State
A state government can shut down stores and theatres on Sunday, but it cannot compel worship. It can arrest and punish KKK murderers but cannot cure their hatred, much less teach them love. It can pass laws making divorce more difficult but cannot force husbands to love their wives and wives their husbands. It can give subsidies to the poor but cannot force the rich to show them compassion and justice. It can ban adultery but not lust, theft but not covetousness, cheating but not pride. It can encourage virtue but not holiness.
A vision of the church as it should be: If the world despises a notorious sinner, the church will love her. If the world cuts off aid to the poor and the suffering, the church will offer food and healing. If the world oppresses, the church will raise up the oppressed. If the world shames a social outcast, the church will proclaim God's reconciling love. If the world seeks profit and self-fulfillment, the church seeks sacrifice and service. If the world demands retribution, the church dispenses grace. If the world splinters into factions, the church joins together in unity. If the world destroys its enemies, the church loves them.
That, at least, is the vision of the New Testament church: a colony of heaven in a hostile world.
posted by Jared at 11:38 pm
3 Comments:
Yeah cool stuff.
I really believe in the seperation of church and state so that religious liberties can be protected from an intrusive government.
As we have seen through numerous examples around the world, state-sanctioned churches become puppets of the government. Under such pretenses the edicts of fallible man take precedence over God. The integrety of the Gospel can be easily breached by the heads of state. Likewise, churches and clergy shouldn't be government funded as loyalties are divided between the one who calls them, and the other who feeds them.
Saying all this, in a democratic society like ours we are able to have some say on policiy and who our leaders are. We should not neglect this opportunity to bring our ideals into influence. But as you say, a government can't compell worship etc. Nor can A government make someone live by the spirit. In fact governments are intent on making rules and restrictions on peoples freedom and this is not what Christianity is about. (Too bad many Christians and churches are still to figure this out!)
10:42 am
I think that, as an ideal, the church would not have to fill the role described, as the world would be more open to the ways of the church and be prepared to love, as opposed to oppress and marginalise. The things that you state that governments actions fail to do are similar to those of the church. Both provide guidelines, but ultimately cannot stop an individual making their own decisions. Human choice is one of the key themes, I feel, from the Gospel message. As such the actions of church and state are similar in that they are united (supposedly) bodies of people. The church is the community of Christ, the state the community of nationals. The church can say to “love one another,” because as a community of Christ that is what we all believe; and, most will, yet, not all. The same with the state, they can say “do not kill,” because it undermines societal values, and most will, yet not all.
Pragmatically, in contemporary western democracies it is a necessity to have separate functions for government and church, or Caesar and Christ, if you will. I think it is important for people to have an awareness of the roles of both and then be able to determine how they will respond within both communities. If Christian, then obviously those values ought not to be compromised regardless what sphere one is in. Well, this isn’t at all articulate…basically I believe that ideally church and state would serve the same role, in that they were both bodies of love with shared values of tolerance and care; yet, in the contemporary world that is unattainable.
5:57 pm
Peter, great comment. I fully agree with you.
Interesting that you mentioned separation of Caesar and Christ. After all, it was the state that executed Jesus, the founder of Christianity. He never (at least, not that I am aware of) involved himself in politics; rather, he put the person (and that person's heart) above any category or label.
6:29 pm
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