A couple of weeks ago a news story came out about the state of South Carolina sponsoring license plates with the phrase “I Believe” and a cross and stained glass window. This is an example of the way that many Christians miss the boat when it comes to discipleship.
I do not know how much money was spent so that this idea could be written up, promoted, petitioned, designed and finally signed, but I do know it could have gone towards something that would be more along the lines of imitating Jesus’ life. Perhaps it could have been spent feeding the poor, clothing the naked or housing the homeless. Perhaps Christians could have spent their time designing a shelter for battered women instead of pretty license plates. Anyways, I digress…
In many ways some would describe me as “un-American.” I think the American Dream is a farce that keeps people from being truly fulfilled so that they try and find fulfillment by consuming more than they will ever need. I think the “record breaking in the history of the world” amounts of debt and obesity in our country are examples of the decadent lifestyle we lead that is the natural result of our skewed values. I think a quick survey of the top box office smash movies is a demonstration of our lust for, and obsession with, violence that is physical, intellectual, sexual, emotional and spiritual. There is, however, one way that I am very American. I absolutely believe in the complete separation of church and state. I do so because I am unabashedly Christian.
Whenever there is any partnership with, or support from, the state for a church, faith or religion that faith is soon to compromise itself. It is soon to not be what it once was. I believe history has borne this out. I am a Christian so I will use Christianity as an example. From the corruption of Christianity starting with Constantine, to the Crusades and Inquisition, to the tyranny of the British Empire, to the “missionary” genocidal murders on the American continents, to the raping of Africa, whenever Christianity is claimed by the state it morphs from a heavenly institution into a devilish one.
Partnering with a state inherently means there must be compromise. The faith must compromise itself so that it can be used by the state. In America this has happened as churches proclaimed, at the birth of the nation, that America was the new Israel entering Canaan and thus justified the genocide of the native peoples since they were, apparently, the new “Canaanites.” It has happened when churches taught that, based on a skewed theology of the curses on Cain and Ham, that blacks were created to be the slaves of whites. It has happened when the church teaches America has a role to play in bringing Jesus back by establishing a physical state of Israel, even though biblical theology teaches the church is the new, spiritual Israel, and thus ignores gross human rights violations. And this is just a quick survey of the many ways this has happened.
Christians who spend their time fighting for the 10 commandments to be posted in court houses, ordained Christian prayer in schools, the phrase “under God” in the pledge of allegiance and license plates with crosses miss the point. Politics is a game of compromise, faith is not. I am for the separation of church and state because I am for faith.
Let us, as people of faith, not allow our faith to be co-opted. Let us, as people of faith, not get distracted by futilely trying to make America “Christian” and in the process making Christianity “American.” Let us, as people of faith, spend our energy building the kingdom of God instead of legitimizing the kingdoms of this world. Let us never compromise our faith in, and allegiance to, God for patriotism and xenophobia. Let us carry the cross on our backs and not on our cars.
