{"id":4167,"date":"2017-10-17T06:11:22","date_gmt":"2017-10-17T11:11:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/?page_id=4167"},"modified":"2023-02-12T14:40:08","modified_gmt":"2023-02-12T20:40:08","slug":"religion-and-government","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/religion\/religion-and-government","title":{"rendered":"Religion and Government"},"content":{"rendered":"

HISTORY<\/strong>
\nThe pattern of religion and government being closely intertwined has always been true. In Bible times the government and religious leaders were the same. Kings and emperors of Gentile nations were often considered to be religious leaders as well as civil authorities. In some cases, they were given the status of gods. In more modern times there are still examples of countries which sponsor a state religion.<\/p>\n

STUDY TIP: See this Wikipedia article for a history of the separation of religion and government around the world.<\/a> Evidence of historical church\/government entanglements is found in this Pew Research Center Report on Religion and Public Life about religious symbols in national flags.<\/a><\/p>\n

Also see this Wikipedia article on State Religions.<\/a><\/p>\n

In the days before, during and after Jesus, religion and government in Israel\/Palestine were closely integrated. Rome ruled the land, and religious leaders managed religious matters. But religious leaders were limited in what they could do. That is why the chief priests and elders, brought Jesus to Pilate, the local Roman governor, to have him killed.<\/a> The religious leaders knew that their authority did not include capital punishment, so they incited Pilate to use his authority to have Jesus killed instead of doing it themselves.<\/p>\n

This is the way it is today — at least in America. Government laws and regulations limit what churches and ministries can do and how they do it. Some religious leaders argue for reductions in government while others try to influence it from within to pass laws that will execute the agendas of religious organizations. Religion is not ashamed to use political influence and money to accomplish through government what it cannot do independently. Through twisted logic and false doctrines, religion sees no inconsistency in trusting government to protect it and provide for it and trusting God. Religionists, therefore, eagerly engage in politics to advance religious issues while all the while claiming to trust God for every aspect of their lives. That is the way it is in America, but it is different in Israel where the relationship between religion is embedded in government because of the Zionist movement out of which the nation of Israel was created.<\/p>\n

STUDY TIPS: See Confronting Christian Nationalism<\/a> and this Wikipedia article on the Christian Right<\/a> for a historical review and discussion of contemporary issues.<\/p>\n

See this Wikipedia article about the relationship between religion and government in Israel.<\/a><\/p>\n

In the story of Jesus’ crucifixion, government played a crucial role in his death. In these modern times, government continues to play a crucial role in the effective killing, or limiting the life of Jesus’ body (i.e. the church). As religion advances its own causes through government, it gains followers and attracts money that strengthens religious leaders and religious organizations. Christians, for example, employ religious language arguments from scripture to justify legislation and mobilize people to lobby and vote for their causes and candidates who will advance their agendas. Their conflicts with government are the same as the ones that Jews had with Rome.<\/a><\/p>\n

In their self-righteousness, Christian activists persuade themselves and their like-minded brethren that they are doing God’s work. They are deceived into thinking that God wants them to use worldly techniques such as politics and money to advance his kingdom. Like the Jews, they believe that the Messiah’s purpose is to save them from the tyranny of government<\/a>, and so, ignorant of the principles of faith<\/a>, they use their political influence and their money to impose their religious beliefs on everyone through laws enacted by and enforced by government. In their frenzy to advance religion, they use literal scripture to justify engagement in politics.<\/p>\n

They do not understand scriptures that tell them that their job is to establish a spiritual kingdom on earth — not a political kingdom. They do not understand that grumbling against government is really grumbling against God as we see in this story:<\/p>\n

Exodus 16:1-9: <\/a>The whole Israelite community set out from Elim and came to the Desert of Sin,<\/a> which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had come out of Egypt.<\/a> <\/span> 2<\/span> In the desert the whole community grumbled<\/a> against Moses and Aaron. <\/span> 3<\/span> The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the LORD’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire <\/span>assembly to death.”<\/span> 4 Then the LORD said to Moses, “I will rain down bread from heaven<\/a> for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test<\/a> them and see whether they will follow my instructions. <\/span> 5<\/span> On the sixth day they are to prepare what they bring in, and that is to be twice<\/a> as much as they gather on the other days.” <\/span> 6<\/span> So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, “In the evening you will know that it was the LORD who brought you out of Egypt,<\/a> <\/span> 7<\/span> and in the morning you will see the glory<\/a> of the LORD, because he has heard your grumbling<\/a> against him. Who are we, that you should grumble against us?”<\/a> <\/span> 8<\/span> Moses also said, “You will know that it was the LORD when he gives you meat to eat in the evening and all the bread you want in the morning, because he has heard your grumbling<\/a> against him. Who are we? You are not grumbling against us, but against the LORD.”<\/a> <\/span> 9<\/span> Then Moses told Aaron, “Say to the entire Israelite community, ‘Come before the LORD, for he has heard your grumbling.’ ” <\/span><\/p>\n

