What is the Government's Responsibility to the Church?
VI. What is the Government's Responsibility to the Church?
The following is an excerpt from Biblical Basis for Baptists by Dr. L. Duane Brown, Regular Baptist Press 1986 p.43.
The Untied States holds a unique place in the nations of the world today as the only major government which has held to the Scriptural principle of separation of church and state since its beginning. However, a concentrated move has been underway in these past years to destroy this important freedom. Editor E.S. James of Texas states that the chief enemies of these rights are communism, Catholicism and public apathy. Catholicism wants to control the state, communism wants to destroy the state and public apathy covers its eyes and ears to what’s going on.
Separation of church and state means the state guarantees religious freedom for all and any groups. No group is to be favored or restricted (except when common morality or private property and person is violated). However, it dos not mean the state is against religion which unfortunately some have held. Our Constitution does not forbid any religious element within public areas, but forbids any favoritism to any group. This country was founded on the principle of “in God we trust.” Prayer and Bible reading in public schools are not a violation of religious freedom.
In Matthew 22:19-22 the Pharisees were attempting to trap the Lord Jesus into making traitorous statements. Instead, the Lord turned the tables and revealed the basic principle the individual should have toward both the church and the state. Each has its own demands and requirements, both deserve faithfulness.
Baptists still hold this truth and even have died for it. In fact, it was the Baptists who influenced George Washington and the leaders of the infant country to adopt this freedom. It was a major difference from the tradition of the European countries (nearly all of which had state churches). Born-again Christians ought to praise God for this country with its privileges, opportunities and freedoms. (L. Duane Brown, Biblical Basis for Baptists, p.43)
This concludes our study of Separation of Church and State, a biblical approach. We have covered the following topics,
I. What Is Separation of Church and State?
II. What Does the Bible Say about Separation of Church and State?
III. What about the First Amendment and Separation of Church and State?
IV. How Can Government Control the Churches?
V. What is the Christian's Responsibility to Government?
VI. What is the Government's Responsibility to the Church?
My hope is that it has been an edifying and thought provoking topic for all not just Baptists. Though we are at the end of our acrostic "BAPTISTS" there is yet more to come on the Biblical Distinctives of Baptists. “What more could there be?” you ask. Find out on my next post.
brother John
The following is an excerpt from Biblical Basis for Baptists by Dr. L. Duane Brown, Regular Baptist Press 1986 p.43.
The Untied States holds a unique place in the nations of the world today as the only major government which has held to the Scriptural principle of separation of church and state since its beginning. However, a concentrated move has been underway in these past years to destroy this important freedom. Editor E.S. James of Texas states that the chief enemies of these rights are communism, Catholicism and public apathy. Catholicism wants to control the state, communism wants to destroy the state and public apathy covers its eyes and ears to what’s going on.
Separation of church and state means the state guarantees religious freedom for all and any groups. No group is to be favored or restricted (except when common morality or private property and person is violated). However, it dos not mean the state is against religion which unfortunately some have held. Our Constitution does not forbid any religious element within public areas, but forbids any favoritism to any group. This country was founded on the principle of “in God we trust.” Prayer and Bible reading in public schools are not a violation of religious freedom.
In Matthew 22:19-22 the Pharisees were attempting to trap the Lord Jesus into making traitorous statements. Instead, the Lord turned the tables and revealed the basic principle the individual should have toward both the church and the state. Each has its own demands and requirements, both deserve faithfulness.
Baptists still hold this truth and even have died for it. In fact, it was the Baptists who influenced George Washington and the leaders of the infant country to adopt this freedom. It was a major difference from the tradition of the European countries (nearly all of which had state churches). Born-again Christians ought to praise God for this country with its privileges, opportunities and freedoms. (L. Duane Brown, Biblical Basis for Baptists, p.43)
This concludes our study of Separation of Church and State, a biblical approach. We have covered the following topics,
I. What Is Separation of Church and State?
II. What Does the Bible Say about Separation of Church and State?
III. What about the First Amendment and Separation of Church and State?
IV. How Can Government Control the Churches?
V. What is the Christian's Responsibility to Government?
VI. What is the Government's Responsibility to the Church?
My hope is that it has been an edifying and thought provoking topic for all not just Baptists. Though we are at the end of our acrostic "BAPTISTS" there is yet more to come on the Biblical Distinctives of Baptists. “What more could there be?” you ask. Find out on my next post.
brother John
posted by J. Wendell at 5:47 AM
11 Comments:
Oooo! We can hardly wait!
If it's as good as this series has been, it will be outstanding!
By
Joe, at 21/4/06 6:13 AM
John,
Thank you for these posts! As I have said before, I love the work that you put into these.
I am looking forward to the upcoming works of a certain J. Wendle Cole.
By
mark pierson, at 21/4/06 6:47 AM
oooops! I mean J. Wendell.
Please don't report me to your wife. I don't like red pens.
