March 2004 - Tower - Page 7

Church and Society

Russell Fox, Captain

"Politics and Religion"

In this political year of choosing our government, it is interesting to note how many of our candidates have discovered the importance of religious faith. There is an eagerness for them to convince the electorate that they give great importance to faith and so it should be.

In history, religion has proven to be one of the strongest forces in society. One has only to remember the history of the Reformation era to realize the struggles that occurred, the wars fought, and the killing of martyrs, all in the name of religion. For the most part, it was a matter of power, whether religion would control the state or whether the state would control religion.

It was the genius of our founding fathers who fashioned a constitution providing for religious freedom. One only has to look at some other countries to see how important that has proven to be. While our constitution prohibits our government from making laws pertaining to religion, nevertheless, religion is never very far away in the laws affecting the church. It was the clash of faiths pertaining to slavery that was a major issue of the Civil War. It was the faith concerning the status of women that led to the constitutional amendment giving women the right to vote. Today, some of the political issues that involve one's faith are as follows: prayer in schools, the phrase, "Under God" in our pledge of allegiance to the flag, single sex marriage, homosexuality, school vouchers, cloning, abortions, etc., etc.

Why is it important to know the faith of a political candidate? Because our government officials enact laws that reflect their faith on various issues. An elected official does not leave his or her faith in the Bible or the church behind him when he goes off to represent us. His or her faith concerning various issues is reflected in the laws that are enacted. Today, for example, one of the "hot button" issues is President Bush's proposal for "faith based initiatives." The issue is as follows: "Should the government fund programs promoted by religious groups?"

While some religious groups eagerly embrace this proposal, others oppose such a funding on the grounds that "he who pays the piper calls the tunes." With this in mind, remember that when we step into the voting booth we take our faith with us because it is the vote we cast that determines the representatives we get, resulting in the laws we must obey.

Life Enrichment Series
Sunday, March 28
7:00 p.m.

The Crucifixion
by John Stainer
A Meditation on the Sacred Passion
of the Holy Redeemer

The Chancel Choir
Robert Crutchfield, tenor
Doug Price, baritone

Our Chancel Choir will present this full musical narrative of Christ's life from the last supper through the crucifixion. It is a beautiful English rendition that stands alone as a complete Lenten service.