Thirty years ago, if someone had told me it would happen, I would not have believed it   I refer to a Baptist attorney in Fort Worth, Texas, Shelby Sharpe, speaking at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and advocating that Christians use the government to force Christian culture on everyone in the nation.  (EthicsDaily.com 10-2.06)  Sharpe is quoted as saying, “We are to have this culture live in obedience to every command of God.  You say, ‘Now wait a minute.  That’s not lawful.  The Supreme Court of the United States says you can’t do that.’  So?  So what?  When did they get above God?”

Having a religion run the government is called by various names, Theocracy, Dominion Theology, etc.  But by any name it is a bad idea.  In the colonial days such a blending of church and state existed in the northeast, beginning in Massachusetts.  Here at Thanksgiving time, we look back warmly upon the pilgrims for their commitment to God and spirit of thankfulness.  In their colony, however, they had laws to govern every aspect of life.  A law declared how long a woman’s sleeve should be.  Another law forbade the wearing of lace.  A man could be jailed for long hair.  One could be fined, whipped, or jailed for not attending church.  It was against the law for a man to kiss his wife in public.

Also, anyone who did not conform to the established religion was harassed or punished.  Having experienced a lack freedom in Massachusetts, Roger Williams became a champion of the separation of church and state, founding Rhode Island, a colony that guaranteed such freedom.  Also, because he founded the First Baptist Church in Providence, he is generally regarded as the first Baptist in the Colonies.  Later Baptists were in the forefront of the battle for the separation of church and state to be guaranteed in the Constitution of the new nation.

That so many who call themselves Baptist have forsaken a freedom for which our forefathers fought is both amazing and heartbreaking.  The freedom of the church from interference from the government has allowed churches in the United States to flourish.  Freedom of the government from religious control and freedom of religion for all citizens has prevented religious wars, wars that have plagued other countries throughout history.  The first amendment to the constitution, which guarantees these freedoms, is under attack by religious people.  These, people, mostly on the religious right, assume that when the wall falls, their group will be in control of government and get to decide how everyone should act.  If this were to happen they would be miserable.  The laws would never be narrow and strict enough for some among them, and too much so for others.