Religion and Government: I Hear You Knockin’ — But You Can’t Come In

Religion and Government: I Hear You Knockin’ — But You Can’t Come In

– By Ed Kociela –

In the realm of the Sunday morning news programs, there is always something there for the eggheads, as we once called them, to wander through the tall weeds where they parse and digest topical issues too complex for the typical 30-second news bite.

There is always something for the wonks, as we know them, to slice and dice the news and public opinion or to raise questions about aspects of our culture and lives that may not always rise to the surface without kicking over a couple of rocks.

Last Sunday, MSNBC newsie Jonathan Capehart exercised the notion of a growing number from the far right who seem bent on adding Christianity as the fourth branch of our government and elevating it in importance to the executive, legislative, and judicial trinity we have had from the very beginning.

Capehart delivered a frightening report about how Christian Nationalists are trying to incorporate their brand of religion into our governance.

David French, a noted voice from the right who has written for The National Review and The Dispatch, warns that the growing push for Christendom is endangering Christianity because of the hypocrisy involved. Among his examples is the infamous photo of Jerry Fallwell Jr. giving the thumbs-up while posing in front of a poster-sized cover of Playboy magazine, Franklin Graham’s hypocritical stance of displaying righteous rancor at Bill Clinton for catting around then telling the world that Donald Trump’s infidelities and illegal payoffs are nobody’s business, or the efforts of modern-day churches to cover up misdeeds from fraud to sexual abuse by vowing to protect the church at any cost.

The game, you see, is one-sided, rigged to benefit a religious right that has learned that adding Jesus to campaign fund drives is a sure way to electoral success regardless of deep-down personal beliefs.

And, there is the rub.

“We need to be the party of Nationalism. We should be Christian Nationalists,” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Ga., tells a crowd at a campaign rally.

“Buckle up, put on the full armor of God, and take a stand against the Left’s schemes,” says Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who could very well head off any attempt by Trump to run for president again.

“The church is supposed to direct the government; the government is not supposed to direct the church,” says Rep. Lauren Boebert, Colo. “That is not how our founding fathers intended it. I’m tired of the separation of church and state. It’s not in the Constitution, it’s in a stinking letter, and it’s nothing like they say it was.”

That “stinking letter,” by the way, was a missive from Thomas Jefferson to the Danbury Baptist Association that underscored the 1st Amendment establishment clause that he said effectively put up a wall of separation between the church and state. Earlier, Roger Williams, who founded Rhode Island, said that any government involvement in the church would corrupt the church without a separation between what he termed the “wilderness of the world” and “the garden of the church.”

What we never get, of course, is which Christian denomination should be the church upon which the government’s foundation should be built upon or what we do with our friends who study the Quran, the Torah, the Vedas, the Pali Canon, or other religious texts.

That’s why our most personal rights were among the first secured for our fledgling nation.

That’s also why we must understand the distinct difference between religion and faith and, no, they are not one in the same; never have been, and never will be.

Religion is a club, if you will, that has certain rules and structure and requires you to go to the clubhouse each week to talk the talk, to reaffirm your initiation, and hang onto your place on the roster. Maybe you sing the hymns a little louder, maybe you sit a little closer to the front so your friends and neighbors can notice your attendance in the houses of the holy. Maybe you can quote Scripture better than you can live it.

The plus side is there is security in numbers and, with religion, better tax breaks.

Faith is walking the walk, the underlying belief system that guides our souls and carries more weight than keeping a scorecard of our spiritual offenses or our attendance record. It is a singular experience that gives us hope, courage, comfort, and a path that may be just as cluttered as those of the religious world, but one we figure out without the politics or agenda of a subset of leaders who may or may not be sincere in terms of redemption and salvation. When it comes to faith, there is no middleman. You are what you are.

Tithing in religion is an act rooted in how willing you are to empty your wallet, and tithing in faith is an act rooted in how willing you are to open your heart. And, no, the two have nothing in common.

Religion is, more often than not, exclusionary. The clubs don’t usually look upon each other fondly, meaning that unless you pick the “right” one, your eternity is pretty bleak. While you may be taking your chances living in faith, you are more in control of your own destiny and are more likely to influence by deeds rather than words.

So while I cast my fate with the faith crowd, I don’t think either has a place in governance. The experience, and the beliefs are too intense, too personal to set as standards for everybody, which is what the government is supposed to do.

Add it all to it the underlying issue of nationalism, which has become a trope for racism, and you’ve got an ideological mess.

Christian Nationalists?

The term is wrought with contradiction at best, and hypocrisy at worst.

Just as I don’t want you coming to my home to try to get me to join your team, I don’t want your team to cast influence over my individual rights and freedoms guaranteed under the law.

In other words, I hear you knockin’, but you can’t come in.

Viewpoints and perspectives expressed throughout The Independent are those of the individual contributors. They do not necessarily reflect those held by the staff of The Independent or our advertising sponsors. Your comments, rebuttals, and contributions are welcome in accordance with our Terms of Service. Please be respectful and abide by our Community Rules. If you have privacy concerns you can view our Privacy Policy here. Thank you! 

Click here to submit an article, guest opinion piece, or a Letter to the Editor