Primary Elections Explained

How the Electoral College Works

The Trouble with the Electoral College

My friend John Hendryx writes:

Until the Lord Jesus Christ returns and establishes justice (Rev 6:16, 20), Christians are to advance the kingdom of God through proclaiming his word with love and persuasion. Aside from the secularist hysteria about the dangers of Christian theocracy, the vast majority of Christians actually have no more interest in establishing a theocratic Christian state, than in establishing a purely secularist state. Both are equally loathsome to us. Here is why. The secularist mullahs are just as dangerous as the Christian ones. Too much power in the hands of anyone, including certain denominations of Christians, is dangerous because man is corruptible. That is why limited government and a balance of power is a reasonable idea, because it understands the sinful limitations of human beings, whether they be secularist, Christian, Muslim or Buddhist.

Even though Christians know the only truth, they also know themselves too well as sinners to be without the restraint of law or a balance of power. So when Christians speak of separation of church and state we include all ideas under this umbrella, including secularism. One thing many secularists fail to realize though, is that neither they nor their ideas are religiously neutral. Yet they seem to have convinced themselves that they are neutral…. even though (ironically) the secularists want to vigorously impose their own moral code on society, ideas which have both affirmations and denials about the nature of good and evil. Even in the face of this obvious truth, the secularists amazingly still want to exempt themselves from the separation of church and state clause. It is amazing to me that they do not see how very exclusionary of all other ideas this is and leaves power in the hands of secularists alone. They think, “others are forbidden to speak in the public square because they are religious but WE CAN because we are not religious.” But if, on the other hand, we understand the separation clause more broadly, wherein all views are included under the separation of church and state (that is NO religion can be established, including secularism) then ALL religions and worldviews can speak freely in the public square and compete in the free market of ideas… That is closer to true liberty. Remember, we live in a secular country, not a secularist country.

So because of the sin nature a good Christian should never be anti-government (because all government is established by God) but he should believe in a limited government and rule of law so as to promote the most good by avoiding the tyranny of any one group, including his own. Let’s say Christians did get power. Which Christian denomination will you trust to impose laws on the USA? If you know yourself and the nature of man well, you will answer that none should have such power. The Lord alone has the omniscience to judge right and wrong and do it with absolute justice and equity when He comes. For now we are to win people’s hearts and minds through the gospel, which God uses to change hearts, and which ALONE will make people eager to follow God’s laws. He can gather people for his kingdom under any type of government. Some of the biggest revivals in world history have taken place under the most inhospitable of regimes. So we fear no man or law for what can he do beyond kill our body? Nothing.

Where does the phrase “a wall of separation between Church and State” come from?

The Constitution?
The Declaration of Independence?
Jefferson’s Letter to the Danbury Baptists?
The First Amendment?
The Articles of Confederation?

Did you guess correctly?

The phrase “a wall of separation between Church and State” comes from the pen of President Thomas Jefferson when he wrote to a group of Baptists in Danbury, Connecticut. They were concerned about the possible establishment of a church that they would be required to attend.

Jefferson wrote to ensure them that their free practice of religious liberty would never be interfered with by the government, for that would go against the will of the people and the Constitution. Jefferson closed his letter by thanking them for their prayers on his behalf.

“Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between Man & his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legitimate powers of government reach actions only, & not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should “make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,” thus building a wall of separation between Church and State. Adhering to this expression of the supreme will of the nation in behalf of the rights of conscience, I shall see with sincere satisfaction the progress of those sentiments which tend to restore to man all his natural rights, convinced he has no natural right in opposition to his social duties.

I reciprocate your kind prayers for the protection and blessing of the common Father and Creator of man, and tender you for yourselves and your religious association, assurances of my high respect and esteem.” – Thomas Jefferson, January 1, 1802.

What was the original intent of President Jefferson in speaking of this wall of separation?

Notice that the phrase “a wall of separation between Church and State” was used to describe religious liberty being protected by the government. In other words, the Government has no right to impose its will regarding matters of religion, so a separation of church and state would be built for this very purpose – to make sure religious liberty was always protected. The wall protected the Church from the federal government.

The phrase is used by many in our day in the exact opposite manner to its original intention. It is used to exclude the Bible and prayer from public schools, and the Ten Commandments from our Court buildings. We ask God to bless America, but at the same time seek to remove Him from every sector of society.

We are one nation under God, not without Him. The misinterpretation of Jefferson’s words continues to impact us greatly, making us a more and more secular nation with each passing year. Yet with our founding fathers we cry, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD.” Psalm 33:12