Turning Faith Into Elevator Music

Here's a very insightful and important statement from Professor William J. Stuntz:

Symbols like the ones the Supreme Court haggled about give the impression that Christianity and the government are somehow in cahoots with each other. That's a dangerous impression, and a false one. It's a small step from the idea that the government endorses Christianity to an idea that is much worse: that Christianity endorses the government. Christians are the big losers in that transaction. Western Europe is filled with Christian symbols -- Christian Democrats are a leading political party in several countries -- but almost entirely devoid of Christians. Christianity does not thrive when political parties take its name and capitol lawns showcase its precepts. On the contrary, it thrives when it stays as far from those things as possible.

So many evangelicals today blur that line between faith and politics to the point where our faith is filtered through the politics. This is how churches come to define acceptable membership according to political views, and how church pulpits which should be used to teach the Word of God get co-opted by politicians trying to advance their political cause. Yet history is clear: blending faith and politics ultimately destroys the value of that faith. Why do you think Satan dangles that carrot of power and influence in front of pastors and other church leaders? What better way to stifle Christian revivial in the nation than to offer political power to the Christians?

American Christians need to wake up!