In the course of history in many ways evolved relationship between the secular authorities and representatives of faith.The state and the church became alternately at different levels of influence on public opinion and the leadership of the country as a whole.If you look at development history, we see that the original state, as such, was not.The family was unit of society and if there is only a patriarchal tribal community.By God, and in this connection would complicate social relations, the state gradually began to take shape already after Joseph's brothers go to Egypt in the time of Judges.
Different actions of the state and the church.The forms of the relationship between them due to their different nature.If the Church established by God, and its purpose is the salvation of men to eternal life, the state created by people, not without God's Providence, and its purpose is to care for earthly well-being of people.That is, the apparent differences between the two agencies, also traced their obvious similarity - both are called to serve the benefit of people.But the Church in any case should not take the state functions related to the fight against sin methods of violence, coercion or constraint.Similarly, the state should not interfere with the work of the church, his concern to comply with respect to the laws of the Church and help in matters of moral development of the population.
relations between the state and the Church in the Middle Ages were built so that the church has been a leader of the government.And again, it was not just Christianity, the same thing happened in Islam, and Buddhism.The church has been involved in the legislative and judicial activities, largely bringing the influence of religious ideals and principles in public management policy.The policy within the church and Interchurch including often changed the course of history states.One has only to recall the Crusades;split the church, which led in turn to the political and legal divisions in Europe.
During the Soviet era persecution of the church, the state did not need a competitor in the struggle for influence on the consciousness of the masses, it wanted sole authority.State and Church while completely separated on all sides.The new government did not want to divide the spheres of influence, did not want to have a church next door, as a spiritual and moral control of his actions and measures taken.Such control could be the litmus test that would have showed the true face and the actions of the ruling power, and they needed it?Cheaper to declare religion the opium of the people, to destroy the churches and maintain all possible persecution of the followers of the faith.
By and large, the state and the church should be complementary because they both are designed to bring people good and take care of them.Church - the spiritual component of society, and how society can be separated from the state?And how can the church to influence the moral development of the human being away from society, without affecting its development and controlling the power of spiritual purity?In addition, if the state is forcing believers to act contrary to the commandments of God to sinful actions, the church must be to protect his flock, to negotiate with the current government or, if necessary, to appeal to international public opinion.
Given that the state and the church are called to carry the good to people, then they have common areas of cooperation.This applies to areas such as peacekeeping, mercy, preservation of morality, spiritual and cultural education, protection and development of cultural heritage, support for the family, care of the prisoners.To avoid confusion in the fields and did not lead to the ecclesiastical authority worldly nature, clergy are prohibited from taking part in government, that they are constantly in the performance of their direct duties of the church.
