A Call for the Separation of Church and State

Editor's Note: For the first time ever, I have a guest writer!  My son Patrick asked if he could guest write a blog about a topic near and dear to both of our hearts.  I of course said yes.

Given the horrifying and troubling nature of recent events, I think we can all agree that America is plagued not only by a devastating pandemic but also by many, many other problems. We have witnessed death after death of black men and women at the hands of police, we have seen militias show up at (mostly) peaceful protests armed and ready to engage in senseless acts of violence, and we have heard prominent leaders spew vitriol meant to perpetuate fears and deepen the divide between fellow Americans. But I’m not here to talk about any of that (at least not directly); instead, I’d like to say that Christians need to get the hell out of politics and stay out, as using Christianity as a political platform is a disservice to God and to Jesus’ ministry on Earth. 

Most recently and importantly, we heard many speakers appeal to Christian values and principles during the Republican National Convention. Franklin Graham prayed, for Christ’s sake! What business did he have there? Oh, wait. It turns out that the late Rev. Billy Graham counseled every U.S. president since World War II. I get it. We all need advice, especially if we are as powerful and influential as the president of the United States. However, when counsel becomes a way to manipulate a country founded on the notion of freedom of religion into conforming to Christian standards, things get a little dicey. For instance, was Rev. Billy Graham invited to continue this tradition in an official capacity or was it up to the president to decide for himself whether or not he wanted to be counseled by this man? I mean no disrespect, but Christianity and politics should only mix insofar as we are supposed to pray for our leaders. 

Apparently, Franklin Graham is also organizing a prayer march later in the month of September, which is well within his constitutional rights, but hear his reasoning: “We’re just going to ask people to come and pray. We’re going to ask God to bless this country again.” Now, on the surface there doesn’t seem to be too much wrong here. But God blesses people, not nations. He blesses descendants, and through the descendants of Abraham He blessed the entire world with the gift of eternal life. When we read the prophecies in the Old Testament, they are in terms of descendants and lineage, not in terms of national affiliations. I’ll say it one more time: God does NOT bless nations. Listen to this prophecy from 2 Samuel:

 “When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.”

Notice the word choice. When prophets speak of the coming messiah, they talk about flesh and blood and lineage. They never talk about the nation of Israel or any would-be Christian nation. Why? Because God cares about people, not earthly powers.

With that being said, no nation should aspire to be a Christian nation. God had no desire to have an earthly kingdom in the first place. In 1 Samuel 8, the Israelites ask for a king because they want to be like other nations and demonstrate their power and dominion. This is understandable, given that the memory of a crushing defeat and loss of the Ark of the Covenant at the hands of the Philistines was still fresh on their minds. However, listen to what God tells Samuel:

 “But when they said, ‘Give us a king to lead us,’ this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the Lord. And the Lord told him: ‘Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king.’”

What was true about the Israelites in the Old Testament is true about Americans now. When we put Christians in positions of national leadership, we reject God as king and place more importance on worldly kingdoms than on the kingdom of Heaven. Jesus didn’t come down from Heaven in order to create an earthly kingdom; rather, he came to establish a heavenly kingdom, His kingdom. His contemporaries expected a military ruler who would restore the former glory of the kingdom of Israel. But Jesus’ mission was more important than worldly power. Christians who seek political power to influence nations to conform to Christian standards and Christians who desire individuals of that nature are not acting like Jesus.

In fact, Jesus and the early Church in Rome undermined worldly expectations regarding His mission over and over again. When the Israelites who would later deny and reject Jesus expected Him to deliver them from the Romans, Jesus preached peace and giving “to Caesar what is Caesar’s.” He didn’t run for office or try to influence Pontius Pilate or any other Roman official. He didn’t even come to depose King Herod. He came to clarify the nature of God’s covenant with the Israelites and to extend it to all humanity, and He didn’t need political office to do so.

Time and time again, when followers and disciples would rather take up arms or establish cabals to overthrow oppressive rulers, the messaging remained the same: Put down your sword, take off your breastplate and replace them with the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18). Growing up going to Christian school, I heard this passage used to excite and encourage warriors of God. Today, I look at it through different eyes. Before Paul got to Ephesus, the place had a proud tradition of warriors. One theory suggests that the city had been founded by the Amazons. A bustling port city, it changed hands via many conquerors who sought control over it due to its economic desirability. This city had seen bloodshed and the heat of battle over and over again. Understanding the context, Paul’s words mean so much more. As Christians, it is not our place to wage wars for earthly kingdoms. It is not our place to exercise dominion over nations or the values and ideals that they promote. Very likely, there were warriors or people who would understand the world in terms of violence and dominance in Paul’s intended audience. His use of militaristic language would reach these people and resonate with them. This isn’t about mobilizing people to wage or engage in spiritual warfare on Earth. The passage promotes a laying down of implements of violence and replacing them with symbols of peace.

There are many other directions I could go with this, many other passages from scripture to reference. I take this topic very seriously because I believe that Christians in America are wrong. I believe that they promote hate and are more concerned with America looking like they do than with they themselves looking like Jesus. Politicians on both sides have used Christianity as a way to promote their moral character, but it seems particularly egregious at this time, given that these so-called Christians show up at protests with paintball guns or worse. Stop trying to make America a Christian nation because, frankly, God doesn’t want it and America isn’t worthy of His blessing.