Separation of Church and State | Eastern North Carolina Now

    From the beginning of the story of man in Genesis, there has been a major area exposed: Does God run the show or does man?

    The Genesis account of Creation (by the way, there are 2 of these) shows 3 starting Hebrew Words: "borosheth bara Elohim." It translates: "In the beginning God." Genesis means "beginning." The translators simply used the first word of the Torah as the book title. The two accounts are similar, but different.

    If you read Chapter 1, verse 1 through chapter 2, verse 4, you have the simpler account using Elohim as the name for God. The sentences, even in any English translation are simple in structure = noun / verb / object.

    Chapter 2:4 to the end of the Creation Story suddenly changes to Yahweh (YHVH) as the name for God. The sentence structures are far more complex and smooth. The reason YHVH is used to the name of God is the sacred nature of words for Jewish Scribes. They thought that if you knew the name of any thing or person, you had some degree of control over them. Jehovah is a common English transliteration of YHVH so it can be read and pronounced. The Hebrew word has only consonants so it is unpronounceable. To speak it required the Rabbi to add vowels from man's voice. Usually the reader would simple say "The Lord."

    Most average church attenders and Bible readers could care less about complexities of religion to which a person of curiosity pays attention. It is the curiosity of faith which drew me to earn a Master of Divinity --- granted by Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in 1970. From there I went into a 16 year full-time ministry starting as Associate Pastor in two large SC churches for some 7 years. I was at Easley, SC, first; and then Hartsville, SC, both "First Baptist Churches with staff. Next came my first Senior Minister responsibility at Bishopville, SC, the County Seat of Lee County (named in honor of Robert E. Lee).

    I found out quickly how most Baptists preferred to discuss the football scores over real issues of how we got our Bible. Somehow you can get along over the fan divisions of Clemson, USC, Georgia, Georgia Tech, ACC or SEC conferences. If you want a preacher firing, let him start telling average church members about the complexities of the Bible and you have an instant division. Part of the congregation loves more details and knowledge of what is real / another part just wants to be seen so people will elect you to public office and do business with you. Doctors, educators, and business owners like the complexities --- politicians and lawyers want to keep the people dependent on thinking they are community leaders who are smart enough to make the decisions for you!

    I soon realized "you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink." Some people are happy with hand raised singing and getting out in time for being first at the local restaurant. Others want you to give real answers to real questions about Faith and the Bible. You simply be prepared to answer deep questions honestly and with intelligence. You must always remember to preach about God and about 20 minutes to be appreciated. For some, it is a terror to say a public prayer. Be sure not to call on them or you have made an enemy who will "say all manner of evil against you." The average stay in any Pulpit of the SBC is 2-3 years. A few Baptist churches still vote on their preacher each year with an "annual call." Among those churches the preachers are still circuit riding and get voted out one year and invited back in 10 years to the same people who hated them enough to vote them out!

    Churches of any size require 3-5 years just to get orientated to the basic real needs of the group. The reality is that many in the congregation don't want their Preacher to know their dirt. I have found that when I am cutting trees without any mention of my theological training or calling, people are far more honest than when I carry my Bible wearing a suit and tie. When I was "The Preacher" it was common that entry to the barber shop stated with the loud announcement from the Barber: HEY PREACHER!!!!! That was the warning call to "clean up the language and jokes because now the holy man is here!"

    Church AND State / SEPARATION of Church and State

    What you must realize in figuring out is America is a "Christian Nation" (as modern conservatives think) or a godly nation is where our system of government came from. Its laws are Judeo-Christian in that the 10 Commandments are a starting point. As faith in Christ moved toward the West we had a mix of the Magna Carter of Charlemagne and the Torah of the Jews.

    It is also critical to remember the basis of law in any nation. Under British law you are innocent until proven guilty. Under French law you are presumed guilty until proven innocent. Another factor is TRIAL BY A JURY OF YOUR PEERS. Prior to the Jury concept you went before the King and his Advisors to see if your head must come off. You can say what you please about beheadings from fanatical Muslims, but the West was just as brutal!

    If you go back to the days of the Tower of London and French Revolution--- blood was the rule. Any people convicted of treason or crime had their head on the pikes of the London Bridge or Triumph de Concorde. It has a real similarity to the David killing Goliath and cutting off his head to parade before the enemy army of the opposition to Israel. We have sanitized the hanging tree of the Wild West, but no matter what---death from the Judge is still death and selling trinkets as the public gathered for their gruesome entertainment.

    Abraham is the father of both Jews and Muslims

    We are all hopped up over the Terrorists and War in the Middle East, but not much has really changed. The religious leaders and the Kings of the Old Testament have their reasons. HATE and JEALOUSY is the core of family divisions. Soon after Abraham died, his sons became heads of the twelve tribes of Israel which could never seem to get along. Pretty soon you had the Northern Kingdom vs. the Southern Kingdom of Israel in the same manner as the US North vs. South of the 1800's.

    Prior to that---the Hebrews were enslaved by the Egyptians. Moses got his call to become a leader selected by God. You will remember that the story involved his mother, as Jewess putting her son in a basket in the Nile to protect him from death to male children of the slaves. He was discovered by the Pharos's daughter and adopted into Egyptian dynastic activities.

    I shall continue this series with the following:

    Prophets

    Theocracy vs. King

    Saul becomes the first King

    David becomes the second King

    People await a Messiah---"King of Kings"

    The East vs. West

    Gandhi / Martin Luther King / JFK --- all martyred

    Separation of Church and State in the founding of America

    Separation goes away after WWII

    Moral Majority

    Baptists "Battle for the Bible"