Separation of church and state OK to Christians?

what if you voted out the separation? ok. so say a bunch of southern baptists get elected. did you know that many southern baptists belive that roman catholics follow satan because they (blah blah blah crazy inserts go read some chick tracts blah blah. jackchick.com i believe). ok so they institute all kinds of laws that restrict your exercise of your religion. say, you can't have statues of mary round, you can't discuss saints, no ash wednesday service etc. what would you think then?it is absolutely mandatory, in my opinion as a christian, that the government have no religious influence whatsoever. sure outlaw murder and all that but no rulings based on any religious dogma. why? because what if the other guy takes over. i don't wanna wear a veil any more than i want you to have to stop having a statue of mary. to each his own, thus the government must keep it's nose out of it.

jesus said there are two commanments that are of import. that you love the lord with all your heart, soul, mind, strength, and love your neighbor as yourself.i don't know about you, but loving my neighbor sounds like allowing him the same freedom i owe myself.the old testament requires that we make strangers feel at home when among us. this means you don't abandon them to live in the streets just as much as it means that you allow them their own practices.besides the whole judge not thing. which simply stated means that it's god's place and not mine to determine what is moral and what is right and who should be punished and to punish them. guess when that's gonna happen? not because i pass a law and put a bunch of people in jail or worse, execute them.temperence my friend.

unless you ask paul. then it's or job to throw them out on their respective bottoms.but yes. who did jesus hang out with? church leaders? even small, quiet church types? angsty teenagers who aren't sure they wanna keep going to sunday school?no. he hung out with prostitutes* and theives and social outcasts. people who most definitely not part of the organized religion of the time.*mary magdelene was not one.This message has been edited by brennakimi, 03-24-2005 08:35 AM

i was completely on topic. i was simply demonstrating further my point.but i agree with you (see revelation)

that last bit there was beautiful.