2SAME SEX MARRIAGE AND THE CHURCH
the Enlightenment principles. Hence Horton (2013) has opined in favour of the separation of the
church and that state, by arguing that the Bible has stipulated the exercise of discretion for the
securing benefit, hence the separation of the Church and the State is something which is
sanctioned by the Bible in the verses from Mark 12:17, “Render to Caesar the things that are
Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.”
McQuilkin and Copan (2013) also echo similar sentiments like that of Horton (2013),
with regard to the relational dynamics between the church and the state. McQuilkin and Copan
(2013) opines that the Biblical conception of ethics is a compendium of eclectic values and some
of which are antithetical to the modern values cherished by the state. The scope of the
applicability of the Biblical principles are limited while the state has to cater to a wide range of
audience who need not be willing to abide by the Biblical conception of morality. Also the Bible
has mandated the exercise of discretion which is immanent in the verse, “My kingdom is not of
this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might
not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world”, John 18:36, and that
also hints at the separation of the church and the state.
In Timothy 5:21, it has been instructed, “I charge you, in the sight of God and Christ
Jesus and the elect angels, to keep these instructions without partiality, and to do nothing out of
favouritism.” Butz and Carvalho (2015) have in their studies proven that the Americans tend to
associate themselves with the Christian identity and that string adherence to the Christian
identity has led to a behaviour of favouritism towards the Christian Association against other
communities. Such behaviour is not encouraged by the Christian teachings, hence to counter
such instances the separation of the church and the state must be effected.

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