“Separation of church and state.” Few phrases have caused such division and controversy. From the famous Scopes Monkey Trial to battles over the Ten Commandments on public display to stories of high school coaches praying with their teams, there is no shortage of opinions.
Recently, the phrase has even become part of the dialogue in Republican presidential primaries. After, I questioned the faith claims and behaviors of one of the leading candidates, several objectors decried, “What about separation of church and state?”
Surprisingly, evangelical Christian supporters of the candidate – ones who in the past have traditionally defended this is a “Christian nation” – have begun using a slight variation on the phrase when they proclaim that we are electing “a commander-in-chief, not a pastor-in-chief.”
But all of this is symptomatic that even evangelicals have become victims of a great misunderstanding about God. Continue reading
