Worldly politicians and their political parties try to recruit Christian voters by formulating policies and slogans that are directed at areas of interest to Christians like anti-abortion laws and the appointment of judges who are reputed to hold pro-life values.
Churchmen and churchwomen express views about who ought to be given this or that role in church administration and their are votes for church pastoral oversight councils and other position of "power".
I think of the first as religious politics and the second as political religion.
What do you think about efforts to recruit Christians as supporters and voters in those two spheres of politics? Is it godly to be involved or do you think of it as worldly?
When the Roman Empire created the first denomination in the 4th Century, there began a force that often continues to this day: a strong tie between politics and religion, church and state. In the Eastern Orthodox tradition, this continues to be very formal but since the Empire "fell" in the West, it is less formal here - but still strong. For CENTURIES, the RCC "Pope" was a prince and the RCC was also a political state (still is, it's just the "state" is tiny). The RCC "Pope" was often as secular (and sinful) as any worldly prince. The West tried to reconstruct the very formal bond in 800 but for the next 1000+ years, had a "love-hate" relationship since in truth, the state proved to be more skilled in using power than the RC denomination.
In Europe, this tie continues - including in Protestantism. It's crumbling of late, but there are still official State Churches: Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant. One of the best examples is the Anglican Church (the word "Anglican" simply means "English") where the Queen is a head of the church.
In my opinion, this "bond" between religion and politics (church and state) has been a real mixed bag but typically bad for the church. Politicians have often been very skilled at USING the church and religion for their secular purposes. The church being on the loosing end. Perhaps if Rome had never created a denomination in the first place, there'd be no "pope" today.... perhaps the EXTREME secularism and materialism and power struggles that SO much has dominated the RCC (and to a lesser extent all of Christianity) would never have happened. As a citizen of the USA, I'm a Republican and I consider myself a part of the "Religious Right." But I think here too, politicians have USED religion and religious leaders who (sinfully) liked to be close to those in power and to THINK they were being influential to the powerful.... when I think it was mostly a case of politicians simply using power and religion for their own purposes, willing to "throw a bone" on an issue or two to seal the deal.
But of course, we in the USA have a strong tradition from the Baptists of separation of church and state (this concept is found FAR less in other nations) but even here.....
- Josiah
