State and Free Churches in the Modern Era
They're Still Around
No Such Thing As A Neutral Space
The Right has, in recent times, returned to the idea that there is no such thing as an irreligious space, and certainly no neutral space. The state’s neutrality in regards to religion is a laughingstock, with nearly everyone of note outlining our modern blasphemy laws (holocaust denial laws, hate speech laws, etc.) and State Religion (Diversity, LGBTQ+, BLM, etc.). Realizing that these are religious laws and religious movements was groundbreaking for much of the Right. Even more groundbreaking was realizing their statuses as specifically the State’s Religion. It illustrated for us how State power, minority power, and anti-Christian power works.
This knowledge has since been used to formulate a stronger counter to the above movements and legislation. They are false religions and false blasphemy laws, after all. Why should we faithful slowly march along with them? But this knowledge can be applied elsewhere to help us analyze and solve some of our problems. Unfortunately, a question that most normal people in present-day America find themselves asking is “how do I find a faithful church that hasn’t gone along with the Spirit of the Age?”
What Kinds Of Churches Are Out There?
If we evaluate which churches are good and bad, we first need to know two things. First, what are our standards for “good” and “evil”? Second, what kinds of churches are out there? The First question has been the subject of all Christian schisms and divisions since Genesis 3. We are not going to derive a universally accepted answer here, as much as I would like that to be the case. Instead, I will assume from here on out that you, the reader, have a Christian tradition of which you are a member. What specific tradition does not matter, because the next analysis is universally applicable.
The Churches We Used To Have
Once upon a time, churches could be accurately grouped according to their denomination. One town could have a church in the middle of town that said on its sign “St. Paul’s Episcopal Church”, and everyone in the town would know that St. Paul’s was Anglican. Anyone in the town could walk in some Sunday morning, hear the Anglican Liturgy, pray from the Book of Common Prayer, marvel at the stained glass and English architecture, and usually hear a faithfully Anglican sermon (the quality could vary, certainly). Just down the street might a church whose sign reads “First Baptist Church”. Once again, anyone could walk in some Sunday morning, inevitably hear Amazing Grace being sung from the myriad of old Baptist Hymnals, listen to a resounding Baptist sermon, and then spend a few hours in fellowship afterwards. Perhaps on the other side of town, there would be an old stone church that everyone knew to be “St. Mary’s Catholic Church”. During any of the masses, anyone could experience the same Roman liturgy heard in any of the neighboring towns, see the statues of Mary that adorned the outside, see the crucifixes that hung upon the walls, and hear the same bells during the consecration.
All of these denominations, and many more not listed, meant something. The views in the churches could vary slightly, but a Roman Catholic church was a Roman Catholic church and would be populated with Roman Catholics who largely agreed on the same doctrines. Same with the Anglicans, Baptists, Presbyterians, Lutherans, Methodists, and most other denominations. These simpler times have since passed, and, as most people now know, simply attending a church attached to a denomination is not a sufficient marker for if the church is faithful to that tradition.
The Modern Dichotomy
If a church’s denominational affiliation isn’t good enough, then what is? Regardless of the tradition you are looking at, ask yourself one thing. Does the church follow the State Religion? The State Religion boasts many fancy idols. Some of the popular ones include “the economy”1, "diversity"2, anti-racism, anti-sexism, abolitionism3, anti-fascism4, equality5, gender affirmation, queer affirmation6, social justice7, and probably many more. If the church holds to even one of these in the way they have been used in the State Religion, it is a State Church. If a church holds by none of these in the way they have been used by the State Religion, it is a Free Church. There can exist both State and Free Churches within a denomination. The church’s denomination is only relevant to the first question we asked (what is “good” and “evil”). The denomination of a church, as we have now outlined, is incidental as to whether the church is State or Free or as to whether the church is faithful to its tradition.
Now, before we continue, State Churches likely have true believers in them, and it is possible that such a church could be salvaged. I would say, though this is contingent on my own beliefs, that you can still get everything you need from a State Church. The main issue, however, is how long that will remain the case, and even then, a Free Church is preferable.
Indicators of State Church
So, how does one distinguish a State Church from a Free Church? There are some very obvious and very subtle markers.
Major indicators include:
Pride flags featured on the church’s property or at the houses or on the social media profiles of the church’s clergy or congregants or both.
Acceptable Social Movement flags (BLM markers, Ukrainian flags, Mexican flags, etc.) on the church’s property or at the houses or on the social media profiles of the church’s clergy or congregants or both.
Rhetoric and statements from the clergy or the congregants or both in support of tolerance and acceptance.
Rhetoric and statements from the clergy or the congregants or both against discrimination and “prejudice”.
Central importance placed on remaining “apolitical”8 and neutral from the clergy or the congregants or both.
Central importance placed on remaining “nice” and winsome from the clergy or the congregants or both.
