Q&A: Richard Land | Christianity Today | A Magazine of Evangelical Conviction

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Christianity Today, August, 2007

Q&A: Richard Land

The president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission talks about his new book, The Divided States of America?

Interview by Collin Hansen | posted 7/30/2007 08:26AM

Comments (10)

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Do evangelicals treat some political issues as black-and-white that should be categorized as gray?

God may not have a position on the precise nature of the tax burden on the American people. But I believe he does have quite a specific position when it comes to his institution, holy matrimony. Now, I think there are some tax policies that work better than others in terms of results. The Bush tax cuts have produced more revenue for the government than Clinton's tax increases did. So the question has to be asked: Which economic system works? Do you really want to help poor people or just stick it to rich people?

How can evangelicals improve at translating Scriptural principles into law?

When Martin Luther King Jr. was in the Birmingham jail, he wrote that he was in that jail because he refused to obey an unjust law. It's an unjust law because it doesn't coincide with the moral law of God. To me that's making a moral argument.

It's more important now than it was in Lincoln's time or King's time. We live in a culture when more people are disconnected from any adequate understanding of biblical teaching.

You say that we are a nation blessed by God. Doesn't that lead to a destructive national pride?

A blessing by its definition is unmerited and undeserved. We can't take any credit for it. It certainly should be no occasion for pride. In fact, it's an occasion to obligation.

You write that we shouldn't work for legislation that proclaims America is a Christian nation. Why not?

For one thing, that reading of history is inaccurate. Having said that, we can win the argument I'm making. We can convince a significant majority of the American people to support government accommodation of religion and principled pluralism. You're not going to convince the American people to give a privileged position to Christianity.

Related elsewhere:

The Divided States of America? is available from ChristianBook.com and other retailers.

Richard Land heads the SBC's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, which highlighted his book on its site and radio program.

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August 2007, Vol. 51, No. 8

Comments (10)

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John G.

August 01, 2007 8:50pm

The three previous commentators have displayed much venom but little understanding or Christian love. "Disgusted Reader" obviously has some special insight to know who is "part of the problem." If by "problem" he means racial issues, that wasn't even under discussion. And he tars all Southern Baptists with a very large brush. Mr. Marshall fails to define how he believes that Mr. Land is "responsible for such division," and incidentally, since when is interviewing someone the same as "promoting"? Also, he dismissed Mr. Land as a non-Christian by putting the word "Christian" in quotes. Mr. Pike is simply outright disrespectful (read 1st Peter 2:17). And he fails to understand the nature of the tax cuts and economic matters. I'm glad that most Christians I know personally are more understanding, forgiving, and willing to listen to reason than you three are.

Matt K

August 01, 2007 8:49am

I think Dr. Land is misleading in his first answer. While it may be true that Government revenues are back up on a growing economy, it has not equalled a balanced budget or improved the state of poverty in this country. I'm not a Clinton apologist, but the truth is that poverty levels in America have risen and risen every year since 2001. Increased revenues are only being wasted away on no-bid contracts in Iraq, middle-class entitlements, and a bloated bureaucracy (both military and civilian). Bush tax cuts have not helped the poor and are only endangering our children's future as we pass on massive defecits to the next generation. Dr. Land is a smart man, but he got in bed with the Republicans along time ago. I hope he'll find the integrity to break rank.

PeaceWarrior

July 31, 2007 5:05pm

Dr. Land may be Southern Baptist, but any person with any idea of United States history can testify to the fact that the ol' USA WAS founded on Christianity... and now more than ever it's divided. For any person to say "It's not clear... there are Biblical mandates for Christians to translate Scriptures into law"... then that person has absolutely NO understanding of the Bible at all, and must not accept the Bible as God's inerrant "Breathed" Word. I DO NOT and advocate of multiculturalism, but those who chose not to accept God's gift will without a doubt get their reward. God destoyed a couple of cities for possibly less than what goes on in the USA. I'm so glad there is more than ONE person here that is Godly... and I'm glad we have people such as DR. Land that serve as a perverbial "Lot" to guide us be the wayside. I only feel for those who don't listen and turn back to look!!!

Bill

July 31, 2007 12:22pm

I think that the comment from Mr. Pike is unfortunate. Although I am sure he thinks that referring to Dr. Land as "Dickie Land" is very clever...not really. Mixing together the Bush tax cuts with Iraq is also not particularly intellectually honest. Dr. Land does not say in the interview that Bush is a better President than Clinton. He does say that his tax cuts seemed more productive than Clinton's.Whether the increased revenue should have been spent on Iraq or not is a separate issue. The idea that Dr. Land should not quote Dr. King is ludicrous. I, for one, am happy Dr. Land is not trying to have the U.S. called a Christian nation and is looking for protection for religious beliefs amid multiculturalism.

Greg Marshall

July 30, 2007 7:34pm

It is not at all surprising to me that Land believes he is an authority on "The Divided States of America." He is certainly one of the "Christians" most responsible for such division! Why is Christianity Today promoting the ideas of a person like Richard Land?

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