Christians Accept Atheist Prime Ministers

Those Christians complaining about our new Prime Minister’s atheism have forgotten their Bible and Church history.

Paul wanted the Roman Christians to submit to government authority (Romans 13). This authority was a pagan government that had persecuted both Paul and the Roman church. Yet for Paul government authority, regardless of its religious views, was a good thing.

Constantine established religious tolerance as a principle of Christian government in 313 AD. It took centuries but the lust for power created a totalitarian Christendom with its thought police. An institution duplicated by the 2oth century’s godless totalitarian governments.

Religious toleration was re-established as a principle of Christian government in 1636. That year Baptist pastor Roger Williams was excommunicated from Massachusetts, bought land from the local Indians and set up Rhode Island. There was no religious test to be part of the colony or its government. Though initially predominately Baptist, Rhode Island attracted other New England dissidents, European Jews and English Catholics wanting to flee religious persecution. For a variety of reasons, the United States and later Australia wisely adopted the same solution to religious pluralism.

If one is going to follow the Christian principle of religious toleration, one is required to welcome an atheist as Prime Minister. That person’s suitability for office should be judged by their abilities, not their religious faith. I might pray for Julia Gillard’s conversion. However, I will vote according to my assessment of the competing policies and the proponent’s capacity to implement them.

And with all my being, I will fight any attempt to establish the blasphemy of Christendom in Australia.

Sent to West Australian Letters Editor on 8 July 2010