When You Mix Church And State You Get Fascism
Religion is based on faith - accepting bizarre ideas as truth without needing any evidence to substantiate them. It encourages believers not to think things through themselves, but to accept the words that are given them as if they are sacred and immutable in themselves.
Monotheism and monarchy go hand in hand. In Abrahamic religions, it is taken for granted that those in power have a divine right to hold that power, and that the role of those who do not have power is to meekly obey.
The politics of the Bible are based on a universal order created by fear. Christians proudly describe themselves as “God fearing”, as if living in a world of constant terror of angering authority is something we should all aspire to.
There are no senators, representatives or presidents in the Bible, only rulers with absolute power. Jesus is Lord or Christ is King. Once upon a time, we could have said that the idea of living under a king is a very unAmerican concept. Under Donald Trump, however, the values of freedom and democracy seem to have given way to a new kind of fascism.
Is it any wonder Republicans have launched themselves so enthusiastically into a cult of leaders with absolute power? Donald Trump regained the White House with the support of the majority of American Christian voters, pledging that he would shred the First Amendment’s promise to keep church and state separate.
Trump is now following through on that promise, and we’re seeing what happens when a centralized government takes on the role of advancing the power of Christianity above all else.
When you mix church and state, fascism is the inevitable result.