Separate but Equal:A Balanced Approach to the Separation of Church and State

In no way do I want races to be segregated again. The Plessy v. Ferguson Supreme Court ruling was a mistake. Why it took fifty-eight years to overturn that ruling is unconscionable. I'm glad the United States is an eclectic mix of racial backgrounds that stand on equal footing. That's what makes America what it is today. However, there are two entities in this great land of ours that should remain separate, but equal. Church and State.

Many claim there is no such wall of separation, claiming government is God-ordained. Others espouse the principle that the government is the government, the church is the church, and ne'er the twain shall meet. The argument of the separation of church and state has come to the fore once again this election season.

Case in point - I live in Wisconsin where there are two ballot measures on what many perceive to be moral issues. One is a proposed constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. The other is a referendum on whether or not to reinstate the death penalty in cases of intentional homicide with DNA proof.

The referendum on the death penalty has, in comparison, garnered little attention in the media. The opponents of the marriage amendment have dominated radio, TV and print ads throughout the state. Heart-wrenching stories and cloudy semantics depict the views of liberals throughout the state. The only support I have seen for Wisconsin's proposed marriage amendment has come in the form of bumper stickers, a minority of letters to the editor of newspapers and lawn signs.

There is no problem with private citizens planting these signs on their lawn. The property owner has the right to plant whatever political sign on his property he so chooses. There is a problem with churches, as an entity, lining their entrances with signs in support of government legislation. The church has not been charged with enacting legislation. That's the government's job. Yet, repeatedly, churches feel the need to engage in politicking. Again, there is no problem with private citizens acting on their beliefs. But when a church, as a non-profit organization, uses their organization as a means for politicking for positions or candidates, her primary focus is lost. Her IRS tax-exempt status is put in jeopardy. The church's place in this world is to preach the Gospel, not legislate morality.

I remember articulating this stance on church and state to a woman who approached me about announcing in a church service a regional Right to Life meeting. I tactfully declined to make the announcement because I didn't want to give any visitors the impression of church-sponsored politicking coming from the pulpit. Instead, I allowed the flyer I was supposed to reference be put on the bulletin board. If I erred, it was on the side of caution.

Don't get me wrong, I am pro-life, pro-heterosexual marriage and firmly believe abortion is murder and homosexuality is not what God intended for this world. However, when I preached from the pulpit it was not to clamor for more laws. More laws translate into a deeper desire for a person to be more lawless. The intent of my preaching was to change hearts with God's Word. It is only through God's Word, the Bible, that a person can see his sin, come to see God's solution for sin - Jesus' perfect life, death and resurrection from the dead and, by God's grace, turn away from sin thereby living a God-pleasing life.

At the same time, the government has no business telling the church what to teach. The founding fathers of our nation realized as much when they penned the First Amendment of our Constitution. There is no state sponsored religion. Churches, civically speaking, can teach whatever they wish. Civil government was instituted by God to keep nations and kingdoms in order. That is why the United States has elected officials to enact laws and law enforcement agencies to maintain the laws. However, the government does not operate in a vacuum. That's a good thing. What would our nation be with emotionless robots governing our land? Lawmakers act on the tenets of their faith, yet they balance their faith with politics. Politics is policy making. Policy making is designed to provide order in the world.

Church and State each have equally important roles in society, but separate roles, nonetheless. When one, as an entity, mandates what the other should do, one of two debates ensue. One debate accuses the Church wanting to revert to Old Testament theocracy. The other debate accuses the State of secularizing the nation. Neither debate bodes well for the well-being of the United States. Therefore, it is vitally important to the health of our nation to keep Church and State separate, but equal.