The way to preserve the peace of the church is to preserve its purity.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
No religion can long continue to maintain its purity when the church becomes the subservient vassal of the state.
I add, that those who are bent on restoring the whole church ought to be well instructed in the word, and to abstain from doing anything under the pretext of simplicity.
The Church must actualize, be present in the public debate, in our struggle for a true concept of liberty and peace.
The purpose of separation of church and state is to keep forever from these shores the ceaseless strife that has soaked the soil of Europe with blood for centuries.
What the church is really concerned about is what endures.
As a member of the Church, you have made sacred covenants with the Lord.
However, it must always remain a dialogue, and never an imposition of the church's own convictions and methods. Propose, not impose. To serve, and not to dominate.
Through the ages, God has used the church to keep alive and pass down the story of what Christ has done for us.
I see clearly that the thing the church needs most today is the ability to heal wounds and to warm the hearts of the faithful; it needs nearness, proximity.
My church has an historical emphasis on peace, but we can't enjoy peace without honoring the blood our soldiers shed for it.