EDITORIAL: Church, state are inseparable
The most thunderous railing against the tyranny of King George preceding our break from England 240 years ago came from the pulpits in the 13 colonies. The Church of England was solidly in bed with the Crown. When our founders declared that church and state should be separated, they clearly meant that no government sponsored, corporate religious organization be foisted upon the people. They did not, however, desire a separation of God and state. They believed personal religion (respect for and faith in God) and politics were inseparable, as religion helped maintain a high standard of behavior, tending to keep people honest and upright.
Sunday’s June 8 editorial was misleading and subtly pejorative. On the surface, please tell me how southern California contributes to the substance of the matter? What do Richard Butler and the Aryans have to do with any people or organizations either specified or alluded to in the editorial? Does a backhanded approach to gay lifestyles and illegal immigration really help the reader understand the mind-set of local churchgoers and their leaders? Those who take a stand against certain alternate lifestyles do so because they believe the Creator of the universe knows more about the human condition and psyche than any of us, and choose to follow His instructions. The bigotry question needs to be taken up with your Creator, not the churchgoer. It’s about the behavior, not the person. Every single one of us has some behavior that has qualified us for eternal separation from God, but every single one of us is offered forgiveness and a heavenly welcome mat. For that reason, most churches’ doors are wide open to everyone. The church is supposed to be a spiritual hospital where we seek healing.
Indeed, Jefferson and Madison were adamant about religion surviving without governmental support. However, the statement in the editorial that follows, “government works best when it’s free from religious interference” is not attributed to anyone (but the author of the article?), and was certainly not the mind-set of those men. Our personal behaviors have consequences, for better or worse, and faith in God mitigates that. We tend toward evil. It’s no different with government, since that institution is manned by the same flawed people. Faith in God keeps it all in check. Our founding documents mention God more than once. The editor is in error by separating the temporal from the eternal. The condition of our afterlife is very much connected to choices that are made here and now.
Finally, a note to Ed Morse (my state rep): Your defeat was a result of your voting record, and nothing else. Donald Duck could have probably prevailed in the last election. For you to go crying like a teased child to the criminal IRS certainly reveals your true colors. Glad to see you go.
SCOTT GRUNSTED
Hayden