How is a Christian who is situated in a society where church and state are separated able to form cogent beliefs about the morality of the state? For it would seem that the severance of church and state, when taken to its logical conclusion, would entail a Christian being severed from thinking about politics with reference to their religious beliefs. A Christian would then, in forming beliefs about the morality of the state, have to resort to some other moral foundation than that of their religion. Would this not inevitably result in an outright rejection of their Christian ethics?
Maybe a question a Christian should ask himself in regards to this: "What's the role of the secular state in governing non-believers, and to what extent does God play in it?"
ReplyDeleteHmm, those are precise questions, and I appreciate the wording!
DeleteFor my part, I am skeptical that the state is only meant to govern non-believers. I think that most Christians (excluding groups like the Hutterites and Amish who separate from society at large) are so immersed in society and are affected by government in such practical ways, that it's inevitable they'll form beliefs about the institution.
But maybe you're not suggesting that the state doesn't apply to Christians as well, and I just went off on a tangent there. Ha! Thoughts?