State church or Persucuted church?

I have read a lot about the church and state stuff, so I thought I'd post the paper that I wrote. I don't completely agree with this, but we had to fall off the log. . . .responses are welcome.


If the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church, then the state church is the fertilizer, which allows it to grow. Cheesy? Yes, but I think this statement is still lined with truth. It is easy to say that the persecution of the church has allowed the church to grow, but I do not believe that we would be able to say that if it weren’t for the times Christianity was in control. History is taught and written by the winners, and the history of Christianity is no different. If the state church had never been established then we would not be where we are today.
I will agree that when the church is under persecution it is at its “strongest” spiritually. It is during this persecution that the proverbial “diamonds in the rough” are created through pressure and outside forces. In these times, common men can become spiritual giants by withstanding pain, and not denying Christ. Although The Gospel is not spread as much, therefore not as many are converted, those that stay fast become much stronger and deeper Christians. Nonetheless, it is not our job to judge the sincerity of a conversion, but to continue to spread the word of God to all.

In addition, it can be pointed out that a state religion leads to shallow and complacent Christians, who are more concerned with “conversion rates” than with the authenticity of the conversions themselves. When the state controls the religion, it becomes just that: a religion. Christianity prides itself in being not a religion but a relationship, and one will be hard-pressed to find said relationship with the bounds of a state controlled “faith”.

Nevertheless, I would have to say that while a persecuted Church sets up a very strong foundation for us to build from it cannot hold up the structure itself for it has no power to do so. We talk about being “World Changers” and trying to transform our community, still it is difficult at best to change a world that is constantly trying to kill you.

Persecution has been somewhat romanticized in the American church because we have not felt it, and therefore do not understand it. We have become complacent within our own structure; and seemingly long for something to stir up within us a passion. Many say that true fervency and passion cannot be upheld within the confines of a state ordained religion. One look at Muslim countries would quickly squelch this argument however. Muslims seem to be more radical and sold out than most Christians that I know, and most are practicing within a state ordained religion.

If we look back throughout history, I think we will see that the church had its largest growth following times when Christianity was the religion of the state. Without the state, the scriptures would have been more destroyed and quite possibly we would not have preserved the ones we have. The Gospel would not have spread as far as it has today if the church would have constantly been under persecution.The seeds may have been laid, but they would not have grown in that rocky soil, nor on the open road where birds would eat them up. It is only on ground that has been cultivated and set apart for the purpose of growing that the grain will produce true harvest.