Should the Government or the Church have Authority Over Society (Essay Sample)

Church and StateName
Institution
Introduction
Each and every society has a form of government that is recognized by the majority of its members. However, only a few society have a common religion or church that is recognized by all its members. Furthermore, a government is elected and given power by the society whereas religion is a construct of social-cultural factors that are dependent on the beliefs of each culture. In essence, the government has authority over the society because it represents the views of everyone under its jurisdiction. On the contrary, the church has no authority other than a moral responsibility to the individuals that comprise its congregation. The objective of the essay is to discuss whether the government or the church has authority over the society.
Discussion
Various forms of government including the Great Roman Empire treated the church without a lot of suspicion. Jesus Christ and his disciples were persecuted as long their religious beliefs did not correlate with the ideologies of the ruling government. Although the Roman Empire finally accepted the role of the church in the society, church leaders had no real authority over it (Mersereau, 2012). The relationship between the church and the government has always been complex.
A church is a congregation of Christians that believe in God as their creator and the soul provider. Christianity is the most dominant religion in most parts of the world. Islam, Buddhism, and other religions account for the remaining population. A government has legitimate authority over all individuals under its jurisdiction irrespective of their religious affiliations (Nikolajsen, 2015). In addition, the church has no relevance to Muslims who believe in a different version of the creation story. Such differences make it hard for the church to claim authority over individuals that do not recognize it.
As such, the state and the church have remained as separate entities to avoid having a government that favors one religion over the others. This has helped to protect the autonomy and freedom of the church as a religious institution (Dam, 2011). The affairs of the church have little to do with the political and social-economical welfare of the society rather than its spiritual wellbeing. Furthermore, breaking church laws has little consequence as compared to violating laws or regulations established by a particular government.
The church has a responsibility as the moral guide for the society, this includes being obedient to established authorities or any form of government. It has a global reach; therefore it is hard to concentrate on the needs of a particular society CITATION Fel00 \l 1033 (Feldman, 2000). On the contrary, governments are elected by a group of individuals within a specific geographical location. Its objective is to institute law and order as well as enforce it to guarantee justice to all under its control. Both the government and the church have constitutions, but only the one created by the government has a significant impact on the society.
The church also lacks a security force to ensure that its members abide to its rules and regulations. On the contrary, most governments have a security department to enforce its laws as well as a judicial system to bring offenders to justice. In concise, any form of authority must have a mechanism to enforce its laws and regulations CITATION Fel00 \l 1033 (Feldm...