christianity and politics. or: the separation of church and state
here are a few random babaling comments i made recently in response to a friend of mine asking about how christians should be involved in politics . . . dialogue on this issue is coveted and welcomed.----------------------------------
i think all citizens should be involved in government. but we shouldn't press our morals and convictions upon others that haven't chosen them for themselves. that's what joining a common religion for. let the church elders enforce those "behavioral codes" and let the government do what it was elected to do: accurately represent those it was elected to represent. so, if the majority of the people they represent think same sex marriage should be legal, then they should represent those people by making it legal. let the church govern over it's members and counsel those who have chosen to submit their lives to the rule of christ. let the government govern those who have chosen to submit their lives to the government of the country they choose to live in. let's stop expecting people to be forced to live their lives like "we" think "christians" should when they haven't even made the choice to follow christ. all that does is give them a bad taste in their mouth for chrisitanity and christ.
"i like your christ, but i dislike your christians" ~who said that?
those who live in the kingdom, will follow the rule of the king. those who don't shouldn't have to be forced to follow him anyway by those who do. am i making sense? also, just because something is legal (aka: abortion or [gasp!] cigarettes) doesn't mean we have to participate in it. and we can gently and out of love counsel those near us to think these choices through as well. rather than militantly use politics to force feed people our religious convictions. it's why so many diverse cultures of people came to america in the first place: to be free to practice their religion (or non religion) as they saw fit. not as the republicans saw fit. not as the fundamental conservative christians see fit. but as they saw fit. without prejudice or persecution.
oh, how we have skewed the past.
posted by tabitha jane @ 9:01 AM
Comments: 2
