Government should keep Him out of public lifeIn reality, Jesus of Nazareth never wanted the government to endorse, let alone enforce, his religion. Recall the distinction he made between duty to Caesar and duty to God.
Blending of religion and government from a Christian perpective began with the conversion of the Emperor Constantine.
-Eric
Endorse, no, but that doesn't mean Jesus wanted government to BAN him either.
Just because Jesus did not challenge Ceasar, does not mean He did not have opinions about government policy. He was extremely outspoken about local policy, particularly the over litigious nature of the Jewish people of the time. He quite forcefully criticized the folks overseeing the day to day Jewish life, for being hypocrites who were only paying lip service and offering empty rituals to His Father.
The Apostle Paul expounded on Christ's point in this. If the person this world puts over you is evil, you should still try your best to do a good job and be a good citizen. But if the people this world puts over you fear God, all the better.
At the founding of our own nation, Congress was forbidden from passing laws interfering with religion -- which was a matter the states disagreed on. They were all Christian, and many states required public officials to be dedicated to Jesus Christ, but they were afraid of the federal government being used to force the Christian doctrine of one state on another.
The idea that either Jesus or our founding fathers would have preferred the penumbrial "separation of church and state" we have today is quite simply wrong.