What is a Church? Isn't a Church really just another form of
government? In the end don't governments and churches really perform the same
exact services -- just camouflaged in different terms and different rituals?
Isn't the primary function they BOTH perform to instill ETHICS into the
individual with the slight difference that Church calls its ethics "morals"
and the State calls its ethics "laws."
A further difference is the Church attempts to inculcate INTERNAL
ethics and the State attempts to inculcate EXTERNAL ethics. A "moral
character" requires an internal adoption of morals whereas a "good
citizen" requires an external compliance with the law.
Accordingly, the State promotes its "laws" with judges,
courts, juries, and punishment. The Church promotes its "morals" with
deities, prophets, confessionals and the promise of spiritual enlightenment.
Again, the goal of the Church is to create an Individual who has
internalized a system of ethical conduct such that he can VOLUNTARILY interact
with others harmoniously, and the goal of the State is to create a Society that
provides an external system of ethical conduct such that all Individuals are
FORCED to interact with others harmoniously.
So, the idea that the State "protects liberty" and/or
provides for the "common welfare" are really nothing more than sales
angles to get people to support the State.
Likewise, the idea that the Church "forgives sins"
and/or "provides eternal salvation" are also nothing more than sales
angles to get people to support the Church.
THE CHURCH AND THE STATE ARE THUS IN COMPETITION WITH EACH OTHER.
Both have their sales angles. Both have their methodologies and
both have their results. But the fact remains -- whether an Individual opts to
live in a civilization where ethnics are internalized or externalized -- both
the Church and the State are in competition for PAYMENT, for that "lump
sum."
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