Closing one door, opening another

The Washington Times - Cal Thomas

Brian Fisher, executive vice president of Coral Ridge Ministries, told the Miami Herald, 'We believe that by streamlining the operations we will be able to return to our core focus.' One hopes that will be preaching the unadulterated Gospel of Jesus Christ, unencumbered by the allures of the political kingdoms of this world, because that is where the greatest power lies to transform lives and ultimately nations. It does not lie in the Republican Party, with which Mr. Kennedy's organization was almost exclusively associated...

Nearly 30 years after religious conservatives decided to re-enter the political arena -- after abandoning it as 'dirty' and leading to compromise -- what do they have to show for it? The country remains sharply divided and the reconciling message they used to preach has been obscured by the crass pursuit of the golden ring of political power. In the end, they got neither the power, nor the Kingdom; only the glory and even that is now fading, as these older leaders pass from the scene.

This is not to say there is no role for conservative Christians in the civic life of their nation. There is. But Christians must first understand that the issues they most care about -- abortion, same-sex 'marriage' and cultural rot -- are not caused by bad politics, but are matters of the heart and soul.

Some evangelicals wish to broaden the political agenda beyond these issues to poverty, social justice and the environment. Politics can never completely cure the ills of any of these, but the message Christians bring about salvation and redemption can. Besides, they can never 'convert' people to their point of view...