What is meant by “separation of church and state”?

This legal/political concept is found in the 1st Amendment’s Establishment Clause, originally meant to prevent the government from mandating a state religion.  However, this concept is not meant to forbid robust faith-based advocacy to try to influence our daily lives.

Rev. Martin Luther King spoke about this issue: “The church must be reminded that it is not the master or the servant of the state, but rather the conscience of the state. It must be the guide and the critic of the state and never its tool.”  From A Knock at Midnight, June 11, 1967.

https://juicyecumenism.com/2016/01/18/top-10-quotes-church-martin-luther-king-jr/

Rev. King would not have endorsed today’s Christian nationalism as support for the President’s “theocratic” policies (which misuse the principles of Christianity to manipulate and divide us, causing harm).  Thinking about Christian nationalism as ideology – it seeks to combine Christian faith with national identity, such that faith is coequal and tied to patriotism.  Hmm, it’s almost a form of idolatry.

In the 20th Century, Christian Nationalism has been weaponized to suppress minority groups and supply the framework for describing political conflicts as spiritual battles between good and evil.   Economist Paul Krugman has seen this sentiment before – “Americans, no matter how secular, tend to think of themselves as citizens of a nation with a special divine providence.”  Political scientist Eric Foner described Americans’ beliefs as “the United States has been elected by God for the greatest experiment in human history.”

Unfortunately, the religious glorification of violence is a central element of this administration’s waging war efforts.  And Christian Nationalists seem comfortable supporting violence as justifiable if it will achieve their desired outcome. Ask Secretary Hegseth and he’ll tell you that overwhelming violence against our enemies is a righteous act, for they deserve no mercy.

I think Jesus was pretty clear when he said “my kingdom is not of this world.”  Let’s re-read John 18:36. I doubt Jesus would approve of his Gospel message being twisted to condone violence, power grabs, control and even death of our neighbors. Let’s re-read Matthew 7:21-23.  Jesus is telling us that waging war as we are doing is not an activity favored by God. Christian Nationalism isn’t really Christian at its core.

Marylee Raymond Diamond, April 11,2026