nation. Presbyterians, indeed, influenced the form and shape of the government of the United States.
When James Madison attended the College of New Jersey (Princeton), he was influenced by
the lectures on Calvinism delivered by John Witherspoon, president of the college and the only
clergyman to sign the Declaration of Independence. We may see the result of Madison’s exposure to
the works of John Calvin in The Federalist, Essay No. 51. Madison wrote:
...what is government itself, but the greatest of all
reflections on human nature? If men were angels,
no government would be necessary. If angels were
to govern men, neither external nor internal controls
on government would be necessary. In framing a
government which is to be administered by men over
men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first
enable the government; but experience has taught
mankind the necessity of auxiliary precautions.
(Quoted in “Presbyterians, U.S. Constitution And Election 2004,” by James H. Smylie, The
Presbyterian Outlook, October 11, 2004, p. 10)
James Madison understood that governments would be challenged by the vulnerabilities
associated with human nature. He studied moral philosophy and theology under a Presbyterian
clergyman. Because of that influence, the Constitution contained a system of checks and balances to
assure that the interests of the diversity of all citizens would be represented. (Now we know that not all
people were treated as equal citizens, but that is another sermon.)
Christians in the United States have impacted the political realm based on their religious beliefs
and identity. Christian involvement in political affairs is as old as the nation itself; nevertheless, American
political policy calls for the separation of church and state.
The First Amendment (1791) to the Constitution reads: Congress shall make no law
respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. The
independence of Christian and other religions from the impediment of government is a civic teaching; it is
not a religious one.
When Christians in the United States insist that the church should not talk about politics, we are
arguing a political point. It is from the vantage of our earthly citizenship that a claim of separation of
church and state is made.
The church does not have a policy that calls for this separation. On the contrary, Christianity
always has recognized and attempted to deal with the reality that religious and civic lives are
inseparable.
While Christians in the United States are fortunate that we have freedom from governmental
intrusion, the Church does not discourage Christians from being involved in the issues dealt with by our
government. It is accurate to say that the government should not talk about the church – we are a
nation whose government has established that we have a separation of church and state. It is inaccurate
to say that the church should not talk about the government. Stories in Scripture, ecclesiastical tradition,
theological constructs, and ethical discourse are evidence of the heritage we have inherited.
Christians have dealt directly with pressing social issues not only in the United States, but
around the world, even to the point of being engaged in political affairs.
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