3.19.2006 | Separation of church and state

One of the things that Baptists should agree with, if nothing else, is that religion and the state should be separate. The obvious source of our strong philosophy, rooted in freedom of conscience, was that established churches were particularly hard on early Baptists and other dissenters. Some of us Baptists and other Christians may appear to forget this, when we fulminate against secular political figures. Pat Robertson, call your office...

One early American voice striving against the establishment of any church was Baptist minister John Leland (1754-1841). Unfortunately, the Rev. Mr. Leland has been appropriated by some who think that the prohibition of an established church means that there be no religion expressed in the public square.

Leland would likely have been horrified at some of the things that some Baptists (and other Christians) say. I think he would have publicly disciplined them, and reminded them that the Christian religion is about the salvation of our souls, about our personal relationship with God through His Son Jesus Christ. In other words, public statements by Christians speaking as Christians must be about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Period.

As for the wisdom of involvement in secular politics, consider these words from John Leland:

Guard against those men who make a great noise about religion, in choosing representatives. It is electioneering. If they knew the nature and worth of religion, they would not debauch it to such shameful purposes.

-- "July 4th Oration by John Leland, July 5, 1802". The Writings of John Leland, Edited by L.F. Greene

The Rev. Mr. Leland was a wise man. His advice still stands as worthy of emulation in this year of our Lord 2006.

| technorati tag | Christianity|