#Church And State
Quotes about church-and-state
The concept of "church-and-state" represents the intricate and often contentious relationship between religious institutions and governmental authority. This topic delves into the historical and ongoing dialogue about the separation of church and state, a principle that aims to ensure freedom of religion while maintaining a secular government. It is a subject that resonates deeply with individuals who are passionate about civil liberties, religious freedom, and the role of faith in public life. People are drawn to quotes about church and state because they encapsulate the tension and harmony that can exist between these two powerful entities. Such quotes often provoke thought, inspire debate, and encourage reflection on how societies balance moral values with legislative governance. The enduring relevance of this topic lies in its ability to challenge us to consider the boundaries of influence and the importance of maintaining a society where diverse beliefs can coexist peacefully. Whether one is exploring historical perspectives or contemporary issues, the dialogue surrounding church and state continues to be a vital part of understanding the dynamics of power, belief, and community.
To the USSR on Stalin's death: "Regardless of the identity of government personalities, the prayer of us Americans continues to be that the Almighty will watch over the people of that vast country and bring them in His wisdom opportunity to live their lives in a world where all men, and women, and children, dwell in peace and comradeship.
Faith is either something that informs one at all times or it isn’t anything at all, really. When the Chinese government tells its citizens that they can worship in a certain building on a certain day, but once they leave that building they must bow to the secular orthodoxy of the state, you have a cynical lie at work. They’ve substituted a toothless “freedom of worship” for “freedom of religion”.
Real faith is never something that can be forced by the state. It’s something that either be encouraged and smiled upon or discouraged and frowned-upon. Or, simply crushed
Even if three centuries of outsider status and intermittent persecution had tested the endurance of individuals and communities, coping with the patronage of a newly Christian emperor posed a challenge. The challenge was all the more threatening for its moral complexity. Was it right for the churches to accept the Emperor's favour, knowing full well that if they did so, they also tacitly accepted his right, so evident in all other aspects of life in the Roman Empire, to call the shots?
The cross is a crisis point for all societies which seek to produce me in and women of quiescence, men and women who are trained to give unquestioning, uncritical obedience to worldly powers and not to Christ.
Throughout history the cross stands as a symbol of protest and revolt; protest against all claims, whether by religious or political power, to absolute unquestioning control over human minds and bodies; revolt against all systems and ideologies, all regimes and institutions, which continue to push individuals and groups beyond the pale, outside the gate.
Conservative evangelicals don't want government support for our faith, because we believe God created all consciences free and a state-coerced act of worship isn't acceptable to God. Moreover, we believe the gospel isn't in need of state endorsement or assistance. Wall Street may need government bailouts but the Damascus Road never does.
there was a common understanding that religion generally served the powerful, who manipulated the words of the gods and prophets to justify their greed and lust for power. Yet Christianity comes in numerous guises; mystical to dogmatic; it is used by some as a reason to justify their wars, their oppression and their hatreds. Others use it to oppose those wars and other injustices.
