LOS ANGELES -- "Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and unto God the things that are God's."

That, according to Gospel authority, was the policy recommendation of Jesus Christ more than 2,000 years ago when confronted with the dicey question of whether the faithful were obligated to pay tribute to the governing power of the time. In effect, Christ said, split the difference and live and let live.

The formulation was rather clever. Without going into messy detail, it established the principle of the separation of church from state -- or rather Caesar from God. It reinforced the idea that human souls on Earth have civic as well as religious duties.