Separation of Church and State?

Wednesday, October 7th 2020

People may mean well when they say that religion has no place in politics. They will sometimes cite what they think is written in the Constitution mandating a “separation of church and state.” But there is no such mandate or wording to that effect. The actual words found in the First Amendment to the Constitution are, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”

What this means, for example, is that the United States Congress is forbidden to make the North American Lutheran Church the official religion of our country, and then levy taxes so that this church alone flourishes. Importantly, it also means, that Congress shall make no law restricting the exercise of religion. And faith is exercised in our daily lives, in our communities, and for our neighbor.

Instead of saying “Separation of church and state,” we should say “Non establishment by the state, but the free exercise in the state.”

Now it’s a different matter for the Church to ask herself whether she ought to get involved in politics. And here we must be careful. It may be a frittering away of the unique authority of the Church in matters eternal to wed with political agendas, but this is not the same as saying the Church must be silent in the polis (society or community). Not only would this be the lack of exercising our faith, but it is to say moral and ethical truths on the basis of God’s Word have no place at the table. Just so, we therefore cannot forfeit love of God, and love or our neighbor!

Since You Asked…

What do Lutherans believe is given in Holy Communion? “We believe, teach, and confess that in the Holy Supper the body and blood of Christ are truly and essentially present and are truly distributed and received with the bread and wine. We believe, teach, and confess that the words of the testament of Christ are to be understood in no other way than in their literal sense, and not as though the bread symbolized the absent body and the wine the absent blood of Christ, but that because of the sacramental union they are truly the body and blood of Christ” (Formula of Concord, Epitome, Art. VII.)

The Apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 10 that the bread is “a participation in the Lord’s body.” If the Lord’s body were not truly present, the bread would perhaps be a participation in his spirit. But Paul says it is a participation in his body!

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