I think by now most of you will agree that politics really doesn’t belong anywhere in the vicinity of Christianity or the church. Even history shows that to be true. Politics fosters animosity; it builds walls between people; it divides families; it breaks up old friends — even marriages. And when government weds itself to the church all kinds of distortions occur.

The United States of America was founded by leaders who were escaping being ruled by a tyrant who insisted on a state religion. How ironic that today many of us Christians want to turn America into a “Christian nation” when this country was founded by those who wanted to get away from a state religion, and establish a country that stood for freedom of religion — not freedom for “my” religion, mind you, but freedom for all religions, or as Os Guinness puts it: “freedom for all religions and none.” Even the “nones” get to not believe at all if that is their choice.

The brilliance of the founding fathers of American democracy was to establish a country where everyone was free to worship as they choose. No one is forced into a certain religion because the state has decided which is the right one. Under the freedom of religion, the Christian faith is actually free to grow as its followers see fit. This is actually the best way for true faith to spread and grow in a genuine way. This is why we want to keep politics and Christianity separate where faith has its own domain free from entanglements.

Somebody recently sent me a quote by a pastor that says it well. It is worth a prime spot on any refrigerator door:

WHEN YOU LIVE IN A POLITICAL MIND SET, THERE’S ALWAYS A BATTLE TO FIGHT, A SIDE TO DEFEND, AND SOMEONE TO FEAR.

WHEN YOU LIVE IN A JESUS MIND SET, THERE’S ALWAYS A STRANGER TO WELCOME, A NEIGHBOR TO LOVE, AND AN ENEMY TO FORGIVE.