The constitutional provision on the separation of church and state has been "weaponized," Bishop Joseph Strickland, the recipient of the Ronald Reagan Award at the Conservative Political Action Conference this weekend, said on Newsmax Saturday.
"I believe it has been deeply misunderstood and misinterpreted — you could say 'weaponized' — in our time instead of being a real judicious separation that is beneficial to the people of God," Strickland commented to Newsmax's "America Right Now."
Strickland became nationally recognized after Pope Francis last November removed him from the office of Bishop of Tyler, Texas. Church officials never confirmed why he was removed, but many believe he was relieved after taking public positions at odds with Francis' views on marriage and gender, along with other issues.
Saturday, he told Newsmax that even Jesus Christ was a political person.
"Look what he says to the scribes and Pharisees and to the leaders of Rome that he speaks to," said Strickland. "He says 'do unto Caesar.' ... Christ is very political. And in that sense, being in the public square speaking the truth that God has revealed to us, it's an absolute necessity for us to be there."
That does not mean the church should be involved in choosing or not choosing a specific candidate or party, "but speaking the truth to all in trusting ... the great mystery of God's love for each of us. Even that person that is the exact opposite of our political views is beloved of God."
During his CPAC speech Friday night, Strickland spoke about humility, while being bold in fighting for what is right.
"The greatest strength we have is humility, which is based in the truth," he said. "It's not some shy avoiding, but it's a recognition of staying on your path. And Jesus Christ, God's son, demonstrates that for us in profound ways that are beyond any of us."
Meanwhile, there are "so many power shifts" happening, but people need to remember who is the "real power, and that is God, our creator, and his son."
"Humility, to me, is that path to connect to the power source so you focus on truth. And that's the way to defeat Marxism and socialism," said Strickland. "We need to look to God more than ever and what he has revealed to us. It's a beautiful, glorious truth."
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