For decades we’ve been hearing about “the wall of separation” that should divide the church and state. Individuals and entities who despise our Judeo-Christian roots work hard to convince us that religion should not influence politics in any way, shape, or form. But, unfortunately for them, there is no historic or legal basis for this interpretation of the First Amendment.
Those who understand the United States’ Constitution recognize that Jefferson’s words have been taken out of context. In an 1802 letter to the Banbury Baptist Association in Connecticut, Jefferson referenced the “wall of separation between the garden of the Church and the wilderness of the world.”
This expression was later twisted and used to justify the 1985 Supreme Court Decision in Wallace v. Jaffree which served to remove the “one minute period of silence” Alabama used to open their school day. Read more about this here.
The Supreme Court later indicated, however, in a 1990 case that Jefferson’s “wall of separation” applied only to limiting the power of the federal government to restrict freedom of religion.
There is no historical precedent, Biblical mandate, or moral obligation to separate Christianity from politics. In fact, the two entities can’t possibly be divided… and I’ll prove it.
Moses and the Law
As Christians, we love to talk about the Israelites wandering through the desert for 40 years. We picture them literally walking around with sand in their sandals and surrounded by cacti for four decades.
But that’s not what happened. They were establishing a new government. The Law of Moses was—and still is—a blueprint outlining the natural order when it comes to governing bodies.
Let’s talk about 4 areas of public policy that Moses addressed:
1. Health and Nutrition
Before the advent of modern medicine, advanced sanitation practices, and industrialized pasteurization processes, Moses provided guidelines on how to wash, what to eat, and how to eat it to avoid cross-contamination and food-borne illnesses.
There’s a reason, for example, why Moses forbade the people to eat pigs and the CDC knows why. Read it on their website here.
Do you remember when God instructed Moses to throw a piece of wood into the bitter waters? The water didn’t taste bad—it was contaminated. The water source contained parasites that caused awful diseases. According to SERC online, a homeopathic website, “natural materials like tree branches can be a low-cost and effective way to filter water.”
Wow. Moses was centuries ahead of his times, thanks to inspiration from the Creator of the Universe. Look at Exodus 15:26:
[Moses] said, “If you listen carefully to the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you.”
In contrast to Moses’ health and wellness guidance, our government’s shameless promotion of the carbohydrate-rich diet has led to the “pandemic of obesity and civilization diseases,” according to the National Institute of Health (NIH). Read article here.
Remember the phrase “heart-healthy grains”? Misinformation! I truly believe our society would be healthier if we followed the guidance of the Law of Moses rather than the CDC, FDA, and NIH.
2. Child Welfare
Long before modern governments provided monetary assistance to those down on their luck, the law of Moses outlined several provisions for orphans and widows.
Deuteronomy 14:28-29 offers specific guidelines on how the state was to provide for the welfare of those unable to provide for themselves. Every three years, citizens were to donate their tithe—1/10 of that year’s harvest—to their local warehouse to feed orphans, widows, and other at-risk groups.
Farmers in Israel were also to leave some of their harvest for the poor:
“When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner residing among you. I am the LORD your God.” Leviticus 23:22
This is how the young widow in the Book of Ruth was able to provide for herself and her mother-in-law.
However, the government was never intended to be a primary provider. During Season 5, Episode 12 of the award-winning drama Blue Bloods, Henry Reagan makes the following observation: “Family is the original department of health, education, and welfare.”
3. The Rule of Law
The 10 Commandments given to Moses in Exodus 20 were, and still are, the keys to establishing peace, prosperity, and order in every government in every country across the world. But when the basic tenants of “do not steal, do not kill, and don’t provide false testimony” are flagrantly ignored by our legal system, everyone suffers.
We currently see this disturbing trend in Democrat-run cities like New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. In March of 2022, CNN reported that major crimes spiked nearly 60% in February compared to the same month in 2021:
“The New York Police Department tracked increases across every major crime category. The city recorded a 41% increase in overall major crime through the first months of 2022 compared to the same period last year, including a nearly 54% increase in robberies, a 56% increase in grand larceny incidents, and a 22% increase in rape reports, the data shows.”
Our legal system—based on the 10 Commandments—provides the tools to restore law and order. But when violations are not prosecuted, the rights of innocent victims are trampled, and the poorest neighborhoods suffer disproportionately. In essence, no one is safe except the criminals.
4. Property Rights
There were strict laws in ancient Israel that prevented “the family farm” from being permanently confiscated. Mosaic Law (i.e. law of Moses outlined in Exodus 21 through the book of Deuteronomy) established a plan for the property to be restored to the original owners every 7 years during the Year of Jubilee.
So, even if a widow fell into hard times and had to sell her house and herself into slavery, the property would be restored to her during the Sabbath Year. See Leviticus 25:13-17.
Did you realize that—even in 21st Century America—owning property is the key to prosperity? According to Forbes Magazine:
“Individuals often overlook, or simply forget, one of the most effective and tangible methods of building real wealth—homeownership… Renters miss out on equity, mortgage interest deductions, and the long-term economic advantages that come through wealth-building.”
Property ownership has always been the key to building wealth in every society.
The Wrap-Up
The bottom line? Any gulf separating religion and politics was intentionally put there by our founders to protect individuals from the government, not the government from the church. Period.
Don’t be fooled. Every government is influenced by some religious system.
Those who relentlessly lobbied to remove the 10 Commandments from court rooms, eradicate prayer from our schools, and shame churches and pastors from speaking about politics from the pulpit don’t truly believe in the separation of church and state.
No, they are not against religion in politics. They are adamantly against OUR religion influencing their politics.
While we obediently complied with their wishes, they substituted a new religion (i.e., Wokeism) for the Biblical principles that our founding fathers trusted to build this beautiful, free, and prosperous republic.
God help us all.
So, remember… just as you changed your clocks Sunday, change your government on Tuesday. Don’t forget to vote as is if your family’s health, wealth, and prosperity depend on it—because they do.