God and Government – a dangerous mix
Blog: Werner Janssen's blog
June 7, 2011
A recent billboard in Wenatchee proclaimed ‘God and Government – a dangerous mix: Keep state and church separate’. It is interesting that this billboard generated such an emotional response. Billboards are powerless unless they hit a real sensitivity. I think the billboard’s message is worth serious consideration.
It’s critical that the state doesn’t interfere with the freedom to worship, but it is equally important that the church doesn’t use its influence to direct the governing process in our democracy. I’m actually more concerned about the misuse of power and influence of the church than that of the state. In the last few years many churches have become more blatant with their pressuring members concerning social issues. Even more dangerous is a church’s suggesting support for specific candidates. The Catholic Church has gone so far as threatening to withhold communion to politicians straying from the Catholic doctrines. Words spoken in a church carry a power that is beyond reason because of the fear and mystery of all that surrounds God. Too frequently it is assumed that our religious leaders have an ‘in’ with God, but Martin Luther helped clarify that all people have equal access to God. Our pastors and priests may be organizational leaders but they are not the exclusive voice of God on earth.
As long as ‘we the people’ are influenced by our respective religious organizations, our government will be influenced either negatively or positively by our various personal convictions. Our pioneers arrived in this country seeking religious freedom, but what they established in this country may have been equally as questionable as what they left. It may be true that some of the principles incorporated in the Declaration of Independence and Constitution have similarities to principles followed by the church, but connecting the dots that begin with the Pilgrims and end with the Constitution does not result in a religious nation.
History is clear that some of our founding fathers were very human and definitely not perfect specimens. Fortunately, many were sufficiently well educated; they at least understood the need for freedom and justice for all. Perhaps the greatest miracle was that those struggling to ‘form a more perfect union’ actually succeeded. This victory materialized, not because of any association with religious beliefs, but because of the founders’ previous experience with failed governments and oppressive religions, and because of their determination to guarantee total freedom of thought and expression for all people.
Our religious convictions should impact our government only as we individually struggle with our spiritual identities. The church should not dictate government policies nor should the government endorse any religious group. The essence of the power of the church should be seen in the statement that God is love, and we should love one another even as God’s love is freely offered. These simple words should be the sum total of the relationship between the church and any governing power within our democracy.
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LTM 11 months, 3 weeks ago
God and Government – a dangerous mix
As an atheist, it's easy for me to agree that god & government are a dangerous mix. Especially since it relates to an important component of the 1st Amendment. Either way, if Churches try to preach politics to it's members, there is bound to be a point at which the club members no longer want to hear it, and walk across the street to the competition. And there's plenty of competition in town.
Tim 11 months, 3 weeks ago
God and Government – a dangerous mix
Telling the church to stay out of social issues is like telling a sportsman to stay out of land use issues. Churches don't run governments, men run governments. Men do so by the dictates of their conscience. Faith will play a part in governing so long as men have faith. There should be a separation of church and state but there can be no separation of God and state so long as people believe.
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