JOSHUA TIME 437

Monday, May 8, 2006

THE RELATION OF CHURCH AND STATE

Since 1947 we have often heard, when the political realm is being referred to, the phrase “separation of church and state.” It has been promoted as meaning the church has no right to influence the government. The offshoot of that has been the effort to remove every expression of Biblical faith from the public realm.

While the Founders of America did believe that civil government should be separate from church government, they did not believe that civil government should be stripped of the influence of Bible references and principles. Their belief about this could better be described as the relation of church and state. They believed all authority, including governmental authority, flowed from God.

Romans 13 was one of the Biblical passages they based this on. It says, “…there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God…For he [a government servant] is God’s minister to you for good.” (verses 1 and 4)

Chief Justice John Marshall, who served from 1801-1835 and who did more than any other to shape the Supreme Court, echoed this relationship between church and state in a letter he wrote on May 9, 1833. He stated:

"The American population is entirely Christian, and with us Christianity and Religion are identified. It would be strange indeed, if with such a people, our institutions did not presuppose Christianity, and did not often refer to it, and exhibit relations with it."

LET US PRAY that we as Americans will embrace again the principle of the relationship of church and state which our Founders believed in---and laid down their lives for.