COMMENTARY: Israel had just been delivered from bondage to an evil government (i.e. Egypt) that, in their twisted memory, had provided all the food that they needed. And now it was grumbling against God for bringing them out of Egypt and feeding them spiritual manna instead of material food.<\/p>\n

People who want to change government do not realize that they grumble against God when they grumble about government when they work to change it. They do not realize that the freedom they now have is spiritual freedom that is not influenced or constrained by natural, material conditions.<\/p>\n

Later in the Exodus story, God gave Israel all the natural food it could eat. but he also brought a plague with it. <\/a>The message here is that God will give other food (e.g government, etc.) to those who crave it, but that it comes with a great cost.<\/a><\/p>\n

Spiritual food<\/a>, on the other hand tastes sweet.<\/p>\n

Luke 17:20-24: <\/a>Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come,<\/a> Jesus replied, “The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation,<\/span> <\/span> 21<\/span> nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’<\/a> because the kingdom of God is within<\/a> you.”<\/span> <\/span> 22<\/span> Then he said to his disciples, “The time is coming when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man,<\/a> but you will not see it.<\/a><\/span> <\/span> 23<\/span> Men will tell you, ‘There he is!’ or ‘Here he is!’ Do not go running off after them.<\/a><\/span> <\/span> 24<\/span> For the Son of Man in his day<\/a> will be like the lightning,<\/a> which flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

COMMENTARY: People who grumble about government and mobilize to change government are longing to return to the bondage of Egypt. They find their satisfaction (i.e. food) in material things that they can see and touch. They are not satisfied with spiritual manna<\/a>. They do not realize that the kingdom of God is within them and not in the government.<\/p>\n

Lacking a spiritual understanding that the kingdom of God is within individual people, they are busy trying to establish the kingdom of God in government through leaders who will adopt laws that conform to their literal interpretation of the Bible. They do this even though Luke 17:20-24 <\/a>tells them that the kingdom of God cannot be seen. In the process, they show that they trust political organizations and government more than they trust God. And they do this with no shame over the fact that they are displaying their righteousness before men<\/a> when they use scripture to advance religious agendas based on the literal words of the Bible — not on God’s spoken word.<\/a><\/p>\n

STUDY TIP: See this link for scriptures about not trusting men.<\/a><\/p>\n

Moreover, they employ worldly techniques to gain results that they think are spiritual. They pride themselves on defending the Bible and maintaining religious standards that they have developed through their literal, not symbolic<\/a>, interpretations of the Bible. Everything they do is based on their Old\/First Covenant perspective of religion, which always acts to preserve and advance the religion and its leaders. And they always use God’s name and Biblical language to make lofty, fine-sounding arguments in favor of their causes and in opposition to worldly conditions they do not like.<\/p>\n

The fact is that these so-called Bible-believing religionists carry on these activities totally ignorant of what God has said about government and what he expects from his people about involvement in civilian matters<\/a>. They exercise a form of godliness that is nothing more than religious showmanship<\/a> that benefits only religious activists — not God. And, as they advance their Old\/First Covenant thinking and ways, they inhibit the advancement of New Covenant thinking and New Covenant ways. They will not hesitate to use Jesus’ name, but everything they do is contrary to what Jesus stands for.<\/p>\n

We see from these observations that the kind of arrangement that existed between Jewish religious leaders and Rome in Jesus’ time has continued down through the centuries into these modern times.\u00a0 In many countries around the world the relationship is formalized into a state religion<\/a>. This is not the case in the United States, of course, but there are still many government laws that actually control the formation and operation of corporate, institutional religious organizations such as churches and ministries<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Laws that provide tax exempt status to religious organizations in exchange for limitations on political action and lobbying has existed so long that it has an appearance of legitimacy that, with few exceptions, does not arouse questions of appropriateness within the religious community.\u00a0 The length of a tradition, however, does not legitimize it from God’s point of view. God may seem slow in bringing judgment, but he will bring judgment when it is called for<\/a>. He waited until 70 AD to officially bring down the cozy relationship between the Pharisees and Rome<\/a>, but we have no idea how long he will wait to end the cozy relationship between religion and government in these modern times.<\/p>\n

