Can Religion Be Legislated and Should It Be?

On February 6, 2025, Thursday morning, Trump spoke at two different events that are part of the prayer breakfast, one at the Hilton and the other in Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol. Trump told those in attendance, "I really believe you can't be happy without religion, without that belief," Trump said at the Capitol. "Let's bring religion back. Let's bring God back into our lives."

The president announced that he was forming a commission on religious liberty and said that later on Thursday, he would sign an executive order instructing Pam Bondi, the newly sworn-in U.S. attorney general, to combat “anti-Christian bias.” 

I'm a Christian and you would believe such a statement by my president would make me happy beyond belief. As a Christian, it is my desire that everyone know God and give their lives to him. Leading people to God and the soul saving knowledge of Jesus is part of my Christian faith. But I'm not happy. I'm worried, concerned, and fearful.

History has shown us when people are encouraged by LAW, COERSION, or by FORCE to accept the Christian faith, there is a hidden agenda, plus, it's not Biblical to mandate belief/faith in God. People have to freely DECIDE to become a follower of God which each Christian KNOWS and UNDERSTANDS as FREE WILL given to each individual by God. Each human being is allowed how they choose to live and believe.

Historical examples of religion being legislated by the Church include: the establishment of the Church of England as the state religion in England, the enforcement of religious laws in medieval Europe by the Catholic Church, including restrictions on behavior and dress codes, and the Puritan colonies in America where religious doctrine heavily influenced laws governing daily life, often leading to harsh punishments for those who deviated from strict religious practices. 

An infamous time when religion was mandated was The Spanish Inquisition, also known as "the great inquisition", a Catholic judicial system that operated in Spain from 1478 until the early 19th century. The Inquisition was used to prosecute heresy, witchcraft, blasphemy, and other crimes. Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon established the Spanish Inquisition in 1478. Estimates of the number of people who died during the Inquisition vary but are generally in the thousands or tens of thousands. 

President Thomas Jefferson strongly advocated for the separation of church and state because he believed that religious freedom was essential for a functioning republic, and that allowing the government to endorse or support a specific religion would infringe on individuals' right to freely choose their own beliefs, potentially leading to religious persecution and a lack of individual liberty; he saw this separation as a "wall" protecting the freedom of conscience and thought for all citizens, regardless of their religious affiliation. 

In Matthew 8:34 we read Jesus saying, 'then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me." God has told us through His prophets that we are free to choose between good and evil. In Genesis 2:16-17, God gives Adam free will. And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”

According to various religious beliefs, God gave humans free will to allow them to make choices and decisions, enabling them to have a genuine relationship with Him. This freedom allows humans to choose between good and evil, to grow morally, and to develop spiritually. 

So why will a mandated return to God fail? Because TURNING to God is a heart condition and any attempt to try to mandate or legislate a return to God is WRONG. All Christians should know this, including Donald Trump.

I would say to look at the AGENDA behind Trump seemingly advocating for a return to God. He said it is because of the failed assassination attempt on his life. Those are his words, but his actions do not seem Christ-like when it comes to the poor or immigrant. He is not a leader one would refer to as compassionate or merciful. People FEAR him and his VENGEFUL nature, also not Christ-like. I advise "actions speak louder than words" and to be cautious who you choose to believe and follow. It is hard to HIDE the heart. 

Yes, Jesus taught that the heart will be JUDGED, and that people's actions and attitudes will have consequences.

Bible verses

• Matthew 15:17-19: Jesus says that what comes out of a person's mouth reveals their heart.

• Matthew 15:18-20: Jesus says that evil thoughts, murder, adultery, theft, and other sins come from the heart. 

• Mark 7:20-23: Jesus says that what comes from the heart makes a person unclean. 

• Matthew 7:2: Jesus warns against judging others, emphasizing that judgment is God's prerogative. 

• 1 Corinthians 4:5: Paul says that people should wait until the Lord comes to judge them, and that he does not judge himself. (One person cannot truly know the heart of another person and should not try to).

 

No To Christian Nationalism

As a practicing Christian, I would like to speak about the buzz around CHRISTIAN NATIONALISM. Christian nationalism is the belief that the American nation is defined by Christianity, and that the government should take active steps to keep it that way. Popularly, Christian nationalists assert that America is and must remain a “Christian nation”—not merely as an observation about American history, but as a prescriptive program for what America must continue to be in the future. 

To be clear, Patriotism is the love of country. It is different from nationalism, which is an argument about how to define our country. 

Religion was addressed in the First Amendment in the following familiar words: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishmen of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." In notes for his June 8, 1789, speech introducing the Bill of Rights, Madison indicated his opposition to a "national" religion.

So why is there BUZZ about the Republican Party wanting to establish Christian Nationalism? Because they must have forgotten or not learned what the Christian Bible has to say about FREE WILL.

Depending on what religion we are looking at, we will find different teachings regarding free will. However, in Judaism, Protestantism, and Catholicism, we find that people are TAUGHT to believe that there is free will. Jewish teachings often state that free will is “bestowed” upon all humans. Why is free will important? One group of scholars views free will beliefs as a mechanism that allows the self to pursue self-enhancing desired states and goals and seek own wants and needs, GOD does not want you to be FORCED to choose Him, but to WANT you to choose Him on your own. No one is to IMPOSE God on anyone, its NOT Christian.

