The authors state that they were merely stressing the way in which government typically reflects rather than creates the character of a society, and the responsibility of Christians to be more than political junkies. Here's what they had to say. Politically active religious conservatives have had an enormous political impact over the last 20 years, both in terms of candidates elected and laws passed, at each level of government, local, state, and national. We do need to have realistic expectations about politics, and political activism. Politics should be neither idolized nor ignored.
Political activism is worthwhile because the laws of our land have a profound impact on our lives.
At the same time, political activism alone, no matter how wise, strategic, or principled, cannot transform a society from rude to civil, from violent to peaceable, or from vicious to virtuous. As Christians, we are called to be faithful, not necessarily successful. The value and worth of working for Christian principles and fulfilling one's God-given vocation whether in politics or elsewhere cannot be measured by ballots or bills, but in souls touched. We should always work for justice on earth, even as we look forward to heaven. Michael Cromartie Senior Fellow in Protestant Studies at the Ethics and Public Policy Center Seduction by political power is a pathetic sight and one we have witnessed most often among mainline Protestant leaders.