You read that right, THE GOSPEL OF THE STATE. This post is not to be confused with article about “the state of the gospel”. This is about the gospel of the state. The word state meaning a centralized human government.
There is a gospel of the state being proclaimed all over the world. And I would argue it is the most popular and widely embraced gospel message on earth. Whether we live under democracy, monarchy, socialism, or a communism. The gospel of the state is preached within them all.
So what then is exactly the gospel of the state?
The Gospel of The State is the false good news and proclamation that the state, the centralized orginization of human government. Can and should be provider, protector and have the position of loving god or parent over a group of nations, an individual nation, a state, or a city.
Adam Collier
Almost every politician, embraces, teaches and many even proclaim with religious fervor their personal take on this gospel.
This gospel has been with us since the very beginning, in the Bible the story is that Cain killed Abel. He then was driven out and he went out to build a city called Enoch (see Gen 4:17). A city and its government with the intention of replacing God, to replace what Cain had lost in the garden after he had killed his brother Abel. Replace the provision, the protection, and even the very presence of God.
Most peoples of the earth fall for some version of the gospel of the state. Many Christians even, have more excitement, passion, and knowledge about their version of the gospel of the state. Than they have for the gospel of the kingdom of Jesus Christ.
Can Human Government Be Good?
The word gospel simply means “good news”, the idea that human government can be good apart from God is the foundation under this gospel of the state. Human government sets out to provide food, housing, physical protection, justice, entertainment and community. To create human government from scratch we must have a concentration of people in one place cooperating peacefully.
Gospel of the State – the Corruption of Human Government
Don’t get me wrong, human government has its place. The service of officials unto a nation, a community or a state is necessary on some level.
The pooling of money for the common good, to create roads, and systems that are impossible without cooperation. And perhaps even to set up safety protections for citizens that are agreed to. As well as for the provision of justice. However, we take it too far when we view those organizations as capable of doing what they are not capable of. We take it too far when we give individuals and agencies, God-like status and powers over ourselves and others.
Gospels of the state flourishes, grows and is spread most where there is: A concentration of power, money and even teachings about what government could and should be.
The state progressively strives to become the defender of the citizenry who have embraced the message being proclaimed. Politicians become preachers of the gospel of the state in increasing passion and conviction.
I think it’s best to look at the issue of governmental power in the context of a gospel. Because a religious gospel message is is the closest approximation of how state power, political messages and religious like fervor is displayed in nations of people.
