Integration of Church and State

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As I stood there, phone in hand, filming my daughters being strapped into the miniature Ferris wheel, I saw two looks on their faces. One of apprehension in not knowing quite what to expect and the other of excited suspense. The ride began with the turn of the wheel; the whole contraption jolted momentarily. The two girls firmly grasped the bar across their laps as they looked at each other with wonder shining in their eyes and smiles plastered on their faces. 

I continued taking video as their seat rose up and swung back down multiple times. I remember thinking that this is what it is all about. Being there at the state fair with my wife and kids, was entertaining and fulfilling. A magical memory not to be forgotten. I was content and comfortable, and my family was happy. 

After a few more rides and a visit to the petting zoo, we took a stroll through the large tented area where booths from community vendors and organizations had been set up. We looked at the displays of local craftsmen’s work and the food items that had won prizes throughout the week’s festivities. Continuing on, we reached a booth set up by our church. A few members we recognized were there, giving out information. Taking advantage of seeing our friends, we paused for a moment and talked. Again, I felt at home; happy and content and comfortable. 

Soon we said goodbye and made our way through the last of the booths. One of them was set up by another church that we did not belong to. I remember seeing a beautiful poster that portrayed a picture of Christ underneath the name of the church and a thoughtful message about salvation. As we passed, I made eye-contact with a young woman who was smiling and seemed ready to share a message. Instantly I felt uneasy. 

I appreciated the message that the church was giving, but a flood of memories came back in my mind. Memories of pushy salespeople and preachers that seemed to want to shove a message of fear and damnation down my throat. In my head, I kept saying to myself… Please don’t come over here, please don’t come over here. I averted my eyes away from the seemingly nice lady and stared at the floor, wishing I was walking faster. 

It was a knee-jerk reaction out of fear and prejudice. I didn’t know that church very well, in fact, I was quite curious to learn about their doctrine and see what they believe in. I also had the impression that the lady I made eye contact with was warm and kind. Yet, I had this preconceived notion, from experience, that if I were to talk to her or she was to approach me that it would be an awkward, uncomfortable conversation. 

It was a strange sensation, being in that situation, and I felt guilty for how I reacted. I had been in that young woman’s shoes before. I had saved up a good chunk of change as a teenager for the opportunity to go and proselyte for my church as a missionary in Madagascar. I had lived there for two years serving the Malagasy people and teaching them about the gospel of Jesus Christ. I had enjoyed the experience.

Yet, despite my background, I still reacted to this nice lady at the fair booth, as had many Malagasy toward me in Madagascar –, with feelings of apprehension, unease and a fear of being judged. 

I thought long and hard over the next few weeks about this experience. Talking to this young woman at the fair about her religion was something I wanted to do. Yet, the fear of unease had overpowered that desire. And it wasn’t just the fact that it was another church. At the time, I had memories of both pushy preachers and shove-happy salesmen come to mind. 

There is a connection between preachers and salespeople and even politicians that can make anyone feel uncomfortable. It is not about what they have to offer that could bless our lives. If we feel that their preaching or selling or seeking power is simply for their personal gain and not our own interests, our desire is to avoid them and be left alone. No one wants to feel uncomfortable. 

I believe that is the crux of many of the issues going on in the world today. No one wants to feel uncomfortable, to be made fun of, to be persecuted, to be left out, etc. etc. Yet, it can be difficult to know the best course of action that will overcome the uncomfortable. 

The world teaches that if you are lost, you need to find yourself; in other words, focus inward and figure out who you are and have fun. Christ, however, taught that if you are lost, to focus on others and serve them in order to be saved. I submit that if we want to be saved from being uncomfortable, the best course of action is to focus on how we are treating, and reacting to, others and how we can be of service to them.

