Love to God and Love to Man

Love to God and Love to Man By Paul Camuti 03/11/2026

The Gospels tell of an incident in which a lawyer asks Jesus what is the great commandment in the law.

Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked Him a question, tempting Him, and saying, “Master, which is the great commandment in the law?” Jesus said unto him, “'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, 'Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.'” Matthew 22:35-39 KJV

The Greek word for love in these versed is agapao, which is defined as to regard with favor, to make much of a thing or person on principle. Another word for love in the Greek used in the Bible is phileo which is be fond of, to kiss, with regards to having feelings, as distinct from principle. Phileo is the word we get philadelphia from, which is brotherly or affectionate love.

Agapao is a love based on principle. A person agapao's someone or something with a motive of “just because.” A clear example of this is that God so love the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him, should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16).

Because God created mankind which is His crowning achievement of creation, it is because mankind is His crowning creation He sent His son Jesus Christ as a sacrifice as a matter of principle. However, although agapao is primarily based on principle, it is not void of emotion. Agapao produces a passion so intense it results in extreme action. You cannot get any more extreme than God having so much passion for mankind that He sent His Son to be sacrificed in such a horrific way to purchase mankind's redemption. Jesus had so much passion for Father God and for mankind based on principle that He completely surrendered His will to the Father after begging and pleading with Father God to essentially come up with another plan in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Now, to where I'm going with all of this. Recently CNN televised a documentary on “Christian Nationalism.” It showed “Christian Nationalism,” as a radical movement that Charlie Kirk started, holding “Christian Nationalism” rallies on college and university campuses for Christians.

The idea being conveyed by the CNN documentary and by much of the media, is that this is a dangerous movement. What makes it dangerous, they say, is that there was a call by Charlie Kirk and others that America needs to go back to the roots of Christianity by which the nation was founded on. They portray Charlie Kirk and other Christians that believe America's founding was based on the Judeo-Christian principles of the Bible want Christianity to be the national religion. Nothing can be further from the truth. They indirectly imply that “Christian Nationalism” is akin to Nazism, because they conflate Nationalism with Nazism. Again, nothing can be further than the truth.

Before anyone begins to think that this article is divisive, let me assure you that is not the intent. It is to make us aware of the truth. Jesus said that He is the truth, the way and the life. Althouh there is no one more loving than Jesus who ever exists or existed, the nature of truth in and of itself is divisive.

There are also those who say that true leaders try to bring unity. No, true leaders speak the truth regardless of consequences. True leaders make unpopular decisions that in the long wrong will be beneficial to most or all. Think Abraham Lincoln. As loving and compassionate as Jesus was/is, He also made the following statement:

“Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law

against her mother-in law; and a man's enemies will be the members of his household.” Matthew 10:34-36 NASB

Unfortunately there are Christians that are also being influenced by the CNN and the mainstream media believing Christian Nationalism is dangerous. Again, the danger they are trying to present is that Chrisitans want Christianity as the American national religion.

I saw a post on Facebook by a relative of mine in which he prayed for the protection and safety our American military, Israel, Iranian civilians as the military strikes against the murderous Iranian regime began to occur. One person who responded to the post who appeared to be Christian was opposed to the military strikes. I have no problem with people expressing their opinion about policies. That is their right as an American citizen. I sincerely mean that. However, she began to speak about Christian Nationalism the way the media portrays it. She went on to say she believes in separation of church and state the way the Founding Fathers believed in separation of church and state.

Many people, including some Christians, believe that separation of church and state are in the U.S. Constitution. That idea is expressed nowhere in the Constitution. The idea of separation of church and state had to do with the government not being able to limit religious activities in public. The power of the government was to be limited to prohibit or interfere with religious expression. This is made clear in a letter the Thomas Jefferson wrote to the Danbury Baptists in response to a letter in which the Danbury Baptists were concerned that government might desire to regulate religious expression.

