When Church and State Become Allies

There has been talk lately from a number of politicians about the need to eliminate the separation between church and state. Several people in places of influence have questioned the principle of separation of church and state and are calling for a closer alliance between religion and politics. Even the majority of Supreme Court justices weighed in by recently ruling that private schools may receive money from the state, a signal that the majority favors the dismantling of the long held tradition of the separation of church and state.   

Would the nation be better off if we tore down the wall of separation between church and state that has existed since the early days of the Republic? Some people sincerely believe it would.

Photo Credit: New York Times

The best way to answer that question is to look back to the past, to other periods in history when church and state were allies and see what happens when the wall of separation is removed. In the early 4th century the Roman Emperor Constantine declared Christianity the legal religion of the empire and for the next 1200 years Christianity served as the dominant religion of Europe and partnered with the ruling powers. But even a cursory reading of history would quickly reveal that the church, while enjoying unprecedented worldly power, lost its spiritual vitality and was often seduced by the state to help advance agendas that were far from the path of Jesus. Persecutions aimed at minority Christian groups, pogroms against the Jews, the Crusades that served little godly purpose, and resulted in the diminishing of the church’s spiritual credibility, can all be attributed to the church/state alliance.

The four statues at the center of the Reformation Wall in the Parc des Bastions in Geneva, Switzerland, representing John Calvin and the Calvinism's main proponents.

John Calvin’s Geneva also serves as a historical reminder of what happens when the church tries to rule as a political entity. When Calvin attempted to establish a city based on Scripture, with stiff penalties for those who broke the rules, society broke down and resulted in a toxic environment.

And then, of course, there were the religious wars of 17th century Europe, where one third of the European population was killed, and only ended with the Peace of Westphalia in 1648. Whenever the church and state have joined forces, the church loses its spiritual focus. It seems the Christian faith was never intended to wield political power.

The philosopher George Santayana once said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” The Founding Fathers, people like Washington, Jefferson, Adams, Hamilton, Franklin and others knew their history well and made a conscious decision to establish a secular nation, where the government would remain neutral in matters of religion. It is no accident that the United States Constitution makes no mention of God, and, while the Declaration of Independence includes references to a Supreme Being, Nature’s God and divine Providence, the terms were never meant to favor one religious viewpoint over another.  

These wise leaders were well aware of the dangers inherent to any country that mixed religion with politics. Many of their grandfathers were victims of the tragic religious wars of the 17th century Europe, and knew how volatile and violent religious sentiments could be when political powers favored one religion over another.

During the summer between my freshman and sophomore year at Baylor I worked for an engineering firm in Oklahoma City. One hot summer day I was sent out to do loan surveys with a co-worker just a few years older than I. We were both fervent about our Christian beliefs, but disagreed on virtually every doctrine concerning our faith. As we worked alongside each other, we began discussing our faith beliefs and one thing led to another and soon we were embroiled in a heated argument about some silly theological point.

We were supposed to be measuring a house and the lot for a loan survey, but we soon found ourselves with fists clinched, standing only inches apart from each other, and ready to engage in physical combat. Fortunately, the boss drove up and put an end to the nonsense. Luckily for the two of us, he didn’t fire us on the spot, as he probably should have.

When we both climbed into his car, he warned us not to bring up religion again in the workplace or we would lose our jobs. Now the boss was not an atheist. In fact, he was a Baptist, but he knew something about Baptist history that I had not yet learned, and, unfortunately, many of us have still not grasped.

Touro Synagogue in Newport, RI is the oldest synagogue in the United States and symbol of religious freedom for all Americans.

Historically, Baptists have held dear the freedom of religion and the strict separation between church and state and for very good reasons. Baptists came into existence sometime during the late 16th or early 17th centuries, and, because they represented a minority view of faith, they were often persecuted, sometimes severely. When Roger Williams, a Baptist, immigrated to America and finally settled in Rhode Island, he fought for the separation of church and state and for religious freedom. So devoted was he to the principles of the separation of church and state and religious freedom, he encouraged the first Jewish synagogue in America to be built in Newport, Rhode Island that still exists today.

Roger Williams and other early Baptist pioneers recognized that when religion is weaponized, as it often is today, to advance a religious agenda little good can come from it. Thus Baptist have been some of the strongest proponents of the separation of church and state and the freedom to believe or not believe as one sees fit.

This does not mean that Christians cannot be involved in politics, but it does mean that we should be sensitive that not everyone shares our faith perspective. To throw our faith into someone else’s face leads to a hopelessly fragmented and weakened country. And, once we start arguing about religion, the work of the nation grinds to a screeching halt. Besides, faith cannot be coerced through force but is given birth through the gentle power of love.

I wonder if the push to be more politically active by Christians is a signal that people of faith have given up on the Jesus Way and have opted instead for the Political Way. Maybe we’ve grown tired of forgiving others, loving our enemies, walking two miles when someone asks us to walk one, or giving our coat to the one who doesn’t have one. Maybe we’re wanting a more robust religion, a more powerful one, a more militant one. Maybe we have lost confidence and grown impatient with the teachings of Jesus.  

As I recall Jesus faced the same temptation to embrace a more militant path and abandon the way of God. When he was in the desert for 40 days and nights, he could have chosen the way of political power. In the short term it surely would have been a more expedient path--a course of action that would have led to everyone bowing down before him in awe at his supernatural power.

All Jesus had to do, according to the Gospels, was perform a few miracles and, voila, the people would have worshipped him. No muss, no fuss. Easy-peasy.

Jesus chose a different path. He chose the cross.

What path will we choose?