The Wall Between Church And State In America Is Scheduled For Demolition

Some leaders build walls.  Some leaders knock down walls.  And sometimes a leader does both at the same time. 

The National Prayer Breakfast in Washington DC today was a memorable event.  It was, for instance, the first time a president used the event to mock his enemies and to curse.  The breakfast is usually a more reserved and somber event.  But the personality of the president was not the truly notable part of the breakfast – that honor was saved for policy – embodied in the president’s pledge to “destroy” the Johnson Amendment, which is a key part of the wall that separates church and state in the US. 

Evangelicals in America seem to generally really like the idea of a religious state – and long is it is an evangelical religious state (be careful what you wish for…).  And the Catholic church has a long history which speaks to its preference for combined church and state.  Traditional Protestants, on the other hand, got their start protesting the abuses of a combined church and state.  If the president gets his way in “destroying” the Johnson Amendment – and I wouldn’t bet against him and the enabling Republican party at this moment in history – then we truly are seeing prophecy fulfilled before our eyes.  This is a somber moment that requires a prayerful, somber, principled response.  To be clear:  by “principled” I mean the vigorous proclamation of Christ and His imminent return.

You can access a New York Times article explaining the Johnson Amendment and Trump’s statements here

–Scott Christiansen