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Christ Separating Church from State

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By Ernesto Tinajero

All civil states, with their officers of justice,  in their respective constitutions and administrations, are  proved essentially civil, and therefore not judges, governors, or defenders of the spiritual, or Christian, state and worship. -ROGER WILLIAMS

I know I am in the minority currently, but as a Christian, I believe in the separation of Church and State. While many contemporary believers think this country was founded as a Christian Nation, I join Roger Williams in upholding the separation of Church and State. Roger Williams, writing in the heady days of the 40s made a well argued case for his beliefs. The reception of his publication was profound and he influenced generations of Americans with his thought, including one of the most revered generation in American history.

There were two exceptionally remarkable aspects to his argument. First, he used a strong biblical exegesis to support his arguments. I could add several of my now including, since this country was not founded as a covenant with God, or there was no American Moses, we Christians can add our voices to civil affairs, but to to demand this be a Christian country is to do what Jesus explicitly rejected: the taking up the power of the state.

The second most remarkable aspect of Williams argument is that he made it in the 1640s, before even this country was founded. His thought influenced the Revolutionary age and many of the founders cite him as a powerful influence. Williams was the founder of Rhode Island and the most prolific of the new sect of Baptists. To claim this was explicitly founded as a Christian Nation is to forget about this early pioneer.

Since we were not Israel, but the church, we had to fit within the fabric of community and not compel belief in others. Jesus was offered many times the crown or the power of the state. Satan offers Jesus the crown as the last of his temptations. Jesus rejects it. Jesus rightly banishes Satan after the offer. When he heals, the crowds want to crown Jesus and Jesus rejects the offer. Why do Christians demand today what Jesus rejects?

The questions for Christians that believe the United States was founded as a Christian nation, are twofold. First, historically, they have to show that all of the founders were Christian and it was Christians who supported theocracy. Just the existence and popularity of Roger Williams argues against this. But moreover, they enter a deeper theological problem of having to justify going beyond Jesus in saying that the church absorbs the state. If Jesus wanted this country as a Christian country, he could have sent a legion of Angels, as he told his sword welding friend Peter. But like on his night of betrayal, he rejected the crown and its violence and choose the cross.

Ernesto Tinajero
Ernesto Tinajero
Art, says Ernesto Tinajero, comes from the border of what has come before and what is coming next. Tinajero uses his experience studying poetry and theology to write about the intersecting borders of art, poetry and religion.

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Brad Thompson
Brad Thompson
8 years ago

Brilliant and well-articulated; thank you. I think Christendom has always been easier to grasp than Christianity, and thus has always garnered more and louder support. The temptation to institutionalise our faith, to dress the coercive power of the state in the robes of religious tradition and use it to enforce our own biases is a powerful one.

Jan Shannon
8 years ago

Well said!! Freedom of religion and the separation of Church and State, yes, I agree!

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