Obama and Benedict XVI on the Kingdom of God

As our country continues to embrace all sorts of grave evils, I have felt, lately, like a foreigner in my own country. This feeling of sorrow led me to reflect on two stunningly contrasting visions for how to construct human society.

The first was a campaign quote during a Sunday church service by Barack Obama:

"I am confident that we can create a Kingdom right here on Earth." --Barack Obama, Sunday, October 7, 2007 

I distinctly remember the president saying this because I spent a portion of his first campaign reading Cardinal Ratzinger's Jesus of Nazareth. Here's what the future Pope Benedict XVI had to say:

"Earthly kingdoms remain earthly human kingdoms, and anyone who claims to be able to establish the perfect world is the willing dupe of Satan and plays the world right into his hands... The earthly kingdoms that Satan was able to put before the Lord at that time have all passed away.” --Benedict XVI, Bishop Emeritus of Rome in Jesus of Nazareth, page 44

If you haven't read volume of Jesus of Nazareth, I'd encourage you to find it. Chapters two and three provide the best Gospel-based counterargument to big government that you'll find.