So why should this relationship end? To many religionists, it seems to be a good thing that they can get a tax deduction for donations to their church or favorite ministries. It seems to be a good thing that government will bail religious organizations out financially when income from followers decreases so much that the financial viability of the organization is threatened by a declining economy.<\/a> What can be wrong with that?<\/p>\n

There is plenty wrong with that and we will discuss those issues in this series of pages. But the overriding problem is that members of religious institutions have indirectly joined themselves to government. This is so because the religious institutions to which they belong are legally joined to government trough laws that control the establishment and operation of religious institutions.<\/a> Thus, in yoking themselves to religious institutions, individuals have effectively yoked themselves to the government in a way that places government ahead of God in several ways. In effect, religions idolize<\/a> government when they trust government more than they trust God.
\n
\nMONEY<\/strong>
\nWe are not sure how it is in other countries, but it is a well-known fact that religion in the USA is deeply connected to government through the formation of religious, 501 C 3 corporations<\/a>. The primary feature of a 501 C 3 designation by the IRS is tax exempt status which provides that donations to a qualified 501 C 3 organization are considered to be exempt from federal taxes. This means that the financial well-being of religious organizations (e.g. churches, synagogues, independent ministries, mission organizations, etc.) is dependent on the government’s willingness to exempt donations to such organizations from taxation.<\/p>\n

If at no other time of the year, religious people who make financial donations to religious entities (churches, synagogues, ministries, etc.) are reminded of this fact when they file their income tax forms for the IRS. Then, if they have positive income for which a tax is due, and if they have made donations to religious entities, they will most likely claim those donations as deductions for tax purposes. In other words, the government gives those people a kick-back for their donation in the form of a reduced tax.<\/p>\n

There is much that is wrong with this practice. One problem that is quite obscure but spiritually significant is that it involves deception. Consider the story of Ananias and Sapphira:<\/p>\n

Acts 5:1-14<\/a>: But a man named Anani’as with his wife Sapphi’ra sold a piece of property, <\/span> 2<\/span> and with his wife’s knowledge he kept back some of the proceeds, and brought only a part and laid it at the apostles’ feet. <\/span> 3<\/span> But Peter said, “Anani’as, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back part of the proceeds of the land? <\/span> 4<\/span> While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? How is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.” <\/span> 5<\/span> When Anani’as heard these words, he fell down and died. And great fear came upon all who heard of it. <\/span> 6<\/span> The young men rose and wrapped him up and carried him out and buried him. <\/span> 7<\/span> After an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. <\/span> 8<\/span> And Peter said to her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for so much.” And she said, “Yes, for so much.” <\/span> 9<\/span> But Peter said to her, “How is it that you have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? Hark, the feet of those that have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.” <\/span> 10<\/span> Immediately she fell down at his feet and died. When the young men came in they found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. <\/span> 11<\/span> And great fear came upon the whole church, and upon all who heard of these things. <\/span> 12<\/span> Now many signs and wonders were done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And <\/span>held them in high honor. <\/span> 14<\/span> And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women, <\/span><\/p>\n

COMMENTARY: The problem here is with creating a public impression that does not line up with the private facts. Ananias and Sapphira gave the public impression that they had given the entire amount of the sale of their property to the apostles but in fact held back part of the value for themselves. This was considered to be lying to God.<\/p>\n

The application of this story to government is in the fact that donors of tax-deductible money to a church or ministry appear to have given a certain amount, but if they take a tax deduction for that amount, the amount actually decreases by the value of the tax deduction. In God’s view, according to Acts 5:1-14<\/a>, <\/span>this constitutes a lie.<\/p>\n

Government is an accomplice to this lie by establishing laws that create the opportunity for donors to recover part of their donations by reducing their taxes. It can be said, therefore,\u00a0 that the government has provided the opportunity for people to stumble by establishing laws and regulations regarding donations to religious organizations.<\/p>\n

It can also be said that government uses this favorable tax status to keep religion in check. Tax deductions for donations to religious organizations are very important to the financial life of those organizations. Therefore, tax exempt status is the carrot that government offers in exchange for limitations on political activism that government places on religious organizations. It is a good deal for both religion and government, but it is not a good deal for God because people who claim to follow him have sold a bit of their freedom for a tax deduction.<\/p>\n

It is hard to say how this practice of tax deductions for donations to religious organizations (e.g., churches, synagogues, ministries, missions, etc.) is to the financial solvency of those organizations. Nevertheless, it seems fair to speculate that donations would decline precipitously if government tax laws did not allow for the deduction. Furthermore, it seems fair to speculate that many, if not all, religious organizations would close their doors because of the decline in donations. When and if this would happen, we would have clear evidence of the dependence of religion on government. Such dependence, of course, shows evidence of lack of trust in God who wants his people to be dependent on him for everything. And government, of course, is the willing accomplice to this sin also.<\/p>\n

