Dobson's World: The old-fashioned Baptist stand on separation of church and state

Wade Burleson, an outspoken member of the less-conservative faction in the Southern Baptist Convention made a good statement of the traditional Baptist position in favor of the separation of church and state (Reflections on Gulf Shores, Alabama 07/01/06). That is to say, the view that the today's fundamentalists, including those in the SBC, have rejected in favor of a postmodern theocratic approach. He writes:

The former Governor of Alabama, Don Siegelman, governor from 1998-2002, was convicted this past Thursday of several federal offenses, including receiving bribes for political favors. The Governor and his cohort in crime are both highly active in Christian affairs in Alabama, and it is a reminder to us all that people with power, left unchecked and unguarded, become addicted by their power to the point of being anesthetized to their own immoral actions.

Our founding fathers of the United States understood the safety in the separation of powers, and even religious denominations and organizations should be aware of handing too much power into the hands of any one person or oligarchy of people. The same principle applies to the local church, and I'm afraid that in the future we may be finding that several congregations will have to deal with pastors who have assumed total authority of a church and have abused the trust. I am still one, unlike many of my friends, who believe congregational authority in major decisions is still best philosophically, and yes, even Scripturally (the priesthood of every believer).

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