I have received more forwarded e-mails from Christians trying to remind me that the Founders of this country did not believe in a separation of church and state. I am not sure what Founders these Christians read, but they most certainly did believe in a separation of Church and state. Terminology is always the most difficult part in any public debate, especially one in which Christians do not recognize their own Traditions.
The Framers of the U.S. Constitution most certainly recognized that if the Federal government endorsed a particular church (state church at the Federal level "for those of you in..."), then there would be major clashes between states with different churches and also states that had religious freedom from any particular denomination. Therefore, we have the First Amendment. So the question really is, "What is the role of religion in the public square and in particular our governments?"
The answer is quite simple. The Federal government has no authority to involve itself in state or local levels. It is simply restricted by the First Amendment. The Federal Government however must embrace the Worldview that gave rise to it. Otherwise, it will pull the rug from beneath itself, and collapse upon itself with its owns weight. The Federal Government must embrace the Bible as being the Word of God and revelation of His Will and Laws. This is the only means of preserving religious pluralism.
States, however, are not governed by the First Amendment, and the quicker Christians get off of this First Amendment argument, the better. States are free to recognize any religion they desire. Christians must be persuasive in their argumentation for their Christian worldview.
I do not want to go back to England's or Germany's or Rome's State (or an atheistic) church. Do you?
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3 comments:
"The Federal Government must embrace the Bible as being the Word of God and revelation of His Will and Laws. This is the only means of preserving religious pluralism."
This doesn't make sense to me. How is embracing the Bible "religious pluralism?"
I don't think there should be any state-sanctioned religion. How would you feel if Muslims took over and made Islam the Kansas religion? I think the separation of church and state was one of the wisest decision our founders made.
"I don't think there should be any state-sanctioned religion."
You just did. Whatever you mean by that is what the State's religious view will be (you do not live in a vaccum). Should it be atheistic? The facts and truth is you hate what the Founders themselves taught and wrote. They made the very argument I have submitted either specifically or in principal.
"This doesn't make sense to me. How is embracing the Bible "religious pluralism?""
The Bible, specifically in the NT teaches that the Kingdom of God is NOT the same as the Kingdoms of this world. It is also known as the "Two Kingdom" theory.
Therefore, Christians are taught that we cannot force our neighbors to become Christians by the sword. So if our Government embraced (which it used to) Christianity as the worldview, it does not actively force people to be Christian, but does enforce and gives a basis for, the Laws of the land.
Without Christianity, might makes right.
BTW, "How would you feel if Muslims took over and made Islam the Kansas religion? I think the separation of church and state was one of the wisest decision our founders made."
I don't doubt its wisdom, but you have totally misunderstood what they meant. So you do not even recognise their wisdom, and you probably spend time fighting against their wisdom.
Also a main point should be made here. The First Amendment has nothing to do with the State of Kansas. If Kansas decides to make Islam the state church that is Kansas' business, not the Federal Governments.
So I am not arguing for a state church anyway. Just you arguing like this shows you have missed the whole point of the post.
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