Learnt from Professor Roland Chia during his seminar on the relationship between religion and politics. He holds that view that Scripture supports the notion of separation between religion and politics. He quotes Romans 13 and argues that the state and the church have vastly different roles in society. The state is responsible for upholding earthly justice, while the church's role is to proclaim and embody the love of God. Both institutions serve each other at this point in time, but a final unity between the two will come when Jesus returns. We then go on to talk about the role of religion and politics in the Singapore context.
It was an enlightening talk, and the discussion with Pastor Samuel and Jonathan Tan afterward got me very excited too. Pastor Samuel's concerns about his public office were genuine and sincere. I understood his concerns, and saw the frustrations he had.
Oh well, 7 May 2011 is just around the corner. Thank God for the timely reminder of my duty as a citizen of this state. On a side note, the seminar was planned a year ahead. Coincidentally, or not.
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