Christian Citizenship (Biblical Reasons Why I Want to Be a Christian in a Multi-Faith Nation) Part 33

 

From All In: Luther, Christian Faith, and the Public Sphere, by Francisco Herrera, Ph. D.

This post is part 33 of a series on Christian citizenship, and why I believe mixing Christian identity with American identity is bad for both. I hope to give you little bite-sized thoughts, which represent themes you'll find throughout the Bible and historic Christian teachings.

Today's reason why I want to be a Christian in a multi-faith nation: because government policies tend to make people worse at authentically being Christians.

That's an insight from Martin Luther's Temporal Authority: to What Extent it Should Be Obeyed (1523). My good friend, Francisco Herrera, reminded me of this text and shared with me his excellent paper on this topic. 

Martin Luther lived in Germany in the Middle Ages, when the line between Church and state was much blurrier, and secular rulers to passed religious laws all the time. Yet even in the 16th century, when the very idea of a secular democracy, much less a Constitution enshrining freedom of religion, was still centuries off, Martin Luther made a point that still stands today. You can't force a person to have faith. If you try, you'll only make them lie about their faith, which, arguably, is worse than not having faith to begin with.

The fatal flaw in the idea of a "Christian Nation" is that the Christian faith cannot be shared through laws and mandates. Even if you could force every public school day to begin with a prayer, you wouldn't be filling schools with students who pray. You'd be filling schools with students who pretend to pray, which is worse than not praying at all. 

While we can't necessarily pass laws to make more Christians, that does not mean Christians should have no part in making laws. Though it is ineffective to make faith a policy, we who have faith are obligated to show love for our neighbors when making policy. A Christian can not be neutral when others are suffering. 

Herrera writes,    

"Therefore, if your neighbor is a victim of racism, though you yourself may not be, Christian love dictates that you must act on their behalf “as much as you can” to fight the systemic sin which they have suffered. Similarly, if a coworker is being harassed because of their sexuality and gender, even if you yourself are no such victim, Christian love dictates that you must act on their behalf, so that '[they] may have peace and that [their] enemy may be curbed.'" -All In, p.4

Can we make a Christian Nation? Martin Luther says "no!" Can living out our faith make our nation better for everyone? Luther, and the Bible, say "yes!" 

For more background information read this statement from the ELCA's presiding bishop, or learn about Christians Against Christian Nationalism.