Political Cortex: Brain Food for the Body Politic

Many Christians today believe that Church and State separation is a founding Christian principle.
These Christians believe that the New Testament clearly shows that Jesus and his apostles intended a sharp demarcation between matters spiritual and secular. For example, Jesus was born into an almost totally theocratic society. Both Christians and Jews believe as a matter of faith that the Judaic religion was founded by God through the instrument of the prophet Moses and his successors. It is obvious that Jesus and his apostles and disciples could have easily incorporated much or most of the theocratic elements of  Judaism into Christianity, especially since they were mostly Jewish in origin, but they did not. All theocratic aspects were eliminated from the new religion, as is clearly evidenced from the New Testament scriptures and the known history of the first two hundred years of  Christianity as shown in early Christian writings. Unlike Judaism, religious government and the state had no role to play in ancient Christianity. In that sense, Christians could argue that the separation of church and state can be said to be one of Christianity's founding principles.

While not all Christians today believe in or adhere to this principle, as is their right as Americans, the principle has been cherished by millions of  Christians through the past 2000 years. For example:

Many people believe that when  Christianity became the semi-official religion of the Roman Empire in the early 300's, it marked the end of  the persecution of  Christians. In fact, it immediately marked the beginning of the persecution of Christians by other Christians.  Christians in Europe and Asia called Novations and also Donatists who lived in North Africa were the first victims of  a Christian -State union.  These early Christians were persecuted  over the issue of  church governance. The Emperor Constantine, who was not a Christian himself,  favored an episcopal form of church governance with an appointed  hierarchy so he could more effectively control the Christian masses and govern the empire. Unfortunately, this new Church-State union or rapprochement was intended to serve the interests of the state and a few ambitious churchmen, not God.  

As a result of a continuing series of  abuses carried out by various Church-State unions in Europe,  in 1457 the Moravians in Bohemia denounced all unions of church and state.

In the year 1524, Anabaptists in Zurich advocated the practice of the separation of church and state.

In 1631 in America, Roger Williams advocated that the Puritans "separate church from state in their colony."

Until only recently, the separation of church and state was considered a vital and non-negotiable principle of the Baptist denomination. According to the Southern Baptist statement of faith on their website, "Church and State should be separate."  
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This separation of church and state was more than just opposition to an established church. Government and politics was considered inherently corrupt, and any sort of relationship was seen as potentially very harmful to religion. As the Donatist leader said, "What has the emperor to do with religion, what have Christians to do at court?"

These are only a few of many examples of the practice of the concept of the separation of  church and state predating Jefferson, the Founding Fathers and the Constitution. Email jmcmeans@negia.net if you wish to read a copy of a longer article on the subject with more historical examples of  Christians who believed the separation of  church and state was one of the founding principles of Christianity.