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You may have seen that Kevin Phillips wrote an opinion piece carried by the Washington Post on April 2.
(See http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/01/AR2006040100004.html) I took
the opportunity to write a letter the editor.

Phillips says so many things worthy of reply, it was difficult to narrow my comments to one or two issues
and keep them sufficiently brief. Because Phillips is perceived, in political circles, as someone who really
understands Christians, I wanted to focus on certain apparent, gross misconceptions about the Bible. I
chose to focus, in particular, on what the Bible has to say about the relationship between God and man
and God and nations. If my letter were a longer treatment, I would have spent time addressing many of the
apparent presuppositions underlying his views of science, knowledge, etc.

Following is the text of my letter:

    The last three decades have proven Kevin Phillips to be an astute observer and prescient forecaster of
sweeping trends in American politics. Despite these gifts and his attentive, extended study of American
Christians, Mr. Phillips’ latest analysis of the Republican Party belies a fundamental misunderstanding of
Biblical Christianity [“How the GOP Became God’s Own Party,” op-ed, April 2]. Two claims in particular are
revealing.

    First, he claims that “[c]onservative true believers will scoff” at the notion that America’s future faces a
“gathering threat” because the United States, according to such believers, “is a unique and chosen
nation,” and “God is on [our] side.” Mr. Phillips’ “true believers” may be “true” to something, but it is not the
Bible. The Bible teaches that God is not on any nation’s side. (Joshua 5:13-14) God – not humankind –
sets the standard. He defines good and evil, right and wrong. As a nation, we may choose to be on His
side, obediently practicing what is good and right, as He defines those truths. Or we may choose to defy
Him. (Matthew 12:30; 1 Kings 18:21)

    Second, Mr. Phillips suggests that Christians eager for the second coming of Jesus Christ welcome “[c]
haos in the explosive Middle East.” To the extent that some Christians focus inordinately on the end times,
even encouraging national policies that might hasten their arrival, their understanding does not represent
Biblical truth. The Bible teaches that God is in control, and we are not. The end of time will arrive on His
schedule, not ours. Christians are to keep their minds on eternity (Colossians 3:1-3) and the supernatural
implications of their earthly conduct, but we ought not be overly focused on time, even the end of time.
Moreover, the Bible teaches that humans have the responsibility to care for and nurture God’s creation,
and to maintain order, rather than encourage chaos. (Genesis 1:28-30)

    Mr. Phillips’ confusion is a good reminder that it is wiser to evaluate a worldview based on its doctrine
and teachings, rather than the words and deeds of its self-professed adherents.