Pete Buttigieg’s Religious Right Critics: You and Your Episcopal Church Aren’t Really Christian |...

Very interesting article. A lot to debate!

A very complex issue for many reasons. I'm quite certain if many modern Christians could travel back in time to 1st Century Judea and get to know our Savior in the flesh... we'd be surprised at His opinions on many things we take for "Gospel". Still, it's undeniable that for the sake of many motivations, Christianity worldwide, has adopted many practices not found in Scripture. Some seem to add more stringent requirements... others appear to contradict theology altogether. If faith is nothing more than a man-made construct designed to provide order, the promise of "eternal reward", and a moral guidepost... then it would be logical that it would have to adapt as mankind's views and values adapt. However, I believe that if God is real, He... not "we" determine what is "right" and "wrong".

Presuming (as I must) that this is the case, then if an entire denomination or community of believers formally adopts teachings and practices expressly condemned in Scripture... I won't personally say they are "no longer Christians"... but I believe they are acting in direct contravention of Christian teachings. Do they have the legal "right"? Well, yes... unless of course those teachings promote illegal activity (say, assaulting a person merely because one disagrees with them... which, as I understand it, would ALSO be against Biblical teaching).

That, to my mind, is what Jefferson meant by a, "separation of Church and State". Where I think we've gone astray nationally, and spiritually, is that on either "side", we no longer seem willing to view a person's religious beliefs (or abstention) as segregated from their civic duty. This is (once again, in my opinion) exacerbated by those of any faction who seek to obtain a ruling majority on the issue.

Deep waters