The separation of church and state is very much like the separation of the sun and moon. To describe it more appropriately, we really should rephrase our conversation to say the "relationship" between the two.

One is masculine in nature, the other feminine. One initiates, another responds. You wouldn't describe marriage as the separation of husband and wife. To do so would imply individualism and competition rather than a complementary relationship built on unity and appreciation of each other's distinctive role.

The state, like the moon, is the "lesser light" whose role is to simply provide natural illumination for those who walk in the dark of night. To accomplish this monstrous feat of restraining these nocturnal creatures, it relies solely on involuntary "force," battling with the Old Testament weapons of fear and punishment. Government's main role is to "enforce" man-made civil laws in order to protect the innocent from these nightly aggressors. This protection applies to every person's rights to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, to keep the fruits of one's labor and to own private property.

While the moon is very beautiful to behold, it's still just a reflection of the "source light" which is the sun, or church. Full of life, this New Testament light of opportunity is for those who choose to walk by day. The brightness of this light has supernatural capabilities which reach far beyond the external limitations of the state/moon.

If allowed to shine, this Gospel light can pierce into the very chambers of a person's heart, an unseen area where all the issues of life originate. Jurisdiction of this area belongs solely to the church and can't be touched by a legislator's pen.

Yet today, we see inept national religious leaders passing this buck of responsibility by continually endorsing candidates who champion more state "force" as the answer in dealing with all immorality. Surely our nation's founding fathers of freedom and liberty knew that the very nature of God allows mankind the free will to sin or obey.

Like God, the state should patiently tolerate the sins of individuals who are self-contained and on their own private property. In a free society, the state can only protect you from others. Protection from self is an exclusive job for a winsome church, one that teaches you more about judging yourself than others.

America needs an ecclesiastical revolution led by a new generation of church leaders who will stop blaming and coercing Congress and instead start "manning up faithfully" to their own pulpits. Every national problem we have, from gluttony to unjust interventional warfare, is deeply rooted underneath our steeples.

We also need more libertarian-minded civil leaders who'll be content to stay within the strict confines of the blessed Constitution. If we don't like what's going on in the halls of Congress, then we had better start examining more intently the activities of the church with a renewed, honest and sincere determination to be reconciled to the holy scriptures. Otherwise, we'll never see another full moon.

Mike West
Cornelia