I was inspired to write this post after seeing the above meme. Of course, this statement is ridiculous. First of all, there is the fact that this same US Constitution is based on British Common Law which drew heavily from the Bible. Furthermore, you could just as easily argue that if you want to live in a country ruled by the religion of atheism, then you are welcome to move to North Korea!
Before we proceed, let me assure you that I am not advocating for a theocracy and I do realize that church and state are two separate entities (Matthew 22:21). Nonetheless, the common exhortation to “keep religion out of politics” presupposes that such an endeavor is even possible. The fact is that there is no such thing as secular or value neutral politics. Governments will always reflect how the ones in charge view ultimate reality, whether they define it in religious terms or not.
For Christians, this is nothing new. Even the word “Gospel,” which means “good news” and “glad tidings,” was understood in the ancient world as a proclamation that a new ruler had taken the throne and that they were being summoned to honor him. In fact, the horrible persecution that the early Christians endured under Roman rule was actually more political than religious. The Empire would have had no problem with Christians simply adding Jesus to the countless deities they already worshipped. The conflict came from the Christian’s simple declaration that “Jesus is Lord.” In saying that, they were stating that Caesar was NOT lord.
Political rulers have always tended to have a “god complex.” Think of the Pharaohs in Egypt or the aforementioned Caesars in Rome. In more recent history, the state itself has been given godlike status by Communist governments, resulting in the deaths of tens of millions of people. A glaring example of this today would be the aforementioned North Korea, where roughly 20% of their prison population consists of political and religious dissenters.
As horrible as these actions were, they are actually not too surprising given the moral vacuum that is created by the atheistic worldview.
The 2022 Supreme Court decision overturning Roe V Wade has awakened a new chorus of accusations about allegedly imposing religious views on those who do not share them. The debate over abortion has, unfortunately, been diminished by (wrongly) claiming that it is exclusively a “religious” issue.
Even if it was, however, the underlying premise (that killing is wrong) is universal in scope. For example, while “thou shalt not steal” is also a religious tenet, even the most ardent secularist would no doubt call the police if their car was stolen. Nonetheless, by that logic, who are they to impose their morality on the car thief?
In contrast, the Judeo/Christian worldview offers a very holistic approach to human relationships:
- We are to love our neighbors (Matt. 22:37-39)
- This love involves seeking their highest good in all areas of life (Luke 10:25-37)
- We should desire and pray to live quiet, godly and honorable lives (1 Timothy 2:1-4)
Many respond “What about all of the wars that have been caused by religion?” Yet even this has been greatly exaggerated. According to the Encyclopedia of War, only 7% of the wars waged throughout recorded human history have been religiously based. Even then, most of them were not exclusively about religion. Other factors such as land disputes often came into play as well.
The understanding that human beings are special creations of a loving God is the basis for all human dignity and rights. If someone views reality in strictly material or atheistic terms, then they have no basis for any sort of objective morality. If you take God out of the equation, how do you determine if anything is ultimately right or wrong? If “rights” are nothing more than popular opinions, they are completely arbitrary anyway and are subject to constant change based on political whims. While the default argument is typically ” …as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone,” by that logic, who is to say hurting people is wrong? If all we are is masses of animated carbon, what’s really the big deal if one carbon mass harms another?
This is one of the many unintended consequences of the desire for secularism. For all of the talk of “tolerance” and “inclusion,”to reject the Judeo/Christian worldview means that we must also reject the beliefs that:
- There is an absolute standard of right and wrong.
- We all sin and fall short of it.
- Forgiveness and redemption are possible.
As for inclusion, Tim Keller wisely observed that:
Every faith is “narrow.” Even the faith that says all faiths are equal excludes those who disagree. Therefore, it’s a mistake to assume some beliefs are more “open” than others. They all exclude those that disagree with them. ¹
Man-made systems are always doomed to fail. The ultimate truth of the Gospel is self evident:
-
The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds; there is none who does good. Psalms 14:1 ESV
- The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world… Psalms 19:1-4 ESV
- For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. Romans 1:19-20 ESV
In conclusion, I once again quote from Tim Keller:
The Christian faith though has Jesus dying for people who don’t love or care for him. Placing him at the center of your life will allow you to do the same for those who don’t love or care for you. That makes Christianity the most inclusive of all exclusive faiths. ²
1. Keller, Timothy. Facebook post, 11 July, 2023.
2. Ibid
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