Important Announcement regarding the Alternative Views Subforum

[Ohio]

Separation of politics and religion is a fine teaching in the Bible. "You know that those who are esteemed as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it is not so among you [the Christians]" (Mark 10:42-43). The Lord Jesus declared that His kingdom is not of this world. Hence, the church, which is subject to the Lord, does not need to go to war. But the question now is much deeper than that of separation between politics and religion.

This is similar to Jefferson's federalist statement "the separation of church and state." It was not that the church could not be a part of the state, but that the state could not rule the church. That was the separation the framers intended.

Jesus said, "it is not so among you," meaning that in the church no leader should exercise authority as the Gentiles do. Jesus never said that His children could not engage in any politics. Where is that specific verse? Notice how many liberties Nee takes to promulgate his own opinions.

Note that in this first paragraph, Nee's most provocative point was that the church does not need to go to war. He got that from Mark 10.42-43? Seriously? Is that like Cassius Clay becoming a "conscientious objector" so that he could dodge the draft and remain a professional boxer? Pulleeease! What about all those verses about submitting to authorities? Jesus said "His kingdom is not of this world," does that also mean that we should not live in houses because we are the "house of God?"