TR 660 - On American Morality & the Dangers of State Religion

Resolved.

I awoke this morning thanking God that we are not a Christian Nation. I’d like to say that I’m joking, but I’m not. That said, having immersed myself in the Founder’s intent for the last couple of reports, I wholeheartedly agree with George Washington and Thomas Jefferson — I lament the lack of religious and moral instruction that has so terribly degraded American society over the last several decades. Please do not misunderstand my heart.

And yet, like these great pillars of the American Spirit, I am equally certain that the state should have no authority to intrude into our spiritual lives, nor should the state have any role in imposing religious beliefs upon public life. State promoted religion is absolutely antithetical to a free society, which is why I believe the nation was not founded as a Christian nation, as bore out by the founding documents.

If you are new to the audience, or you find yourself reflexively rejecting this conclusion, please, I humbly ask, review the following reports to better understand where I’m coming from, and why this conversation is so very important:

To be very clear, I am not attacking Christianity, or any other religion, or even a lack of religion, and I am not suggesting that religion has no place in a free and prosperous society. I am making an important distinction, as did our forefathers, with laser focus and a unifying intent, between our religious and political missions.

Thus, we find a fork in the road.

There is a very real need to heal American society by virtue of religious and moral instruction. Here we need spiritual leaders to step up, and make relevant to modern society, the moral lessons endowed by the various religious traditions.

From a Christian perspective, evangelicals need to evangelize. Spread the good news. Share the story of Christ and testify to the power of Jesus in your life. Treat every interaction as a ministry, as an opportunity to plant seeds. Pray with people.

You would be amazed at how powerful praying with people can be.

That said, do not despair when you encounter nonbelievers. Do not be pushy. Do not be stuffy. Do not be prudish, pretentious, or Holier Than Thou. Remember, your role as a Christian is not to forcefully convince people to adopt your beliefs, but instead, to be the salt of the earth. Minister thoughtfully, with kindness and compassion.

Plant your seeds wisely, per the words of Jesus:

“A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. Whoever has ears, let them hear.”

Understand that many people may not be ready to receive the message—and that many others will never accept the message, because, like Thomas Jefferson, they reject the Biblical stories of Creation and Jesus Christ as a path to Salvation.

And that’s okay.

If you think about it, it has to be okay in order for a free society to function.

That’s the point that I’ve been trying to make. Pray about it.

From a more philosophical perspective, those of “peculiar mind” whom seek and are successfully able to deduce morality from Natural Law—sans the religio