Here is what the First Amendment in the Constitution says: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;

In other words, The U.S. Constitution is saying that Congress cannot make a law establishing a national religion. Congress also could not pass a law forbiding the free exercise of religion. If a teacher working in a public school were to wear a cross, or have a Bible on their desk, they are not violating the Constitution. Why? Because the teacher is not making a law to establish a national religion. The teacher is using his or her free exercise of his or her religion. Anyone workig in any capacity of a government job wearing a cross, having an exposed Bible or even witnessing to a person about Jesus Christ is not in violation of the Constitution because they are not trying to make a law to establish a national religion. Charlie Kirk and other Christians like him know the Constitution very well. They would be aware of this. All the Christians I know who desire to see a return in America to the Christian values the nation was founded upon, do not want a law passed by Congress to establish Christianity as a national religion. What is more, is that the Founding Fathers are in complete agreement with what I just mentioned in this paragraph. Here's the proof:

“The great enemy of the salvation of man, in my opinion, never invented a more effectual means of extinguishing Christianity from the world than by persuading mankind that it was improper to read the Bible at schools...” Benjamin Rush, Signer of the Declaration of Independence.

“To promote true religion is the best and most effectual way of making a virtuous and regular people. Love to God and love to man is the substance of religion; when these prevail, civil laws will have little to do...The magistrate (or ruling part of any society) ought to encourage piety and make it an object of public esteem. Those who are vested with civil authority ought to promote religion and good morals among all under their government.” That is a quote of John Witherspoon who was a minister, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, and a member of the New Jersey State Assembly.

To be clear, often times when the Founding Fathers spoke of religion, it was in reference to Christianity. John Witherspoon was a Presbyterian minister, a Christian Protestant denomination. Also as such, he served in the government position. He encouraged government leaders to promote religion/Christianity.

“The great pillars of all government and of social life, are virtue, morality and religion. This is the armor, my friend, and this alone, that renders us invincible.” Patrick Henry, famous for his March 23,1775 “Give me liberty or give me death” speech encouraging independence form Great Britain. Patrick Henry is historically recognized as a devout Christian.

“We have been assured, Sir, in the Sacred Writings that except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it. I firmly believe this; and I also believe that without His concuring aid, we shall succeed in this political building no better than the builders of Babel.” Benjamin Franklin, considered the least Christian of all the Founding Fathers said this during a speech in which he was imploring the hiring of a chaplin to start each day in prayer during the Constitutional Covention in which the Founders were hammering out the U.S. Constitution.

“The religion which has introduced civil liberty is the religion of of Christ and His apostles...and to this we owe our free constitutions of government.” Noah Webster, who at one time served in the Massachusetts Legislature.

I can go on with numerous quotes from other Founding Fathers that they all believed that for a Constitutional Republic (by the way, the Founding Fathers had no use for democracy, which is why we are a Constitutional Republic, not a democracy) to function, the principles of its laws had to be based on the ethics of the Bible.

Once again, those who are accused of being “Christian Nationalists” are people who desire to see America return the Biblical Worldview of the Founding Fathers expressed in a number of Founding documents that were written. In no way, shape or form do those accused of being “Christian Nationalists” want to have a law passed by Congress to establish Christianity as the national religion.

Progressives, who by and large have a monopoly on the news media, education, and various other influential institutions of America, also peddle the lie of Nationalism being linked to Nazism. Here are the definitions of Nationalism, Facism, Nazism, and Communism.

Nationalism: The belief that the country should protect it's own borders, laws, culture and citizens. The idea that the country should protect it's citizens first. Sounds like what the Founding Father's believed.

Fascism: When one ruling party holds most of the power. Opposition is crushed, the media is controlled. People do not get much say. Businesses may exist but they answer to the state. Government becomes more centralized, strong and very hard to challenge.

Nazism: Similar to Fascism, but it includes racial superiority and hatred. Not just strong government, but a government based on racial ideology and genocide.

Communism: Does not focus on race, it focuses on class. It teaches that wealthy people exploit workers and it's solution is to eliminate private property and put the state in charge of the economy. In therory it promises equality but in practice it ends up in concentrating power in a small ruling class.

Fascism, Nazism, and Communism all concentrate power to the state. Nationalism does not.

Here is an interesting truth. I recently found out that an athiest, and another man who is somewhat of a chameleon when it comes to religion, consider themselves “Cultural Christians.” They believe that the principles of Christianity is what is best for a culture and society above any other religion or ideology. The atheist is Richard Dawkins, and the religious chameleon is Elon Musk.

I guess with everything I said, I'm guilty of being a Christian Nationalist. A Christian that has no desire for Congress to pass a law making Christianity the national religion of America, but yet desires to see America return to the Christian Worldview that the Founding Fathers had which led to a country that protects it's own borders, laws, culture and protecting it's citizens first. Love and God bless, Pastor Paul.