Protestantism is by Definition a Church-State
The American Protestant church is, and always has been a duck out of water. Protestant orthodoxy was formed under a church-state and was formulated for a church-state. Protestantism without the state to enforce its orthodoxy is half-pregnant Protestantism. When you see a duck waddling down the side of a road, you know where the duck is going—to a body of water. Likewise, Protestantism, wherever it is found, is always headed towards what fully defines it as a church-state. Protestantism without state authority is Protestant Light or better stated as a Protestant anomaly.
Regardless of all appearances and claims, the Protestant church has always been vying for a marriage with state authority because as the GEICO commercial states, “It’s what it does.” Ducks go to water because that’s what they do; Protestantism seeks state authority to enforce its orthodoxy because it always has been a church-state and always will be.
This necessarily requires the church to be an institution driven by authority and ownership of truth. It will claim that it presently represents God’s kingdom on earth and will be politically active in a major way. It will claim a mandate from God to take over every culture in every country with a “Christian worldview” and in case you have been on vacation from reality, this endeavor by the church is plainly evident.
However, the folly of this notion is also evident. Supposedly, God’s kingdom is presently on earth competing with all other kingdoms for world dominance rightly belonging to God. Really? While defining God as “sovereign” and “omnipotent,” supposedly, God has relegated His kingdom operation to halfwit reprobates functioning on cognitive dissonance. In contrast, the Bible makes it clear what happens when God brings His kingdom to earth; it’s game over because God is, in fact, sovereign and omnipotent. Hence, this present time is not about God’s kingdom being presently on earth, but a warning to people everywhere that God’s kingdom is coming and what they should be doing to prepare for it.
I have said it in many posts written previously: watch for it; the vying for state enforcement of Protestantism is coming because that’s what Protestantism is and what it does. In Alabama, the well-known Briarwood Presbyterian Church is seeking state approval of its own police agency accountable only to the Presbyterian Session. And incredibly, the request is making its way successfully through the legislative process.
The implications are profound. Right now, churches are being laughed out of court when they argue that secular courts have no authority over church in-house criminal activity. Churchians claim it to be a separation of church and state issue. However, Briarwood is asserting openly that this would, in fact, be the case: what happens in the church stays in the church and is not the business of secular law enforcement. All investigations would be under the authority of the Session and no one else. If Briarwood’s legislative project continues to be successful, for all practical purposes, huge megachurch campus networks that presently pepper the United Sates would become virtual city-states.
I contend that this is history repeating itself. As the religious landscape returns to the true 1st century picture, you will see an increased contention between the growing home fellowship movement and the institutional church—a contention that dominated the historical landscape between 70 AD and 350 AD. This will be the authoritative church institution versus the organized “household of faith.” It will be a unified body unleashing the potential of a collective priesthood of believers against the Protestant super-cult. Remember, ANY combination of faith and authority is by definition a cult. When Protestant elders claim authority and ownership of truth by proxy, they also proclaim themselves to be despots. Despite their claims of “leadership,” authority has no need to persuade anyone; if you don’t obey them, you will be arrested by the church police. As it is now, the “security personnel” at John MacArthur’s church in California will escort you to your car if you ask too many questions in Sunday school.
Obviously, it begs the question; if Briarwood succeeds, where will those indicted by the church police be held? As far as a court system, Presbyterianism already has that in place, it only lacks police enforcement. With its own traditional court system in place, and a police agency accountable only to the Session, how could state prisons be used legally to incarcerate those convicted by the church? A church prison system would have to follow.
For those of you who think this is all far-fetched, let’s discuss a little bit of metaphysical math 101. The founder of the Presbyterian church was who? Right, “John Calvin”…very good class. And during his rule over Geneva, Calvin had a what? Right, “police force”…very good class. Now, how often have we heard in the past that Calvin was a man of his time and the modern church would not necessarily invoke all his ideas? Well, all that’s left now is the building of the church prison system. And remember, the Calvin Institutes were written to a king which may be something to think about as well.
This is why I am focusing heavily this year on defining home fellowships; I have to believe there are many who will flee the church posthaste as things like this continue to unfold and they will need a place to go.
If you think there is tyranny in the church now, just wait till they get their own police force and penal system.
paul
Paul's Passing Thoughts 
And will those who refuse to take part in communion or those who have “unconfessed sin” (seek and you shall find it…somewhere…you gotta…cause you’re a lowly, worthless sinner) be shot in the back of the head while facing the congregation of sheep, or will they be removed to the guest chambers for a mass get-together? (Guest? Gas? What’s in a homophone?)
Okay, on a more serious note: This is not good news. Others will follow this move, even smaller “churches.” Oh, but let’s celebrate the Deformation this year…after all, it was such a wonderful and powerful act of the sadistic Reformed/Calvinist “god.” Not a chance, I’d rather drive over my own head.
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“Now, how often have we heard in the past that Calvin was a man of his time and the modern church would not necessarily invoke all his ideas?”
