CHRISTIANS: Why separation is good

The Christian community should celebrate the recent events in Wadena, Minn. Christians should celebrate the separation of church and state instead of complaining about the “War on Christmas.”

After a Nativity scene on public property was moved to private grounds, the local residents put up thousands of Nativity scenes in homes, churches, and private businesses.

This is just they way it should be. There can be Nativity scenes in my yard and your church, but not at City Hall, because that space is everyone’s. Public space, which is shared common space, should not be used to push the views of one sectarian group.

Didn’t the Pilgrims leave England for religious freedom? I won’t go into a long historical lecture because it doesn’t seem to matter to those who need it most. So let’s just talk about the here and now.

Christians should support the separation of church and state because that’s why we have hundreds of churches here in North Idaho. In fact, many do. The smaller denominations understand that if there was state sponsored religion, there would be far fewer churches. When there is state religion, then the powerful of one sort or another would control those churches and then have much more power over everything else.

It is easy to forget that truth because we have the separation that many people take for granted and don’t see the long term importance of maintaining.

So what does one Nativity scene or one set of Ten Commandments on government land hurt?

Plenty. It means we are giving up one of our freedoms to support a group trying to dominate others.

JAMES FULTON

Post Falls