Category: Church & State

Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s. (Matthew 22:21, KJV) — Jesus

Religious freedom and church-state separation are a package deal. — James M. Dunn

“You change society by changing the wind. Change the wind, transform the debate, recast the discussion, alter the context in which political discussions are being made, and you will change the outcomes.”— Jim Wallis, Sojourners

Say NO to voucher bills – My written testimony to today’s hearing by Texas House Public Education Committee 
by Bill Jones

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(AUTHOR’S NOTE: Unable to make it to the Capitol in Austin for today’s Texas House Public Education Committee hearing, I provided the following written testimony – via an online link – regarding four voucher bills being considered by the committee.) I am a resident of Collin County, and my state representative is Jeff Leach. I Read more . . .

Church & State:
Voting Christ’s values – a perspective, part 3: What do Christ’s values have to do with government?

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In part 1, I cited the Beatitudes as setting forth Christ’s values, and added my own comments on how these might apply to the issues we face as we vote in the mid-term elections. In part 2, I cited the passage from Matthew 25, in which Jesus spoke of separating the sheep from the goats, Read more . . .

Church & State:
Voting Christ’s values – a perspective, part 2: The Sheep and the Goats

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In part 1, I cited the Beatitudes as setting forth Christ’s values, and added my own comments on how they might apply to the issues we face as we vote in the mid-term elections. Now I want to move to another passage, also from the gospel of Matthew. In Matthew 25: 31-46, titled in most Read more . . .

Church & State:
Voting Christ’s values – a perspective, part 1: The Beatitudes

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Some evangelical leaders have been quoted as saying our nation elects “a president, not a pastor,” explaining that – in electing a president (and, presumably, other government officials) – they are willing to ignore Christian values in the interest of electing someone who will “get things done,” in other words, further their own political agenda. Read more . . .

Church & State:
Destroy the Johnson Amendment? You’ve got to be kidding!

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(Last year, I signed – as executive director of Texas Baptists Committed – a letter opposing repeal of the “Johnson Amendment.” A few weeks ago, I received a most condescending and demeaning letter from the president of an outfit that calls itself “Alliance for Religious Freedom,” addressed to “Dear Religious Leaders -” attacking my “continued Read more . . .