Filipe YTOL
I find your article very informative and constructive. Thank you for sharing. I was especially interested in your thoughts about the "downsides" of ethnically oriented Churches. We need to honestly reflect on the potential problems that you address.
It seems that we must always keep a link, a home base, that is Universal and respects the "rainbow" of our faith. For Catholics, that link is Rome. For the Orthodox, it can be the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.
Your article re-enforces my feeling that:
A religion that is too nationalistic can easily have it's true pupose manipulated by the nation. Its real teachings can be subverted.
But..........It may be that the reverse can also be true:
A nation that is too influenced by a particular religious movement can easily have its purpose changed by that movement. Its founding principles can be hijacked.
In the first case, the religion is compromised. In the second, democracy is compromised.
We look forward to a time when the Ruler of All will set up the perfect unity of Church and State. Perhaps, until then, the two should be separate.
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