Joining Of Church And State

considering benefits of the separation of church and state

 

Here is a telling quote from a travel log in Sweden written by an unbeliever. He was traveling throughout Europe, visiting "aggressive and obnoxious" political dissidents he admires.

"Scandinavians tend to score the highest for irreligion in the Western World on public opinion polls. Nominally, Swedes belong to the State Church, and 1& 37; of their income is taxed to finance the Church. Any Swede can avoid the 1& 37; deduction simply by making a formal request to the government, but most don't bother. Henrik said that the government will probably privatize the Church within the next five years, but there are evidently people who are concerned that a private church might become aggressive and obnoxious."

The Swedes obviously are comfortable with a tame and controlled church. A church supported by the government is weak, luke warm, without flavor or effectiveness. A great reason for separation of Church and State.

This download by Pufendorf was written in 1687, the argument for keeping state out of religion has a long history.

Read chapter 3 of Revelation. I'll give you just a taste of what is written to the church from verse 15 through 20: "I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me."

Christ said "Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men."

It sounds like government supported Scandinavian churches have lost their savour. They have been thrown out of the lives of their countrymen. The unbelievers think the churches only function is to be trodden under foot.

If the Church chooses not to be free, if it accepts government control, it is making itself a willing slave, a bond-servant, to a corrupt world system. A church so ensnared can not be effective for God.

 

SPUE.

 

Let's move it to a personal level:

As a Christian; what is your temperature?

 

Do you still add saltiness to the stew?

 

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