alternative hippopotamus

progressive cyberdadaism from our nation’s capital

October 16, 2006

The Republican National Cathedral

by AltHippo @ 4:49 pm. Filed under Religion

Usually I hear church and state issues spoken about from the perspective of the Constitution. By design, the state cannot support one religion over another. (Though, I’d be curious to see how much Islamic groups have received from the Office of Faith-Based Initiatives.) To do so would create a national regligion, which is something that our country’s leaders, or more recently followers, have traditionally avoided. Why? Well some would say because the Constitution says so. I’ll add my $.02: because it would be creepy.

Not just because it would be bad for the state. It would also be bad for religion. Here, I’m using “religion” loosely. Much in the same way a 10 step program will use the phrase “higher power.” I don’t mean it in terms of the organized Catholic church, for instance.

Religion is what’s sacred to each individual. The mixing of politics with religion is that of mixing the sacred and the profane. It ceases to be a religion, a worship of the divine, and becomes instead, the worship of power.

In the Senate race in Minnesota, Pastor Mac Hammond of Living Word Christian Center, a large suburban chuch, held a campagin rally to support the Republican candidate Michele Bachmann. Here’s what Hammond has to say about his endorsement of her race: (Minnesota Monitor)

I said important that we put men and women of God in office in our government. I don’t want any more letters about church and politics don’t mix. If that’s your opinion then you need to get saved, because the bible makes clear that we are to have an effect on the world in which we live.

The article linked to suggests that this will be enough for Living Word Christian Center to lose their tax-exempt status. It’s like the good book says: you gotta render unto Ceasar what is Caesar’s.

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2 Responses to “The Republican National Cathedral”

  1. KathyF Says:
    October 17th, 2006 at 4:09 pm

    Well, here there’s a state religion, and it hasn’t done much for the religion, in terms of adherence anyway. (Only in the last century, of course.) But I’d have to say, if I were to pick one, the Church of England isn’t such a bad one to belong to. Every time I walk into one of their churches (which I do, frequently while traveling) I see stuff about Africa, helping the poor, etc.

    There is something creepy about having bishops in the House of Lords.

  2. AltHippo Says:
    October 17th, 2006 at 4:25 pm

    You know, I’d never stopped to think about the implications of having a national religion.

    I haven’t spent that much time in the UK, a vacation here, a business trip there, but it always seemed fairly secular to me. As did Belgium and the Netherlands.

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