Going beyond the details of the article, what you have here is another piece of evidence that further indicts the conflation of religion and politics. Merry old England endured considerable problems as the monarchy and the people bounced back and forth between Catholicism and Protestantism (beginning with Henry VIII through James I, and a bit beyond if you want to include the unenlightened Cromwell in the mix). Monarchs were paranoid and relentless, people were confused, and everyone would have been better off by simply realizing that religion and politics are the oil-and-water of culture; perhaps flame-and-fuel would be the better metaphor. Now, however, half a millennium later, too many people (politicians included) cannot learn essential lessons from history.
Yes, they should take a hint from that fellow who first suggested a certain distance be maintained between church and state. How did he put it? Oh, I remember: "Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's, and unto God the things that are God's."
Going beyond the details of the article, what you have here is another piece of evidence that further indicts the conflation of religion and politics. Merry old England endured considerable problems as the monarchy and the people bounced back and forth between Catholicism and Protestantism (beginning with Henry VIII through James I, and a bit beyond if you want to include the unenlightened Cromwell in the mix). Monarchs were paranoid and relentless, people were confused, and everyone would have been better off by simply realizing that religion and politics are the oil-and-water of culture; perhaps flame-and-fuel would be the better metaphor. Now, however, half a millennium later, too many people (politicians included) cannot learn essential lessons from history.
ReplyDeleteYes, they should take a hint from that fellow who first suggested a certain distance be maintained between church and state. How did he put it? Oh, I remember: "Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's, and unto God the things that are God's."
ReplyDeleteWise fellow who made the Caesar and God distinction. I wonder why so many people overlook His sage advice.
ReplyDelete