Frequent preaching in support of “commonly accepted” cultural norms and modern orthodoxies which are not found found in the church’s history or in scripture (anti-racism, anti-sexism, anti-homophobia, “queer affirmation”, etc.)
Excessive focus within the church on foreign missions, especially over oft-neglected domestic outreach.
Radical xenophilia held by either the clergy or the congregants or both.
Financial contributions from the church towards refugee resettlement and population transfers.
Adoption of only “respectable”9 positions on cultural matters by either the clergy or the congregants or both.
Justifying their “respectable” positions not through appeals to scripture or tradition, but through modern sensibilities and modern emotionalism.
Re-messaging or “baptizing” a previously radical cultural or religious position as Christian by either the clergy or the congregants or both.
Adoption of strict stances against sins predominantly committed by men (pornography consumption, “perversion”10, etc.) while holding nearly no standards for women (no standards for dress, promiscuity, etc.)
Extreme aversion to “purity culture”11 and extreme prejudice toward men who hold standards relating to purity.
This list is not exhaustive, but these are the major markers of a State Church. Notice that some of these are pretty hard to spot and can, in the moment, appear to simply be Christian doctrine. Many State Christians will certainly sound truly Christian whenever they rail against the racism of abortion (points 4, 11, and 12), but the reasoning for doing so or the intentional inconsistency of application renders these tirades short of the full Christian Truth. The State Christians may sound truly Christian when they rail against the evils of men consuming pornography or against the supposed excesses of “purity culture”, but the words unsaid and standards unapplied toward women (points 3, 4, 11, 14, 15) render the judgment a farce.
What Is A Free Church?
A Free Church is simply a church that has none of the qualities of a State Church. A Free Church preaches the Word of God regardless of how fashionable or acceptable the message is. A Free Church upholds the old Christian Truths that have since fallen by the wayside, whether they be maintaining standards for both men and women, defending the unfashionable hierarchies of a right society, or supporting the church’s own local community.
Due to the nature of the modern culture and the malicious elements which have brought us to this point, being a State Church on even one count will mean that most other elements will soon follow. Xenophilia can quickly turn into the abolition of standards in pursuit of getting bodies in the sanctuary. Holding standards only for men is an open gate to accepting sexual deviancies of women. Supporting acceptable social movements like BLM is a sure sign that a “Christianization” of Marxism and other subversive concepts will soon follow. As such, Free Churches are only those congregations which have held against all encroachment by some means.
Implications
As I mentioned previously, if your local congregation is a State Church, all is not lost. It could just be complacency, with increased involvement from the faithful members being the obvious remedy. Your church could be a State Church on all counts, but, once again, there could still be true Christians residing. Realizing that it is a State Church, though, could be a needed wake-up call for you and anyone else there.
This information is vital if you plan to secure your local community. Knowing which congregations are on-side (or close to on-side) and which congregations likely hate you is necessary if you ever plan to take any local action at all. So use this information in whatever way it is useful to your situation.
Entirely separated from any real economics, of course. Usually used as an explanation for allowing usury now despite its rightful condemnation
Once again, not actual diversity. The beautiful differences among European groups do not count. This diversity that is often touted only applies when non-Whites become a larger share of a usually majority-white population
Not as a secular matter, as might be illustrated in an argument like, “slavery would be bad for X and Y reason and should be banned in our society”. Rather, abolitionism as a moral imperative, as would be illustrated in an argument which contradicts Scripture and the Christian’s relation to Christ, like, “slavery is always and everywhere evil, and it is the duty of any real Christian to oppose it”. This makes both Christ and Paul false Christians.
In a similar way to the note on abolitionism above, it’s not that Christians have to be Fascists (I myself am not, nor do I think it’s a good idea). Rather, whenever one starts saying “Real Christians are anti-Fascists”, one has adopted the false anti-fascist religion. This can at least be evidenced by the fact that Fascism as a system was not really condemned by modern Christianity until after WWII, and even then, the condemnation is selectively applied (few people seemed to rail against Spain, Portugal, and Brazil for being “evil, anti-Christian Fascists” during the Cold War, despite perfectly fitting the bill for a good enemy of the anti-Fascists).
Unlike the other charges so far, the propagation of equality is very real and very hellish. Zoom out from Christian denominations a moment, no sane person should desire equality.
Affirming transgenders and homosexuals is so obviously anti-Christian that I hope no elaboration is required
Not the Social Justice that Fr. Charles Coughlin advocated
Being apolitical is not always bad, especially for a church. What is bad is when remaining apolitical is a central issue, as the church will, like many before, fold in the face of adversity rather than remain true to Christ.
That is, respectable to the anti-Christian world
As if this is predominantly a male issue, though most State Churches tout it that way
Usually just the normal views of Western Society towards promiscuity and abstinence
Well done, Ryan. Cuts right to the heart of it
It would be nice if Christians *actually* stood against usury and other economic beliefs spawning either from the Enlightenment or secular libertarianism. They've internalized so much evil as acceptable and ordinary along with what all you've mentioned.