12 septiembre, 2012

PROTESTANTISM AND POLITICAL INDEPENDENCE


Any Protestant knows that if a church is not working according to what he or she thinks is the right interpretation, then he or she is free to form his or her own church. The Protestant world is a patchwork of many different churches and denominations. The concept of Universal Church helps to differentiate the concrete material or historical form taken by any local church or assembly, from the invisible church known only to God. Thus, the Universal Church takes multiple forms according to history, culture, interpretation; ways of understanding church government and so on. The local churches, visible organizations or even members are free to adapt Scripture interpretation to their denomination; or, in case that is not likely; then there is always the possibility of splitting to form new local churches or organizations (denominations). This is the reality of the Protestant world.

Thus, in theory, Protestant thought and practice perfectly fits into a liberal democracy. The rights of individual conscience and freedom to plan one’s life into whatever fits his or her personal outlook, goes before any other considerations. This is Christian freedom; which is the opposite of the Catholic or Catholic-inclined church organization. The visible organization with its hierarchy and power structure as well as its Magisterium, rules the life of a believer whose faith must comply with church doctrine as defined by magisterial authorities. Protestants, in theory, must make an effort to choose, to think about what to choose; and personally work his or her own interpretation according to what his or her conscience dictates. This is a radically different mode of understanding Christianity. Protestantism in this respect opens the way for modern democratic and constitutional freedoms.

That is why no Protestant should have any problem understanding the right of any territory to aspire to its own independence from any constituted state. States are not God-given entities that must be preserved at any cost. Any constitutional state should be based on the voluntary consensus of its territories to be part of that state. Any time a territory doesn’t fit into that consensus, it should be free to break away forming its own sovereign state or whatever political structure they feel like. That is democracy at its best and the Protestant mind shouldn’t have any problem understanding it since its religious life shares the same essence.

2 comentarios:

  1. Muy de acuerdo con su escrito, Sr. Nesaslem. Pero ya se sabe: no hay peor entendedor que el que no quiere entender.

    Pedrosa Latas

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  2. Sr. Pedrosa Latas:

    Gracias por participar en este blog. No obstante muchos protestantes ven este potencial de libertad inherente al protestantismo como un mal o una culpa de "estar divididos" y de no estar centralizados en una sola doctrina, etc..

    Pero el protestantismo es lo que es, quieran o no lo quieran los que aspiran a un poder central tipo Roma. Los que aspiran a una única doctrina y la defienden como exclusiva.

    Da lo mismo. Esta religión sigue desplegando su fuerza y potencial en base a esa libertad de interpretación, a ese concepto de salvación individual que depende de una decisión personal. A esa libertad de escoger esa iglesia que más se acopla a la individualidad de cada cual. A esa división ineludible de Iglesia y Estado, a esa posibilidad de darse de baja de una iglesia si no te conviene para darte de alta en otra o si no fundar tu misma iglesia.

    Esto que para muchos protestantes es positivo porque rehuye toda coacción a la hora de ser cristiano; para otros con mentalidad piramidal significa disolución. Hay muchísima gente que piensa en términos piramidales de poder y autoridad. El protestantismo rehuye EN SU ESENCIA esa tendencia.

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Antes de enviar un comentario escríbelo primero en word para conservarlo en caso de que falle el envío. Trata de que no sea muy largo, pero si quieres escribir más entonces divídelo en más comentarios con el "sigue...etc". En caso de no poder enviar por cualquier razón no descrita entonces envíamelo a rbjoraas@telecable.es y yo me encargo de publicarlo.

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