Which Christian Churches today teach that a Christian should not pursue a highest post in the state (like president, chancellor, prime minister, etc.)
Which Christian Churches today teach that a Christian should not pursue a highest post in the state?
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I think JWs completely avoid political involvement. @TRiG probably knows.– Reinstate Monica - Goodbye SECommented Sep 18, 2012 at 20:41
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I'm curious what prompted this question and its particular phrasing: "should not pursue a highest post in the state"? You got a pair of answers that indicate Christians who don't pursue any government office, but they don't answer the question about the "highest post". It could be that no denomination makes that distinction. So I've downvoted the question in hopes that it will be fixed to a) show some research or b) explain what prompts that specific question.– Jon EricsonCommented Sep 19, 2012 at 0:40
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@JonEricson - (1) "You got a pair of answers that indicate Christians who don't pursue any government office" - Even though there are such Christians, yet, according to my knowledge, they themselves are still having a hard time marking out the distinctive boundaries between "government" and "non-goverment", or stating clearly at which point the state authority starts. It is especially hard in today's world, in which we have quite a few– brilliantCommented Sep 19, 2012 at 1:06
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@JonEricson - (2) countries with leaders being elected by the direct vote of citizens. Will then voting not be an act of exercising a kind of authority? After all, there are some Christians who teach that Christians should not even participate in voting. To avoid the need of clarifying those boundaries - which is, frankly, a grey area to me, too - I decided to simply point out the very extreme point, to which the vector is directed.– brilliantCommented Sep 19, 2012 at 1:07
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2 Answers
Some Baptists and most Anabaptists preach a strict separation of church and state. Historically, this has precluded many from any type of government involvement.
Mennonites and the Amish, for example, in being called out of the world, believe they should have nothing to do with elected or high office.
answered Sep 18, 2012 at 16:34
According to Canon Law, Catholic priests cannot hold public office.
Canon 284.3
§3. Clerics are forbidden to assume public offices which entail a participation in the exercise of civil power.
But anyone else can and should participate to the best of their ability. Although members of religious orders would be subject to their superiors who would probably have more meaningful duties for them.
answered Sep 18, 2012 at 21:06
