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The Danger of Christian Sacralism and Statism
Lately I have been interacting with people here and there about the relationship between Christianity and the State...and amazingly most opposition to State-driven Christianity comes from Conservatives. When I tell people that I refuse to say "the pledge" they get quite animated and even upset. Very frustrating... Here it is a blog entry from Jonathan Grubbs on Statism and Christianity, using Anabaptists as an example: "The Anabaptists assailed this imbalance, as did they did all forms of state coercion. If they were opposed to "christening," it was only because they were opposed to the "Christendom" this practice represented. For this insistence upon a "Believers' Church," separate from the state, Manz was bound and sent to the bottom of the Limmat. Oh yes, there were cries of "Freedom of religion" -- as long as you supported the right religion. And thus the Christian sacralism of Constantine became the Christian sacralism of Luther and later of Calvin."
The Anabaptists believed in:
serving instead of ruling
suffering instead of inflicting suffering
breaking down walls instead of isolationism
biblical authority instead of ecclesiastical tradition
brotherhood instead of hierarchy
the towel instead of the sword
the headship of Christ instead of that of any pastor
the way of peace instead of "just war"
the church as a living organism instead of as a human institution
the reign of God instead of a political kingdom
the catholicity of the true church instead of sectarianism
the power of suffering instead of the cult of power
the Bible as a book of the church instead of as a book of scholars
loyalty to their heavenly citizenship instead of to the principalities and powers
Spirit-orientation instead of forced structures of church life
being a "light to the nations" instead of a Christian enclave
knowing Christ instead of merely knowing about Him
faith that works (in both senses) instead of dead orthodoxy
effectual grace as a living reality instead of as a theological dogma
every-member ministry instead of clergyism
baptism into Christ instead of baptism into a denomination
a unity that is lived instead of a unity that is merely extolled
welcoming the despised and marginalized instead of ignoring them
a hermeneutic of obedience instead of a hermeneutic of knowledge
individual conscience instead of theological conformity
volunteerism instead of professionalism
allegiance to Christ instead of allegiance to the state
You can read the entire article here: http://jgrubbs.blogspot.com/2010/01/danger-of-christian-sacralism-and.html
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Lately I've been taking a closer look at the Anabaptist positions. I strongly identify with the Quaker movement seen in early America. Their position on freedom and equality concerning race and gender impresses me greatly.
That said, my particular background is Dutch Mennonite. My dad was the oldest of nine children, and raised in the Mennonite faith until he enlisted (or was drafted) into the Army and sent to Korea. While there, he played football, and basketball, and eventually went to college back here at home, excelling at all sports during that time.
I was not raised Mennonite, but spent time with cousins, aunts, uncles, and g-parents who were. Unfortunately, my experience of that faith did not leave me with the impression that they were interested in breaking down walls of isolationism, equality among the genders, and a whole host of other things listed above. What I found there was rigidity, superstition, conformity, unquestioned obedience to whoever was enforcing the current standards, etc... I wish that were not the case.
I think there are branches within the Mennonite tradition that have taken other, less rigid paths. I guess my point in posting at all is to present another view, and highlight that I have yet to find any religious organization free of the problems that humans bring into it.
Hey Virg,
Simple unfettered Christianity is and has, usually, not been well received anywhere or any when.
Consider an apologetic for "restorationism" that predates The Reformation and the American Restoration Movement --
Traces of the Kingdom
A book is now also available with more expanded history and sourcing.
According to this account, many of those charged and executed for heresy or witchcraft were just practitioners and advocates of true New Testament Christianity. A compelling case is made for Churches of Christ to claim as brethren followers like Tyndale and others labeled Lollards or Anabaptists.
An anecdotal point of contemplation that I consider as noteworthy is that compulsory attendance and infant baptismal records were used by Statists and Sacralists as a means of control and oppression ...
FFwd to the cult of Public Schoolism with the accomplished envy of Catholic attempt at conquest now embodied in your local sacred school diocese where we find compulsory child attendance and mandatory property tithe.
G-Juan Wind