Government’s influence on religion through taxes appears in several other ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n<\/colgroup>\n\n\n
<\/td>\n\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

All this activity shows clearly that the separation between church and state in the United States is very blurred. It is not so blurred, however, in other countries where the state actually endorses a particular religion.<\/a> All this evidence suggests that the time for judgment is slowly advancing because God’s people have made treaties\/covenants with unbelievers in government.<\/a><\/p>\n

Every time a religion asserts itself, whether violently or peacefully, it meets with resistance or even repression by government. Even in the United States, government will tolerate a little religion and even partner with it to a degree through certain tax benefits and grants to run social programs, and through laws that guarantee religious freedom<\/a>.<\/p>\n

COMMENTARY ON GOVERNMENT AND RELIGION: Because religious organizations are directly accountable to government, and must satisfy government rules in order to stay legal, they must function like a business in every respect. That means these corporate structures must have Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws, and various policies and procedures to govern the operations and finances of the corporate entity according to the rules of government. This means they are governed by corporate, institutional laws<\/a> — not by God’s spiritual laws<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The connection between this association between government and the episode in the Temple is the fact that religious leaders created the association, and they did it for their personal gain — just like Balaam.\u00a0 Religious leaders who do not directly receive monetary income were also guilty of making this unholy alliance. We see this alliance represented in the New Testament where the Jewish temple system is under the thumb of Rome. They may instead receive intangible benefits (i.e. status, position, authority, etc.) by virtue of their association with the corporate entity, and those who make tax deductible donations to religious organizations receive the financial kick-back.<\/p>\n

Despite all this government vs. religion activity, a growing number of religious movements<\/a> and legal challenges on religious issues<\/a> indicate that the relationship is strained. And there are non-religious organizations advocating to hasten the separation between church and state<\/a>. We don’t know how it will play out, but, the way we see it, these conflicts indicate that God has good reason to bring judgment.<\/p>\n

The main reason is that religion is yoked to government through money. Churches and ministries understand that they need to be legally organized as charitable, non-profit, religious organizations if contributions to them are to be tax deductible.<\/a> The thinking of religious organizations is that members will not pay tithes and offerings unless they get a credit from the government for their donations. And the religious institution will be required to pay property taxes if they are not legally organized as a charitable, non-profit religious organization.<\/a> So, in order to sweeten the incentive to belong to a church or to make a donation to a ministry, religious organizations yoke themselves to government so that they and their members\/donors can legitimately receive these financial benefits from government. Thus the organizations have willingly submitted to government authority for financial security. They have chosen to trust man’s institutions for security instead of God. That decision will surely bring judgment sooner or later.<\/p>\n

While this relationship with government has financial advantages, it also has disadvantages. IRS rules limit activity of religious organizations regarding political activity<\/a>. These rules do allow some room, however, for a certain degree of lobbying. <\/a>As a result of this allowance for lobbying, religious organizations have increased their lobbying activity radically in the past forty years. Over two hundred groups collectively employ at least 1,000 people in the greater Washington area and spend at least $350 million a year on efforts to influence national public policy on about 300 policy issues according to a recent PEW research report. <\/a><\/p>\n

While the religious organizations obviously believe it is good, even righteous, to spend time and money on public policy lobbying, we think God takes a much different view. The way we see it, such efforts show that the religious organizations put more trust in their own efforts and on government<\/a> than they do in God. It is just another example of being unequally yoked.<\/p>\n

God considers such legal associations equal to being yoked to a pagan god<\/a>. Remember that the Baal of Peor, was the god that Balaam taught Israel to worship, and that Balaam was in the business of prophesying for money.<\/a> The story of Balaam is prophetic of this unholy alliance with government as well as religious institutions. Balaam taught Balak to entice Israel to worship at the altar of Ba’al. <\/a>Thus Balak created the attraction of altars and sacrifices that were familiar to Israel for worship because God had told Israel to build altars and make sacrifices. This is the infamous Baal of Peor event<\/a> which angered <\/span><\/span>God.\u00a0 Israel did it again in its relationship with Rome, and the result was the destruction of the temple and the dispersal of the Jews.<\/p>\n

The American church is in the same situation as Israel, and it is gradually suffering destruction and dispersal. And a major reason it is happening involves mixing money with religion.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