God gave us free will—the ability to think, reason, and make our own choices. He gives us commands and instructions that show us how He wants us to live, but He ALLOWS us to decide whether we will or won't obey. So both God and man have the freedom (free will) to choose and act according to their respective natures. That human nature prior to the Fall (in the Garden of Eden in Genesis) included the capacity to choose evil is apparent (because we did). Free will in Christianity teaches that God gave humans free will. This is the ability for humans to make their own decisions. It means that although God made a world and it was good, it is up to humans whether they choose to do good or bad deeds.

"Thou mayest choose for thyself, for it is given unto thee" (Moses 3:17). God has told us through His prophets that we are free to choose between good and evil. We may choose liberty and eternal life by following Jesus Christ. We are also free to choose captivity and death by following Satan. No one gets to decide a person MUST to a Christian lifestyle.

Of course our country makes laws which negates harm to it's citizens. Laws are not intended to legislate morality, but to ensure humane treatment of people is protacted and maintained. It goes without saying, there are laws against robbing people, not because its a religious belief, but it causes harm to others. There are laws against murder, because you have no right to take a life. This is why Roe v Wade is such a difficult debate. For many, an unborn child is considered a life. For others, because the fetus is not a completely formed, viable being, it is not considered as a living being yet. 

Christians have been given the command to spread the Gospel by Jesus. It is part of living out their faith. But even in their mandate to share the good news of Christ they have also been told in Galatians 5 13, "For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters, only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through LOVE become slaves to one another. For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, "You SHALL love your neighbor as yourself." You do not love others if you try to take their free will away.

What are the two requirements of free will? First, the freedom to do otherwise and the power of self-determination. The second is that an adequate account of free will must entail that free agents are morally responsible agents and/or fit subjects for punishment. 

There is a major example of a follower of Christ who wanted to apply his faith to the political arena whichhad disatrous consequences. The traitor, Judas.

Judas the Zealot or Judas Iscariot, is best known as the man who betrayed Jesus. Though he was one of the 12 disciples, he betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver, leading to Jesus’ arrest. The Bible does record that Judas was the treasurer for the disciples (John 12:6; John 13:29). However, the Bible also reveals that Judas used this POSITION for his own personal gain. John 12:6 states, “he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.”

At the time, Israel was occupied by Rome, which was newly transformed from a republic to a massive empire of rapid conquest. In Israel, the Pharisees and Sadducees were the religious rulers of Israel and Jerusalem’s grand temple, but they were submitted in temporal matters under the authority of Roman-appointed kings or Roman governors. Israel was already a fractured land with fighting between Samarians, Jews, and other local groups, but with the Roman occupation, Israel became a hotbed of political unrest, rebellion, and oppression, making it a volatile place to live—especially for anyone following a leader like Jesus who attracted so much attention and controversy. 

Judas Iscariot, has been labeled a Zealot in the Bible by many experts. According to this perspective, Iscariot was a member of Sicarii, a subgroup of Zealots who partook in assassinations against Romans and their allies. The Zealots believed the Messiah would come as a military leader who would liberate the Jews from their Roman oppressors. The Dagger-Bearers among them were willing to free the Jewish people through what we would regard today as acts of terrorism. This theory holds that Judas was disillusioned by Jesus (his ministry of love and peace) and believed that having Jesus arrested might force Him to start the revolution.

In my book The Politics of Prayer, I say Judas wanted revolt and Jesus advocated for love and compassion. Judas was frustrated with the government rule. He turned to the powerful in a flawed idea of FORCING what he wanted. Judas did not hate Jesus, he just did not approve of his way of making CHANGE. Judas demanded action by any means necessary. Judas recognized too late the error of his thinking. He was filled with remorse and was ineffective in bringing about change. In the end, he harmed more people than he helped. Judas was actually used by those who were corrupt and sinful.

Right now in history, the Christian faith is being used in a way that is against its own teachings. Whenever religion is used for selfish gain, the outcome is catastrophic. Christian Nationalism was not practiced in the Bible. In the Bible, the religion was always given to people. The people who adopted the faith were to live holy lives and share their faith with others. Brow beating others and making laws has not been a part of the Christian faith. 

In 2 Chronicles there is a verse that reads, “ if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14). God is speaking to his followers and worshippers, not to every person in the land. They are told to be humble (the practice of meekness, obedience to God, respect of self and others, submissiveness and modesty (see Colossians 3:12-13). People with humility put others' needs before their own, sacrificing for the love of others), To pray, seek God, and stop sinning, then God will heal their land.

I truly hope those representing the Christian faith realize they are embassadors of Christ. it is not what they SAY that has an affect but what they DO. Wanting others to be adherents of the Bible while they themselves are not adhering to the Bible is not Christlike. If America is a Christian nation as so many Christians believe, and Christians were practicing Christianity, our country would not be as contentious towards one another and polarized in the way we are today.

Don't forget to buy my book, The Politics of Prayer, available on amazon.com and please like, share, comment, and follow this page. Thank you.