are secured by my understanding of the truth, even if mine are not by yours."