By that logic every dictator in human history can be said to have been “a man of his time”.
“Well, all that’s left now is the building of the church prison system.”
Piper is known to write his sermons in his basement. If he had his way, he would confine the few that oppose him the most in his dungeon basement. Their worse punishment would then be to listen to Piper preach the gospel to them daily. And any inmate that would show a sign of the new birth would be immediately dismissed by Piper as being in denial of their eternally sinful nature.
“And remember, the Calvin Institutes were written to a king which may be something to think about as well.”
I was just reading some of the C.I. the other day and that is exactly what stood out for me. In fact the way Calvin addresses the king is nothing short of brown-nosing the monarch’s behind.
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Martin, the modern “church” are not only invoking his diabolical ideas, they are using some of ’em already. And there is a prison, at this stage mainly mentally, sexually, and spiritually. There are women so scared to set a foot wrong that they live in constant fear (prison). Deceivers like MacArthur and Ken Ham are openly calling for the “New Reformation.” New? Oh, I see, if you count the hipster glasses and the hipster coffee. But it’s the same old culture of death. Death does not age or become younger. It just stays…death.
http://www.christianpost.com/news/ken-ham-says-too-many-christians-abandoning-the-bible-calls-for-new-reformation-172485/
And here, from the smiling liar MacArthur himself. Take note how he tries to get the audience on his side (as he does with abortions) so that they can believe HIS lies. Oldest trick. Triple yawn…
http://www.christianpost.com/news/john-macarthur-the-reformation-is-not-over-battle-for-gospel-still-rages-177460/
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John,
For some strange reason I’m not getting email notifications of new comments. Paul!
Yeah I totally agree John. Watching how “death stays… death” is almost equivalent to not being able to look away from the proverbial car accident.
Check out this short video of Piper getting all borderline giggly about “being rich”. The juicy part starts at the 2:10 minute mark. I replayed that part with the sound off and his facial expression are just so revealing. The man gets twitchingly high talking about being “palatial[ly] rich”.
Here’s the link: http://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/where-do-john-piper-s-book-royalties-go
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These folks would bring back Calvin’s Geneva. That is a terrifying thought. How many were arrested, thrown into prison, tortured and killed during Calvin’s reign of terror? A New Reformation? Didn’t they do enough damage with the Old Reformation? I hope the state of Alabama and its legislature is smart enough to say “No.”
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Susan,
Upper crust members at Briarwood rub shoulders with very important people. The fact that their efforts would make it this far isn’t surprising. For all practical purposes, many of the neo-Protestant mega-church campuses already function as virtual city states. They absolutely want to bring back Calvin’s Geneva; John Piper made a video claiming exactly that.
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Paul,
I don’t even need to watch the video to believe that.
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Susan,
Remember though that Calvin needed the support of the state to implement his regime. And Alabama and the Whore of Babylon are already strange bedfellows. But have no fear, Immanuel is here.
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Very strange bedfellows indeed. Many churches are functioning as NGOs along with the US government in bringing in Middle Eastern refugees to the USA. There is serious money in those government contracts — all to the detriment of our own citizens and communities. I believe you that they want a “church state” but I suspect the West has become too secular and post-modern for that to be successful. i feel mostly grief and sadness.
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You are right; America has survived too long and the taste of freedom experienced for too long. This is why I believe the antichrist will be a masterful pseudo capitalist that will gain power accordingly and then pull the trigger on a sudden power grab. Collectivism will use individualism to gain power, and then it will flip the tables over.
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One world government. One world economy. One world church. Order out of chaos. Any one of multiple black swans circling overhead. Global economic, stock market and monetary collapse. Large scale disaster like the New Madrid or San Andres fault lines trigger massive quakes. Sabotage to the electric grid. North Korea lobs a missile or two at South Korea. Israel hits one target too many in Syria and Russia retaliates. An incident occurs in the South China Sea and a US plane is shot down or a US aircraft carrier sunk. (It could be an accidental mishap, but it could trigger WWIII.) Turkey unleashes a flood of refugee jihadists into Europe. George Soros is successful in igniting a color revolution and civil war in America with his paid anarchists.
Any of these things … I think we are in the eye of the hurricane right now. I have no idea who the Antichrist will be. But I do think Pope Francis is a solid contender for the False Prophet and I believe he will be successful in uniting the world’s religions. It sounds as if the antichrist will appeal to the multitudes and will be welcomed and embraced as a “savior” in solving the world-wide crisis. Peace and safety. I am not sure I trust Donald Trump — although he was the lesser of two evils (neither Clinton nor Trump were good choices). You may well be right about a pseudo capitalist who gains/ grabs power and then flips the tables over. Yes, collectivism will use individualism to accomplish its goals. There is no end of people who are willing to be “useful idiots”.
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What might be easy to miss in the book of Revelation is the thriving capitalism and a tyranny that seems to come about suddenly, perhaps via what you have suggested.
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