Social & Moral Issues Miscellaneous

SHOULD CHURCH AND STATE BE SEPARATED? ChristianView Network www.ChristianView.org The debate on Church and state division is crucial in many areas including broadcasting, marriage and education. Essentially the confusion comes from the secular socialists. Socialists see the role of the state as that of replacing God - i.e. governing almost all of society including the school, broadcasting, marriage, welfare etc and responsible to solve all problems. They seek to enforce this by regulating everything, charging high taxes and providing free state services that effectively force everyone except a few very rich people into the socialist system. Then they want to maximise central state control of everything and marginalise or destroy almost all institutions that are independent of the state. They also assume that somehow the state can be religiously neutral - and define neutrality as secularism or pluralism. As secularists, they don't believe in the existence of God as a person separate from the church and religion - thus categorising all three as 'the church'. The doctrine of 'separation of church and state' is thus applied to try to separate God and the state, rather than what it was originally intended: the state from the church. In reality, God isn't part of the church - nor is he restricted by rules applying to the church. We can separate church and state without separating God and government. Society is divided into many inter-dependent institutions: the extended family, church, state, businesses, individuals, non-profit organisations, schools etc. The state cannot be religiously neutral, since all law is based on religious belief systems. God rules over all institutions including the church and state.   Education The care of children is strictly the responsibility of the family, although they may voluntarily delegate part of this authority to other institutions such as the school, creche, other families etc. The state may become involved in the school for certain limited purposes, but this does not give them the right to override the desires of parents. So, on the education issue the secular socialists get confused on two points: Firstly, they confuse God with the church; Secondly, they confuse the school with the state. On the basis of these confused assumptions, they then feel that the state has a right to control every aspects of the school, including religious activities - regardless of the wishes of parents and children. In fact, the school does not belong to the state, but primarily exists under the delegated authority of parents. Again the secularists in the education department are trying to find ways to control homeschooling - something entirely outside their legitimate authority.   Marriage On the issue of marriage, secularists again confuse God with the church and also fail to recognise the family created by the marriage of two individuals as an institution separate from either the church or the state. Historically, this is proved by the fact that marriages have existed before there were any churches or any states. Using these confused assumptions they then pose that if a marriage takes place outside of a church, God no longer has any authority over it - and the state is free to define new forms of marriage, such as between two men. Historically, the first marriage took place in the garden of Eden - not in a church and without a government marriage licence - but Jesus still said that God joined them together - as he does with every other married couple - Christian or not. Therefore the state in fact has no right to redefine marriage to mean something different to what God defines it to be. The South African Law Reform Commission is currently struggling over this issue.   Broadcasting Secularists in some countries such as Britain, prior to the fall of the Soviet Union argued that because church and state were separate, that Christian organisations should not be allowed to have broadcasting licences. Again, their socialist mentality gave them the idea that the airwaves belong to the state and that the state should be secular. Neither are in fact true. The state may regulate the airwaves where there is in fact a scarcity of frequencies, but they do not own it, much less have a right to prohibit religious organisations from using them. A little of this confused thinking is creeping into South Africa.   Where does separation of church and state come from? Where does the idea of the 'separation of church and state come from'? There are two conflicting sources. The first is the Christian idea of separation expressed in the American constitution first amendment: 'Congress shall make no law regarding the establishment of a religion'. Three hundred years ago, 'religion' meant what 'denomination' means today. What they meant is that the government could not favour one Christian denomination over another or try to regulate church activity as they had done in Europe and in many of the early American colonies. There was always the assumption that the government should serve God, as expressed in thousands of historical documents; regular prayers to the God of the Bible only in all state institutions; government sponsored Bibles in every classroom and national days of prayer and fasting for specific issues. The second source was the constitution of the old Soviet Union, which specifically declared 'separation of church and state'. Unfortunately, what this meant in practice was an anti-Christian state. This idea was imported to the United States in 1963, when an American communist party member sued the government to stop Christian influence in schools - something never previously considered in the country's history. Thus the USA, originally a Christian nation, had secularism enforced by its supreme court at the request of a single communist parent. Ironically, her son who she sought to protect from religion, converted to Christianity and became an evangelist. The confusion can be cleared up by using the first Christian definition of 'separation of church and state' and ignoring the second communist interpretation. Biblically, the state is under God, just as the church is under God, but neither governs the other.   Is South Africa a secular state? The concept of a 'secular state' is not found in our constitution. The chairman of the Constitutional Assembly, Cyril Ramaphosa publicly denied that there was any intention ever to do so. Rather our South African constitution in its preamble recognises the existence of God, although it unfortunately does not pledge submission to him. Anyone who claims South Africa is a 'secular state' should therefore be corrected. We separate church and state, but not God and government. We have freedom of religion, and are not a secular state.   Win the culture war for our generation. Rebuild our nation on a Christian foundation. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- CHRISTIAN VIEW is a news and information service on issues of concern to Christians in South Africa. To view past messages, visit www.archive.christianview.org To download pamphlets and articles, visit www.christianview.org _______________________________________________ Please read our disclaimer   Back to Social Issues