The Relation of

the Church and State

RELIGIOUS ISSUES

Church and State

The state is defined by its monopoly on the use of force and by its
legitimacy. For legitimation of power, most states in history have
needed religion to justify itself in the minds of the ruled.
The church (mosque, ashram, synagogue) plays a mediating role
between the rulers and the ruled:
It helps rulers maintain a social order
And, as a major institution of civil society, it helps the people
adapt to a social order or change it
Interactions, contradictions and balances between these two
functions are at the core of the problematic of church-state relations.

Church and State

Relations between state and religious institutions are
an important area of political life. There was a time when
these relations were crucial and even now.
Commonplace slogans such as separation of church
from state have hidden a rich and complex reality. But
this reality is now revealing itself again in various cultural
settings.
Religion cannot be totally separated from politics. And
the state cannot ignore religion.

Church and State

Models of relations between religion and the state
Religious and state institutions are closely bound
together
Religion is separate from the state and persecuted by
it
Religion and the state are constitutionally separate,
faith is a private matter, no religious discrimination

Church and State

With rare exceptions, rulers need religion But they
often keep a wary eye on religious activities because
religion can never be fully controlled.
What are the loyalties of the believers?
To God
To the ruler
To the state, irrespective of the ruler
To the nation

Church and State

To what extent and in what ways can religion influence the
exercise of state power?
Religion may help protect society from the states aggressions
It may help maintain a moral order
It may speak out against injustice in society
It may foster national unity in the face of threats to the nation
Or,

It may stand in the way of social and political change

Advocate discrimination and oppression
Foster social discord
Rationalize tyranny, aggression and militarism

Biblical View
During the life of Jesus, and for many generations, Rome ruled a
large part of the ancient world. Although brutal, Rome brought a
sense of order under which many people lived relatively stable lives.
Here is part of Gods command through the apostle Paul to Jesus
followers:
Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no
authority except that which God has established. The authorities that
exist have been established by God. For the one in authority is
Gods servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers
do not bear the sword for no reason. They are Gods servants, agents
of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer (Romans 13:1, 4).

Biblical View
The command of God through the apostle Peter is similar:
Submit yourselves for the Lords sake to every human
authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme
authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish
those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.
For it is Gods will that by doing good you should silence
the ignorant talk of foolish people. Live as free people,
but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as
Gods slaves. Show proper respect to everyone, love the
family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor (1

Biblical View
Some religious leaders tried to trick Jesus into creating trouble
for Him. Should He compromise His beliefs by paying taxes to a
pagan Roman government, or should He compromise His life by
breaking Roman law?
knowing their evil intent, [Jesus] said, You hypocrites, why
are you trying to trap me? Show me the coin used for paying
the tax. They brought him a denarius, and he asked them,
Whose image is this? And whose inscription? Caesars, they
replied. Then he said to them, So give back to Caesar what is
Caesars, and to God what is Gods (Matthew 22:18-21).

The Constitution
Art II. Section 6, 1987 Constitution
The Separation of Church and State shall be inviolable.
Art. III, Section 5, 1987 Constitution
No law shall be made respecting an establishment of religion,
or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. The free exercise and
enjoyment of religious profession and worship, without
discrimination or preference, shall forever be allowed. No
religious test shall be required for the exercise of political rights.

The Constitution
Art. IX, C, Section 2(5)
Religious denominations and sects shall not be registered (as a
political party, organization or coalition, by the Comelec)
Art. VI, sec. 5(2)
One-half of the seats allocated to the party-list representatives
shall be filled, as provided by law, by selection or election from
labor, peasant, urban poor, indigenous cultural communities,
women, youth, and such other sectors as may be provided by
law, except the religious sector.

Moral View
God placed our ancient parents on this earth with the power to
choose between good and evil. Subsequent generations born into
this world have been granted a similar choice. This freedom to
choose, so granted by God, should not be infringed by man.
The appropriate relation between religion and the state was best
exemplified in the life of our Savior and example, Jesus Christ. As one
of the Godhead, Jesus held unparalleled authority on earth. He had
divine insight, divine power, and a Holy charter. If anyone in the
history of the world had the right to force others to worship as he
dictated, it was Jesus Christ. Yet Jesus never used force to advance
the gospel. It is for the followers of Christ to emulate this example.

In reality, however, if not impossible, the church

cannot be entirely separated from the state. This
presumed wall of separation between church and state is
a figment of someones imagination, a thought which
remains a thought and cannot become an actuality.
Although however related, the two are not synonymous.
It is, then, essential that the church and state two work
together harmoniously to put the good of the people first.