Bad Theology Makes Bad Policy: How Religious Beliefs Impact World Affairs

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The theological frameworks we embrace don't just shape our Sunday morning experiences—they fundamentally influence global politics, military decisions, and international alliances. Today we're diving deep into how dispensationalism—a theological perspective developed in the 1800s—has created a distorted lens through which many Christians view Israel, Middle Eastern conflicts, and American foreign policy.

At its core, this theological distortion artificially divides what Scripture unites. The New Testament consistently portrays one covenant people united in Christ, yet dispensationalism insists on maintaining separation between Israel and the Church. As Paul writes in Romans 9:6, "Not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel," and in Galatians 3:29, "If you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to the promise." These passages fundamentally challenge the notion that the modern nation-state of Israel holds a special theological status separate from the Church.

The consequences stretch far beyond biblical interpretation. This theology has fostered blind political allegiance to Israel under the mistaken belief that supporting its government equates to fulfilling biblical prophecy. It has normalized Middle Eastern conflict as somehow necessary or predetermined rather than tragic. Most concerningly, it has allowed believers to overlook justice issues in service to perceived prophetic timelines. We must recognize when we've elevated national identity above Christ's cross. When our theology leads us to prioritize land boundaries over human dignity, prophecy charts over compassionate engagement, or political allegiance over biblical justice, we've strayed from the gospel's central message of reconciliation. Whether you've embraced dispensationalism or questioned it, I invite you to examine how your theological framework shapes your view of global events, and to return to seeing the world through the lens of Christ's unifying work.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Bad theology makes bad policy.
Why dispensationalism distortsthe gospel in the world.
I recently watched a long-forminterview with Senator Seth Cruz
and as I listened I couldn'thelp but think wrong theology
leads to wrong foreign policy,just like it often leads to

(00:21):
wrong public policy often leadsto wrong public policy.
There's a thread runningthrough so many of our national
debates, one theological, andit's not being examined enough.
We talk about politics, warsand global alliances like
they're only about money, poweror security, but often they're
rooted in deeply held beliefsabout God, prophecy and who we

(00:43):
think we're called to support,for example, israel.
Many Christians today supportthe modern state of Israel with
a kind of theological intensitythat doesn't extend to any other
nation.
Why?
Because they've been taught tobelieve that Israel, the modern
nation state, is a directcontinuation of the biblical

(01:04):
people of God.
But here's the problem thatinterpretation isn't biblical.
It's dispensationalism, atheology developed in the 1800s
that artificially separatesIsrael and the church into two
distinct people with twoseparate destinies.
And while it may be popular inmany evangelical churches, it's

(01:26):
not rooted in historicalChristian theology.
Worse, it leads to dangerousconclusions.
Israel in the New Testamentisn't a country, it's a people.
The scripture is clear when theApostle Paul talks about Israel
, he's not talking about aphysical land with political
borders.
He's talking about a people offaith, the true spiritual

(01:49):
descendants of abraham, for notall who are descended from
israel belong to israel.
Paul says in romans 9 6 if youare christ, then you are
abraham's offspring heirsaccording to the promise.
That's from Galatians 3.29.
He has made both one and hasbroken down the dividing wall of

(02:11):
hostility.
That's Ephesians 2.14.
These aren't just abstractideas.
They reshape how we think abouteverything, from who we pray
for to who we protect, to how weinterpret the conflict and
justice in the world.
What's the harm in thisdispensationalism?
Some people might say what'sthe big deal?

(02:32):
It's just a differentinterpretation.
But bad theology never stays inthe pews.
It shows up in Congress, inmilitary budgets, in foreign
policy and even the way we votebudgets in foreign policy and
even the way we vote.
Dispensationalism has led toblind allegiance to a political
nation, under the mistakenbelief that it's untouchable due

(02:52):
to prophecy.
A warped eschatology thattreats war in the Middle East as
inevitable, even desirable,because it's part of a plan.
Neglect of justice andcompassion, as if criticizing
Israel's government is equal toopposing God.
It's one thing to support anation politically.
It's another thing to do sounder the illusion that it's a

(03:14):
divine mandate.
That's not faithfulness, that'sidolatry.
Jesus didn't die to create adivided people.
One of the core messages of thegospel is unity.
Jesus, jew and Gentile togetheras one man in Christ Ephesians
2.15.
There's no plan A and a plan B.

(03:36):
There's one covenant people,and that people is made up of
those who put their faith inJesus Christ period.
That's why I've wrestled withdispensationalism for years.
I was actually taught that itwas sound doctrine, but the more
I studied scripture, the more Isaw how it distorted the gospel
.
It created confusion aboutwhose God's peoples are.

(03:59):
It prioritized prophecy chartsover cross-bearing discipleship.
It propped up politicalideologies in the name of Jesus
and when it came time weconfronted Theology shapes
everything.
Theology is not just anintellectual hobby.
It's the lens through which weview the world.
It's that lens, and if thatlens is foggy or broken,

(04:23):
everything we look at getsdistorted.
That includes our policies, ourpriorities and our politics.
As followers of Christ, we arecalled to think biblically, not
sentimentally.
We're called to support justice, not just tradition, and above
all, we're called to interpretthe word not through the lens of
nationalism or prophecy charts,but through the lens of the

(04:45):
cross.
If we get this right, maybewe'll finally start to get a few
other things right as well.
This is a sub-sack called BadTheology Makes Bad Policy why
Dispensationalism Distorts theGospel and the World.
Written on June 28, 2025 byDarrell McLean.