Once more on Christians and politics

Ross Douthat:

We only have two parties in America, and to be active in politics inevitably requires identifying with one more than the other, and probably becoming directly involved with one or the other as well. But given how unlikely it seems that a political party in a fallen world would have a platform that comports precisely with God’s intentions for human affairs, any serious Christian should assume that there are places where his or her party is getting some important issue wrong, or at the very least giving it insufficient attention. And just recognizing those places or issues is not enough: The Christian Republican or the Christian Democrat has the obligation to focus on them as well, to prioritize them and call attention to them even when it annoys or frustrates their co-partisans, in order to demonstrate where their ultimate loyalties really lie.

I realize some readers may not think it possible to be a "Christian Democrat" (if you're a conservative) or "Christian Republican" (if you're a liberal). If that describes you please read the above paragraph again. BTW the quote comes from a tribute to Chuck Colson who, Douthat argues, modeled a healthy Christian engagement with politics -- healthy meaning it was engagement informed more by the gospel of Jesus Christ than partisan loyalty.