Quick research suggests that the term ‘separation of church and state’ was first used by Thomas Jefferson in the early 1800s. Jefferson is quoted with this sentiment: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”

The motto of the country, ‘in God we trust’, does not violate this perspective, it merely provides a sense of unity in working towards a set of values. The point is to allow individuals to worship deity how they see fit and not let state interfere with that.  Instead of recognizing the value of both church and state, the separation Jefferson mentioned has begun to be thought of as two entities that should not intermingle; that mixing politics or school or work with religion will only bring disunity and contention. 

This direction has been the world trying to save its life, focusing on self instead of the more effective approach Christ taught by turning outward and serving both state and church. Neither state nor church are immune to discomfort. Many people have differences of opinion in political matters just as much as there are religious disputes. And the irony is that the root of both church and state revolves around the same concept – the idea of service or caring and providing for the needs of others.

The leadership of public and school organizations are referred to as members of an administration, while the leaders of some church organizations are referred to as ministers. The terms administration and minister are two separate words that evoke very different emotions and ideas for people, but they have the same root of meaning:

ad • min • istration                   min • ister

the min portion of each word comes from the Latin root, minor, which refers to inferiority/subordinacy, or, in other words, acting in the authority of someone else. It is related to our English word minus, meaning less than or to take away.

The term ministrare is an evolved term from Latin roots to French that refers to waiting upon or serving, denoting that the person of subject is in a position underneath someone with power and authority.

The Latin prefix ad simply means ‘to’ in that ad • min • ister means ‘to serve others’, an act of humbling oneself and meeting the needs of those superior to them. The interesting thing is that while this is the origin of the word, the roles have been reversed. In society today, we tend to look at members of an administration as superior to those they manage, yet the roots of the words imply that these members are actually servants of those whom they manage. This is the way Christ taught and acted, perhaps it is time we view our leaders the same way in that both ministers' and administrators' purposes are not to gain power but to be in their ‘high’- ranking positions to serve and meet the needs of those who rely on them.

What it really comes down to is this: We want to feel comfortable and in order for that to happen, we need to trust that those whom we associate with have our best interests at heart. We don’t need politicians; we need administrators who know whom they serve. We don’t need preachers; we need ministers who serve because they care and have the desire to meet the needs of those over whom they have stewardship. 

It is not separating church and state in every aspect of what they represent that will enable a more comfortable, prosperous society. It is everyone doing their part to uplift and help those in need and caring for individuals that will build that trust. It is not impossible, and it has been done before. Two very powerful examples of integrating church and state specifically are found in the scriptures. King Melchizedek in the Bible and King Benjamin in the Book of Mormon. Both monarchs were the leaders of state in their respective kingdoms and both were ordained to the priesthood of God, being considered prophets who humbled themselves before the Lord and put Him first. These two kings fit the description of Alma 13:10-12 – The idea of men who have exceeding faith and choose to repent and be righteous before God. Men who cannot look upon sin without abhorrence. 

Kings Benjamin and Melchizedek fought for peace with the power and authority they were given - both from God and man. Their legacy is a reminder that freedom is not convenient nor is it giving individuals exactly what they think they want upfront. Rather, that freedom is living for a cause and not being shackled by tyrannical rulers or a lack of self-control, individually or as a people.

While these two examples are of people who combined church and state in leadership positions, I think we can each do this individually. As we become more comfortable sharing what we believe, and learning more about what others believe, we can powerfully combine church and state on a personal level.

Everyone wants to feel comfortable and be at peace but sometimes we get sidetracked or confused as to how that looks. Sometimes we fail to recognize that certain sacrifices may seem to lead us away from what we truly want, but that, in reality, it is often those sacrifices that enable a greater sense of peace and comfort in our lives. We don’t need to be afraid or prejudiced against churches and religious views or people with certain political viewpoints contrary to our own. 

What we do need is to start looking for the overlap between our viewpoints and others and recognize that, in the end, everyone wants the same thing; sometimes we simply have a different approach to getting there. Yet, each approach sheds light on and gives insight into how to more fully attain that peace and comfort we seek. Let’s not try to separate church and state in fear of what might happen to offend and instead integrate their connected purposes in our individual lives and as we interact with each other in hopes of what could happen to further unite and prosper.