Church signs

            Church-State stuff is simple—5^th grade government teaches it.  We have a separation of church and state, proclaimed by First Amendment.  No establishment of religion but free exercise thereof.  That means that the state can’t thwart the faith.  That means the church can’t run the state.  What’s more, this is Christianity 101.  Jesus said, “Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s and to God that which is God’s.” (Luke 20:25) Sorry, Caesar, some stuff just doesn’t belong to you.  And Jesus also said, “My kingdom is not of this world.” (John 18:36)  Clearly God leaves behind the kingdom of this world for men to oversee to their best abilities.  Don’t expect a theocracy out of Christians.  This was the principle of both the Protestant and Catholic reformations, that there were two kingdoms.  The Pope was no longer to run the affairs of states nor was the king to meddle in the church or faith. (sorta worked in Europe. USA wrote it into the constitution.)

            And in our constitutional republic, we elect reasonable men and women in charge of the branches of government.  No divine right of kings.  No Puritan laws putting citizens in pietistic stocks. The people who lead, do so as spiritually governed or simply using their brains and morals. We have a free country.

            But then there are the leftist faithophobes who want  a purge of all things spiritual from the public square. They demand no faith speech, no application of Christian life, no morals with basis in God’s Laws in application to anything. Sorry, Abe Lincoln, you’d be thoroughly disqualified under these principles.  Their excuse is that we sure wouldn’t want someone saying something we don’t agree with?  This is the basis of political correctness.  

Christians shouldn’t put up with this garbage. It utterly opposes what we believe in the Great Commission. And it is time to start a movement to protest, not only the contravention of our faith but also our Bill of Rights.  “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to the yoke of slavery.” Gal. 5:1  “We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to Christ.” II Cor. 4:4. The Left is not my thought police.

They give you this pious claptrap about how they don’t want anyone’s beliefs to impose on another. Oh? Jesus just let people who didn’t believe him walk away.  No fire from heaven. Not even a blistering last word.  Let the debate begin. Some things are right; some are wrong. Some things are bad; some are good.  “But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good.” II Thess. 5:21.

Persecution follows PC.  As I write, the Federal Highway administration is ordering churches to take down their highway signs.  That’s right—all over the country.  Worse, the Highway Beautification Act which they cite, gives authority to order not just signs, but all symbols and constructions within sight of a federal highway for possible removal.  So the massive cross at Edmond, OK and the Calvary-with message-written in stones on a hillside at Arkansas City could be ordered down.   

Christians have long suffered because they wanted to be kind to everyone, but the dismantling of our witness needs to be met with fierce political resistance.     

“Put no object or stumbling block in a brother’s way.” Romans 14:13. 

“We ought to obey God rather than man.” Acts 5:29.

“Those who won’t stand up for their faith or their rights often loose them both.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer.