Which God Saves? → church and state

How do religion, society and the government fit together?

How do religion and society fit together? Should religion and society fit together? And if those weren’t already tough enough questions, who gets to decide the answers? Religious leaders? Social activists? The government? But hang on a minute. Just when it seems like it can’t possibly get worse, it does. What if religion, everything related to society in general, and the government are all controlled by the same people?

Do you think that’s impossible? It’s not. It’s happening. Right now. In China, they’re well on their way to making it happen. The Communist Party is continuing to strengthen its hold on pretty much everything about official religion and Chinese society. Here in the U.S., many would like it to happen. Who exactly will be in control isn’t officially decided yet. But it appears that the government is winning, with Christians bowing down to the President.

How do religion, society and the government fit together? Read More »

Chinese citizens have the freedom of religious belief

Citizens have freedom of religious belief?

General religion topics in China

Citizens have freedom of religious belief. That’s the English translation of something from China’s Religious Affairs Regulations. But is it really true?

Remember, China is a Communist country. And an officially atheist one as well. We must be forgiven if we doubt those fine-sounding words. Especially after reading part 1 of this series.

Remember, Article 1 of these regulations included the text, “increase the level of legalification in work on religion” as one of the stated goals for putting them into law. How does that even make sense?

Citizens have freedom of religious belief? Read More »

Don’t be misled. Trump shouldn’t decide when churches will open.

Politics and religion

Trump shouldn’t decide when churches open! You may have seen the headline from CNBC, or something like it: Trump slams governors, demands they open houses of worship ‘right now’. But you know what? It’s not up to the governors to decide when churches open either. I’ve often argued that separation of church and state – if done correctly – is a good thing. The government should not dictate religion. If we learned anything from history, it should have been that many people came to “the new world” – eventually much of it to become the U.S. – to avoid the royal version of religion back in Europe. But we haven’t really learned much, have we?

Don’t be misled. Trump shouldn’t decide when churches will open. Read More »

china-christianity-islam-flag indicating China's Religious Affairs Regulations Article 1

Will religious regulations in China to eliminate God be a blueprint for others to follow?

Religious regulations in China

Part of the goal of the Chinese government is to water down Christianity to the point where it retains so little of Jesus’ teachings that it means nothing in terms of salvation. In essence, they are trying to put the Chinese people into the scenario of the Church in Laodicea from Revelation.

Will religious regulations in China to eliminate God be a blueprint for others to follow? Read More »

Satanic temple statue is one reason why separation of church and state is a good thing.

Politics and religion

I mean, it’s not like the satanic temple is out there forcing anything. They’re just taking advantage of things that Christians have pushed for! What are we thinking? Are we thinking?

Do we have eyes to see? Do we have ears to hear? Do we understand our own Scriptures? Do we even read them? Are we – Christians – so busy pushing our own agenda, rather than Jesus’ agenda, that we’re actually the ones bringing ourselves closer to the end?

Satanic temple statue is one reason why separation of church and state is a good thing. Read More »