I am still trying to decide how to blog. Is it all random or should I pattern? I guess for now I will share some of my studies and let conversation emerge from that and hopefully we can make a pattern with it.
In my last post I briefly explained how politics should not blend with religion. This is a tough accusation to make because there are many Christians who serve in politics. Now I must explain that I think it is not the end result of the blending of politics and religion as much as it is the root of it.
The information I have learned on politics has been from a non-religious point of view. Although I went to a Christian University, the professors were very intent on not blending the church and state (although they technically could). Likewise, my later years in examining the Bible and deciding my faith has not been from politics. I will admit, I was once a student in the school of "Jesus for President (because he would be republican)."
Note: I am not bashing Republicans and if you think I am it is only helping my point. The Democratic party and Republican party have much to stand for....
.......so do Christians!
There are many reasons why we must separate the Church from the State (also the State from the Church). Now, many Christians hate the idea of this separation because they only focus on one item - Prayer in School. If that is why you hate this idea then please e-mail me and I'll send you a paper I wrote. I know it's almost cliche but it's true that there will always be prayer in school.
Separation is good for the Church. Can you imagine Pastors preaching from the podium on the platform of the Democratic party? How can this help us? In addition think about the conversations that the body of the church would have. For many Christians, the issues of faith and politics are so completely intertwined that they cannot imagine how genuine faith could lead in a political direction other than the one they themselves have taken. It can come as quite a shock, therefore, when Christians realize that other Christians with faith convictions similar to their own actually support the opposite political party. It can ruin a church.
Maybe it has ruined the church.
In addition, the church should stay out of the state. I can explain this in a very simple way. In the US we have the luxury of 'church shopping' (going around until we find a church that fits our ideologies). WE (as Americans) do not like the petty things about other denominations so much that Catholics and Protestants rarely speak of their faith to each other. If the church was a political body, we would have the Catholic party, the Baptist party, the Cross Street North Memorial Evangelical Free party, and maybe an Atheist party. Any politician will tell you that nothing would get done (except a bunch of Yearly Meetings). This would ruin the State.
Please please please begin to examine the reasons you believe you are a Democrat or a Nazarene - maybe even why you're a Christian or what it would be like if you were not one .
Please be careful but not shy.
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Respond to my post or e-mail me! I want some feedback.
dacarnesATgmail.com
4 comments:
Hey David,
I've been reading your blog and I must say that I am both intrigued and extremely confused. I recently took a course called "Science and Politics." As I am sure you know, there are huge controversies between the two communities, and religion and politics (church and state) also plays into the issues. From what I have learned and what I believe, the seperation is not between church and state, but rather between science and the church and state. That is, the church and state are one and go hand-in-hand. Granted, I know this goes far beyond what any politician would say and it is always believed that the church and state are seperate entitities. BUT, look at the politics of our society! The church and state are NOT seperate and they are fighting head-on with science...I'm interested to hear your thoughts on this, if it is not deviating too much from your intention of this blog.
Alisha,
First I know that this may be over my head but I will do my best to respond to this.
Religion and Politics are very much a common union against science. This, in a way, supports my claim that there is too much of a blur to decipher whether a Christian is gathering his or her ideals from the Bible or from politics.
Likewise, Politicians (Christian or not) try to reach that huge demographic of Christians by claiming faith and fighting for such faith based ideals such as the teaching of Creationism. I am assuming that this would be the largest of the debates but again I in over my head here.
You are very correct that the Church and State are fighting against science. Partially because many parts of faith come in maybes and science can come with finite answers that other scientists want to argue against.
again. I think.
Please add more to this conversation and tell me what you're getting at. I am very interested.
Now personally. As a Christian I believe in Creation. As a student of Politics I believe in the fact that our Environment is being destroyed. As a progressive I believe in change. So tell me what you believe.
David,
PLEASE don’t feel like this is over your head: it’s not. To be honest, I am enjoying discussing this topic with you. I am surrounded by scientists that teach what they believe is fact, empirical things. However, I grew up Christian. Pentecostal, to be exact. Before I moved to Mt. Gilead and started high school, my family lived in the church. My grandfather was a minister. We wore skirts to the floor, never cut our hair, no make-up, no piercings, NOTHING that could even be considered a smidge worldly. My grandfather had a stroke and stopped going to church regularly, and the rest of my family followed suit. Eventually, my parents decided that they didn’t agree with the Pentecostal ways, and that God should love us for the people we are, the inside, not how we look on the outside. My point to saying all of this is that I struggle everyday with being a scientist, but also trying to keep my faith. There is no doubt that evolution occurs, and I think most people, even Christians, can agree with that. But, the issue is with the beginning, how we came to be. And that is what I struggle with. I have heard all the evidence in the dozens of science classes that I have taken in my career thus far, but when I start thinking that I could believe what science says, I have this little person in the back of my head saying “Alisha, you know better than this. You know what the truth is.”
Now that you have a little bit of background on me, let’s get into the juiciness of the politics. It makes me happy to hear that as a politician you still believe that our environment is being destroyed. That is one issue that I have very strong feelings about. Unfortunately, our current administration seems to have taken a back-seat to fixing the detrimental impacts that we have had and continue to have on our environment. Have you done any research into this topic? I have read every single report of the Intergovernment Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and I have also read tons of articles about the ridiculous things the administration has done to those reports. They have changed data, omitted information and prohibited publication of information that they just don’t want to deal with. In addition to environmental issues, I feel like the Bush administration has taken their Christian roots a little too far. For example, they will only teach abstinence. Yes, this is the BEST thing, but it just isn’t reality! They won’t give out condoms, teach about safe-sex, etc. This is absurd to me. Okay, so they are Christians, but, we have to do what is right for the ENTIRE country.
I’ve got a lot more to say, but I’ll let you digest this bit first and get your feedback; then we can move on to other topics.
Hi Alisha and David,
I probably shouldn't comment now because I don't have time to explain fully, but I'm afraid if I don't commit now, I'll put it off and never come back later!
Speaking as a biblical theologian, I can tell you that there are ways in which one can agree with evolution as the root of our biological past, and still believe in God as Creator, and still hold Scripture as true. Alisha, I don't know if I'm reading too much into this, but you sounded really conflicted, because as a scientist you know what the facts suggest, but as a Christian you're afraid that believing them would be heretical. I just wanted to provide some relief (if that's possible from a total stranger!) that there are faithful and intelligent Christians all over who have gone down this path.
Anyway, like I said, that's probably a pretty pointless comment since I don't have time to get into my reasons, but I've been meaning to comment forever, so I figured I'd better do it while I was thinking about it. :)
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