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| First Baptist Church in America, Providence, Rhode Island |
According to the online publication Today in Christian History, two contrasting events occurred on September 13. On this date in 1541, John Calvin returned
to Geneva after a period of exile.
He would spend the rest of his life trying “to establish a theocratic
society at the request of city authorities who banished him three years earlier.”
On this date in 1635, the Massachusetts General
Court ejected Roger Williams from the colony for “his outspoken advocacy of a
separation of church and state.” Of course, Williams went on to found Rhode
Island colony and establish the first Baptist church in America.
What a great illustration of two approaches to
the relationship of church and secular government. On
one hand, authorities asked Calvin to use his ecclesiastical authority to
provide stability and peace. On the
other hand, Williams’ refusal to accept the marriage of church and state was
perceived as cause for unrest and resulted in his banishment from his home.
I believe that history has shown us that for democracy
to thrive, Williams’s approach has served us better than Calvin’s. Institutionalizing the influence of the
church to provide stability might work in the short term but in the long term
the imposition of religious authority and tests on individual citizens leads to
instability and erodes the influence of faith.
Can Christianity provide a positive influence in
a nation? Yes, if it is the type that
Williams practiced which espoused individual decision in matters of faith, freedom
of worship for all faiths, and the equality of all people before God. When these values become motivating factors
for citizens and political leaders, the nation will thrive. When these values become peripheral, a
democracy (or a democratic republic such as the United States of America) will
suffer.
The choice must be made by each person; it
cannot be legislated.
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