Big Thought Space

I felt uneasy when I found out that a well known attorney and elder at my church was running for public office. I had met William* a few times and had pleasant conversations with him, but something about a church leader holding public office made me uncomfortable. Will was a believer, a family man, a successful attorney, but still humble and approachable. He gave to the church and he and his wife were ready volunteers for church events and ministries. Confusingly, when I read his website I largely agreed with his views and opinions on the major issues, which made my discomfort hard to pinpoint. By all metrics, this is the type of person I would want to run for office. Where was my reluctance coming from? Separation of Church and state The concept of separating church and state was new for America’s founding fathers. The European governments they came from sourced their authority from the divine. Kings were crowned by bishops and popes to symbolize the true initiator of power. In many k...