Church and State

Watch the religious moves
of the 108^th Congress

  

Little insight can be found through regular news media sources into the growing conjugality between church and state. It is happening at almost a frenzied pace. Even Bush in November of 2002 decided to bypass Congress (where it failed one year ago) and implement part of the Faith Based Initiative by allocating funds to many religious charities.

David Varnam, policy analyst for Focus on the Family) said the GOP congressional victory means we now can get passed a ban on partial-birth abortion, elect conservative judges and block "bad” [anti-Christian] legislation.[1]

In 1935, under the leadership of Pope Pius XI, a team of individuals laid out a cunning plan to attract other churches to the Roman Catholic Church by avoiding religious doctrinal and liturgical issues by working together on social concerns. Since November, Ken Connor, head of the Family Research Council began to advance that social issues agenda (of the Religious Right) along with myriads of other religious organizations.[2]

Republican Texan representative and conservative Baptist, Tom DeLay, is now the majority leader of the House. He recently said:

"I think about everything as it comes through my faith in Christ. I am what I believe, and it shapes my worldview. So any decision I make is based upon my faith, my willingness to walk in the will of God. For a politician, probably the hardest thing in the world is to turn it all over to Him. But I’ve done that now going on 18 years, and it has served me very well. People ask me, ‘How can you stand the stress?’ and things like that. It’s easy. Because I’m not in charge … I feel every issue is a moral issue. Every vote that I take is a moral vote, whether it’s taking money from people and giving it to somebody else, or fighting the war on terrorism.[3]

Tom DeLay is an opponent to strict first amendment interpretation and believes church and state must work together. Last year on TV (D. James Kennedy’s program, Coral Ridge Ministry), DeLay appeared and said he supports rebuking this nation for separating church and state over the past 40-50 years. Then he said, "I don’t believe there is a separation of church and state.”[4]

The Religious Right, especially represented by Jerry Falwell, James Kennedy, Pat Robertson, Focus on the Family, Family Research Council, the Christian Coalition, the Catholic Alliance and the Heritage Foundation assume they have a mandate to meet a rigid social agenda over the next two years. Could that agenda turn "religious” if social activism begins work?

An influential organization that is getting the ear of all the "right wingers” is the National Reform Association (www.natreformassn.org). Quietly, behind the scenes, pressure is being exerted on people and organizations with hard hitting documents such as: In Defense of the State’s Duty to Confess Its Allegiance to Christ; God’s Law or Chaos; and Should Civil Government Enforce the Sabbath (for the latter document see back cover!).

Behind this organization is a philosophy called Christian Reconstructionism. It advocates some of the ancient theocratic rules God gave to Israel, including capital punishment for certain "sins.” Many Christian groups are "morally passionate” with pent-up zeal to correct the outrageous wrongs of the far left. It is clear that in this moment of unbridled political opportunity, anticipation will move toward coercion to bring Christianity back to America.

There has never been a time like this in the United States. Extremes are pitted against each other. Biblically, the Christian Right’s power will supervene at a time of growing helplessness among its citizenry. That is the next challenge, which prophecy persuasively reveals, will soon be the period when there will be "no more delay.” Revelation 10:6.

References:

1. Benen, Steve; Church and State, 12/02, p. 4.

2. Ibid., pp. 4-5.

3. Rosenberg, Joel C.; World (magazine), 12/07/02.

4. www.coralridge.org

Franklin S. Fowler Jr., M.D.; EndTime Issues..., Prophecy Research Initiative
EndTime Issues..., December 2002 - endtimeissues.com