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Jerald Finney
Copyright © December 1, 2017
Since the First Amendment is a law which recognizes and applies the Bible principle of separation of church and state, a church who remains under the First Amendment only also complies with Bible principles concerning the relationship of church and state. See Is Separation of Church and State Found in the Constitution? A church who remains under the First Amendment only is not a legal entity. That is, she remains under God only and has no ties to the legal system. She is a spiritual entity only. See Is a church a spiritual or a legal entity?
Knowing the true history of the First Amendment helps one to understand this. See What is the history of the First Amendment? for a brief outline of that history. See Endnote for links to resources for more thorough studies.
Catholic/Calvinist/Reformed theology, which persecuted heretics, still has not changed. The thing that has changed is that those who adhere to those theologies no longer have an establishment over which they have control. Thus, they no longer have the power to kill those who do not bow down to the church/state union. They are working tirelessly to regain their power. Like all satanic efforts, they use deceit, lies, craft, and so forth, to work toward their goal of union of church and state. History proves that all church/state unions have always resulted in corruption of the church, the state, and the people, except for a remnant. They work from the highest academic levels down to the political level, the church level, and finally to the lowest level – the level of the individual (saved and lost religious person).
Since they follow Catholic/Calvinist/Reformed lies, most “Christians” believe that there never was any persecution in America. They are also led to believe, against solid facts which honest research readily discovers. Secular scholars and some Christian scholars know the true history (See, List of Scholarly Resources Which Explain and Comprehensively Document the True History of Religious Freedom in America). The “Christian” landscape is dominated by revisionist history. I explain this in The Trail of Blood of the Martyrs of Jesus/A Case of Premeditated Murder/Christian Revisionists on Trial/The History of the First Amendment.
In the Old World, “establishment” meant union of one church with state. The fight against establishment tyranny in the American colonies and early Republic resulted in another type of establishment – multiple establishments. That continues to this day, but it is now a choice whether to be established or not. Establishment is still possible, if one looks at the meaning of establishment to include any union of church and state made possible by the law of man, the law of a civil government.
Most churches in America choose to incorporate under state law to get “perceived benefits.” Most choose 501c3 or 508(c)(1)(A) federal tax exempt status. They decide to unite with the state and federal governments under laws made by man. Those man-made laws control many aspects of the existence and operation of a church. Modern American establishment does not give a church or churches power over the state.
Why do churches unite with the state and become legal entities (established churches)? For the love of money and earthly power. They think that more people will join their churches when civil government organizes them like a business. They also want to be able to hold property, insurance, and bank accounts in the name of the church. They want to be able to contract with pastors and pay them a salary instead of taking care of the pastor’s financial needs in a Bible way. They have been scared by “Christian” lawyers who make various false legal reasons. For more understandings on this, see False Reasons of “Christian” Lawyers and Pastors for Combining Church and State, Online version of Separation of Church and State: God’s Churches – Spiritual or Legal Entities? Chapters 9-13 or PDF of 2nd Edition of Separation of Church and State: God’s Churches – Spiritual or Legal Entities? Chapters 6-10.
Most so-called-Christians cannot think spiritually or Biblically. They think according to the principles of the god of this world. They think that they need the tax-exemption so they will bring in more money to the corporation for man-made buildings and business programs (day-care centers, schools, Bible Colleges, and so forth). They try to serve God and mammon. They do not know or apply Bible principles for churches which clearly teach, among other things, separation of church and state, that God desires His churches to be spiritual entitles only. They surely do not understand that “No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon” (Lk. 16.13). They give lip service to God, but dishonor and grieve Him by serving another master.
In conclusion, churches have a choice. Most choose mammon. For those churches who choose God, the First Amendment as well as corresponding state constitutional provisions guarantee that a church can choose to remain under God only, completely separate from state and federal civil government. When a church does so, she is a First Amendment church.
Endnote
Honest research verify these teachings. See the resources which accompany this posting to verify this:
Is a church a spiritual or a legal entity?
Is Separation of Church and State Found in the Constitution?
The History of the First Amendment
An Abridged History of the First Amendment
The Trail of Blood of the Martyrs of Jesus/A Case of Premeditated Murder/Christian Revisionists on Trial/The History of the First Amendment
This book examines not only the history of the First Amendment but also the Catholic/Calvinist/Reformed tactics and motives for killing “heretics” and lying about history and other matters as they attempt to reestablish their establishment theology.
God Betrayed/Separation of Church and State: The Biblical Principles and the American Application
This book examines all aspects of the issue of separation of church and state
Simply Church: God's Prescribed Relationship Between Church and State 