Lines Crossed: State and the Church

In light of today's hearing "Lines Crossed: Separation of Church and State" in front of the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, I found the quote below from Martin Luther very enlightening.

Luther said...

Constantly I must pound in and squeeze in and drive in and wedge in this difference between the two kingdoms, even though it is written and said so often that it becomes tedious. The devil never stops cooking and brewing these two kingdoms into each other. In the devil's name the secular leaders always want to be Christ's masters and teach Him how He should run His church and spiritual government. Similarly, the false governments and schismatic spirits always want to be masters, though not in God's name, and to teach people how to organize the secular government. Thus the devil is indeed very busy on both sides, and he has much to do. May God hinder him, amen, if we deserve it!*

The video below features testimony of Dr. Matthew C. Harrison, president of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, at today's committee hearing.

*2/19/12 UPDATE: Thanks to my Twitter friend Eric Ekong who found the citation for this Luther quote. Luther, M. (1999). Vol. 13: Luther's works, vol. 13 : Selected Psalms II (J. J. Pelikan, H. C. Oswald & H. T. Lehmann, Ed.). Luther's Works (Ps 101:5). Saint Louis: Concordia Publishing House.