By
mark pierson, at 21/4/06 10:14 AM
LOL You guys crack me up LOL
By
J. Wendell, at 21/4/06 4:05 PM
Blue Collar and Joe,
Thank you, I hope you both have a great weekend.
brother John
By
J. Wendell, at 21/4/06 4:23 PM
Dr. L. Duane Brown: "No group is to be favored or restricted (except when common morality or private property and person is violated). However, it dos not mean the state is against religion which unfortunately some have held. Our Constitution does not forbid any religious element within public areas, but forbids any favoritism to any group."
Once again, I must respectfully disagree with Brown. While our founders allowed the practice of other religions, as long as those practices did not subvert the law, harm others or harm society as a whole, they did indeed favor the Christian religion.
"The real object of the [First A]mendment was not to countenance,
much less to advance Mahometanism, or Judaism, or infidelity by
prostrating Christianity; but to exclude all rivalry among Christian sects and to prevent any national ecclesiastical establishment which should give to a hierarchy [a denominational council] the exclusive patronage of the national government." --Joseph Story, Founding Father and Supreme Court Justice
"You do well to wish to learn our arts and ways of life, and above all, the religion of Jesus Christ. . . . Congress will do everything they can to assist you in this wise intention." --George Washington, Founding Father & First U.S. President
"[W]ithout morals a republic cannot subsist any length of time;
they therefore who are decrying the Christian religion, whose
morality is so sublime and pure. . . are undermining the solid
foundation of morals, the best security for the duration of free
governments." --Charles Carroll, Signer of the Declaration
"History will also afford frequent opportunities of showing the necessity of a public religion . . . and the excellency of the Christian religion above all others, ancient or modern." --Benjamin Franklin
"[T]he Christian religion, in its purity, is the basis, or rather the source of all genuine freedom in government. . . . and I am persuaded that no civil government of a republican form can exist and be durable in which the principles of that religion have not a controlling influence." --Noah Webster
"The Declaration of Independence cast off all the shackles of this dependency. The United States of America were no longer Colonies. They were an independent nation of Christians." --John Quincy Adams
"No nation has ever existed or been governed without religion. Nor can be. The Christian religion is the best religion that has been given to man and I, as Chief Magistrate of this nation, am bound to give it the sanction of my example." --Thomas Jefferson, Signer of the Declaration, President of the U.S.
"[W]e can only depend on the all powerful influence of the Spirit of God, whose Divine aid and assistance it becomes us as a Christian people most devoutly to implore. Therefore I move that some minister of the Gospel be requested to attend this Congress every morning during the sessions in order to open the meeting with prayer." --Elias Boudinot, President of Congress, A Framer of the Bill of Rights in the First Congress
Also, all the documents were signed and dated "In the Year of Our Lord" which is totally Christian. So I do believe that the Christian religion was the favored and promoted religion and they did not allow other religions to be "promoted." In fact, the majority of the time the founders used the word religion they were referring to the Christian religion.
Our schools taught the Christian religion. The Bible was among the first books used to teach reading. The Shorter and Cotton Catechisms were also used to teach both religion (wholly Christian, but non-denominational) and reading.
Dr. L. Duane Brown: "In Matthew 22:19-22 the Pharisees were attempting to trap the Lord Jesus into making traitorous statements. Instead, the Lord turned the tables and revealed the basic principle the individual should have toward both the church and the state. Each has its own demands and requirements, both deserve faithfulness."
Yes, the Lord was teaching that we should respect the state, but it was not prohibiting the implementation of godly laws and punishments. E.g., abortion, homosexuality, adultery, etc. should be illegal and carry with them a capital punishment.
I think what the Lord is saying here is obey the laws as long as they don't go against the law of God since you have no power to change the laws.
Maybe this is not where Dr. Brown was going with this, so please forgive me if I've misunderstood.
By
Dawn, at 25/4/06 1:42 PM
Hi Dawn,
I would respectfully urge you to read Confronting Today’s World: A Fundamentalist Looks at Social Issues… by L. Duane Brown.
I think you might like it ;~)
brother John
By
J. Wendell, at 25/4/06 11:15 PM
John, I think I will get the book. Thanks for the suggestion. :-)
By
Dawn, at 26/4/06 9:33 AM
You're welcome! Let me know what you think about it when you have read it.
brother John
By
J. Wendell, at 27/4/06 12:23 AM
John,
Not that you've been waiting with bated breath, but I do have the book you recommended by L. Duane Brown. However, I have not had the time to read it and I'm not sure when I'll be able to get to it. I'm super busy at the moment.
Thanks for the recommendation.
Take Care,
Dawn
By
Anonymous, at 14/6/06 1:39 PM
Dawn~
Don't be fooled by the new avatar; I am delighted that you have obtained a copy of “Confronting Today’s World…” though it was written a number of years ago, and perhaps since I have met the author, I still appreciate the timely intent of the book. We do need to be confrontational with the loose morals and those who would propagate them in our society. I hope it is helpful.
BTW, I am waiting to hear from you again.
By
J. Wendell, at 17/6/06 5:16 AM
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