Blog Against Theocracy

We live in a diverse country. There are citizens of many faiths here, including a large number of Christians, but our country is not and ought not to be a Christian Theocracy. I believe separation of church and state is a patriotic stand and agree with the United Methodist Church's position on this, as I've said here recently. The UMC says,

Church and State Relations

The United Methodist Church has for many years supported the separation of church and state. In some parts of the world this separation has guaranteed the diversity of religious expressions and the freedom to worship God according to each person's conscience. Separation of church and state means no organic union of the two, but it does permit interaction. The state should not use its authority to promote particular religious beliefs (including atheism), nor should it require prayer or worship in the public schools, but it should leave students free to practice their own religious convictions. We believe that the state should not attempt to control the church, nor should the church seek to dominate the state. The rightful and vital separation of church and state, which has served the cause of religious liberty, should not be misconstrued as the abolition of all religious expression from public life.

The government should not favor any particular religious expression or privilege any particular religious tradition, and I deny that my understanding of the value of the separation of church and state makes me somehow less patriotic than the Christian right.

The blogswarm is hosted here. Links to some relevant posts are at Street Prophets, Mainstream Baptist, (I'll add more as I see them in my news reader.)