ATTITUDES TOWARD GOVERNMENT<\/strong>
\nHardly anyone, including religious people, really likes government. People may appreciate the various services government provides, but for most people government is in the category of a necessary evil.\u00a0 There is no aspect of government that is spared verbal criticism.<\/p>\n

This general disdain for government appears in the readiness to denounce government, especially at the state and federal levels, with complaints and curses that lump all government leaders and workers together as misfits and crooks. Comedians and political commentators are perhaps the most visible critics of government. There is plenty of raw materiel for them to criticize and it is easy to attract a following of disgruntled citizens who welcome their rancor<\/a> and tirades about politicians and civil servants.<\/p>\n

Of course, such statements are gross generalizations that do not apply to everyone. They do seem to apply, however, to religious people across the spectrum of religious denominations and political persuasions. Even religious leaders are known to join in the chorus of vigorous criticism of government and politicians in the ongoing debate about the separation of church and state.\u00a0<\/a>Either they are ignorant of the fact that they offend God in their grumbling, or they are pandering to disgruntled followers who listen to them and praise them for their clever, insightful and vicious attacks on authorities established by God.<\/p>\n

The problem with bashing government and its leaders is that such behavior is contrary to what God expects. Consider the following scriptures:<\/p>\n

Romans 13:1-7<\/a>: <\/span>Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. <\/span> 2<\/span> Therefore he who resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. <\/span> 3<\/span> For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of him who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, <\/span> 4<\/span> for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain; he is the servant of God to execute his wrath on the wrongdoer. <\/span> 5<\/span> Therefore one must be subject, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. <\/span> 6<\/span> For the same reason you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. <\/span> 7<\/span> Pay all of them their dues, taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due. <\/span><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/a><\/div>\n
\n

1 Peter 2:11-19<\/a>: <\/span>Beloved, I beseech you as aliens and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh that wage war against your soul. <\/span> 12<\/span> Maintain good conduct among the Gentiles, so that in case they speak against you as wrongdoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation. <\/span> 13<\/span> Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, <\/span> 14<\/span> or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to praise those who do right. <\/span> 15<\/span> For it is God’s will that by doing right you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish men. <\/span> 16<\/span> Live as free men, yet without using your freedom as a pretext for evil; but live as servants of God. <\/span> 17<\/span> Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor. <\/span> 18<\/span> Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to the kind and gentle but also to the overbearing. <\/span> 19<\/span> For one is approved if, mindful of God, he endures pain while suffering unjustly.<\/span><\/p>\n

Titus 3:1-2<\/a> Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for any honest work, 2 to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all men.<\/p>\n

It is clear enough to us that these scriptures warn us that we should always honor and obey government in all its various manifestations. And It is just as clear that these scriptures warn us that we should always honor elected and appointed government officials. It is curious, then, that religious leaders, lay persons and commentators should so arrogantly engage in public criticism of government, it policies and its leaders. They do this in direct contradiction of what God has said.<\/p>\n


\nPOLITICAL ACTIVISM<\/strong>
\nThere are several hot-button issues over which religious people are mobilized and involved to influence legislation in the United States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n<\/colgroup>\n\n\n
<\/td>\n\n
    \n
  • Same-sex marriage<\/li>\n
  • Health Care<\/li>\n
  • Taxes<\/li>\n
  • Immigration<\/li>\n
  • Birth control<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n
<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

And there are several issues that have been in play for several years and will continue to be hot-button topics for some religionists forever — or until government changes its laws to agree with what religionists want.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n<\/colgroup>\n\n\n
<\/td>\n\n
    \n
  • Abortion<\/li>\n
  • Prayer in schools<\/li>\n
  • Education<\/li>\n
  • Bioethics<\/li>\n
  • Euthanasia<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n
<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

In sincere, but misguided efforts to advance these issues, there will always be religious people who will get involved in election of high-ranking government officials at both the state and federal level. In every election there are always one or two candidates who will successfully appeal to the Christian Right for money and votes. They have charisma and say the right things about current topical issues that are important to religionists. We are not saying that their motives are wrong, but their activist strategies are wrong.<\/p>\n

Whether it is issues or elections, religious people will yoke themselves to anyone who share their feelings and opinions and promises to make a difference in government if people will support them with money, get-out-the-vote activism and votes. All this activity is evidence that people put more trust in mortal men than in God.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

HISTORY The pattern of religion and government being closely intertwined has always been true. In Bible times the government and religious leaders were the same. Kings and emperors of Gentile nations were often considered to be religious leaders as well …<\/span> Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":160,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-4167","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4167","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4167"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4167\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11628,"href":"https:\/\/thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4167\/revisions\/11628"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/160"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4167"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}