The Question: John McCain's spiritual guide, televangelist Rod Parsley, calls Islam a "false religion" that should be "destroyed." Should McCain renounce Parsley? Will Islam be an issue in this year's U.S. presidential election?

Let me see if I have this straight. Numerous Islamic leaders advocate killing Jews (who they blame for everything from AIDS to 9/11) and Christians (who they call "cross worshippers" and "infidels"). They state their intention to wipe out those faiths. They claim they have a mandate from Allah to do this. And we're worried when one American preacher says Islam must be wiped out? The American preacher isn't recruiting homicide bombers. No one is going to "wipe out" any of the world's three great religions. It's been tried before. The Romans tried to eradicate Christianity and the Nazis attempted to eliminate Jews. These are things of the Spirit, not politics. As Martin Luther wrote: "The body they may kill; God's truth abideth still. His Kingdom is forever."

If McCain were a member of Rod Parsley's church, that might be another matter as it was for Barack Obama and Rev. Jeremiah Wright. But anyone can endorse (or oppose) anyone else. As for whether Islam will be an issue in the presidential race, it seems to be for Muslims as they recruit candidates for office and mobilize to vote probably as a block and mostly for the Democratic nominee, so why shouldn't it be an issue for the rest of us who are not Muslim?

The

Question: In his speech to U.S. bishops last week, Pope Benedict XVI said: "Any tendency to treat religion as a private matter must be resisted . . . To the extent that religion becomes a purely private affair, it loses its very soul." Do you agree or disagree? Why?

Since becoming a serious follower of Jesus of Nazareth thirty-five years ago, I have been puzzled by those who claim “religion” should be private. In some sense, it is, as when Jesus instructed those who follow Him to go into their closets and pray rather than praying publicly for show as the Pharisees did. But the suggestion that faith should never escape the boundaries of one’s own heart and mind is a kind of selfishness, an unwillingness to share the greatest news ever proclaimed. And that is that Christ died for our sins and by confessing our sins and receiving the crucified Christ as Savior and Lord, people can find a reason and power for living this life and be assured of a home in Heaven after it ends. Who wouldn’t want to share that incredible news with others in need of its hopeful message?

The Apostles didn’t believe in keeping their faith private. On the contrary, they shouted it from the housetops and saw thousands converted for their efforts. In our day, where would the civil rights movement be without the public voice of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.; or the pro-life movement without the voices of public men and women, exercising their faith?

At its best, faith drives people and movements that are good for humanity. At its worst, it can become a tool of a political party or candidate and divert attention from the Kingdom that will not end in favor of a temporal kingdom that is passing away.