Last night I went to an CAP event with my family which featured Craig and Janet Parshall. Mrs. Parshall gave an inspiring speech about impacting culture by speaking the truth in love. It was very good. Mr. Parshall, who I found out is a Christian lawyer, spoke about the crisis in the Middle East. It was very interesting to hear about the history of the conflict between Israel and Palestine and the rumors circling about Bush's plan for a Palestinian state which is expected to be revealed very soon. Parshall, an obvious dispensationalist, was concerned about the U. S. State department's lack of support for Israel. Though it would be easy for me to dismiss his statements because he obviously believed that it was all a fulfillment of Biblical prophecy and that the Rapture was near, I agree with supporting of Israel as a representative government of freedom among all the Islamic dictatorships in that region. Clearly, the Jewish worldview is superior to Islam when it comes to culture and politics. However, I do not believe that physical Israel has a God-given right to the land, because the land promises were fulfilled way back in the book of Joshua (21:43-45). And physical Israel has no real future in Biblical prophecy, because God rejected the nation forever in 70 AD.

My question regarding the Middle East crisis is: What is the best way to establish freedom in the Arab states, like Iraq, where the people are used to bondage? Will the people of Iraq really elect representatives that will uphold freedom of religion, speech, and press when given the chance? Somehow I doubt it. I guess I'll have to trust this nation's leadership for now. Admittedly, I have a lot to learn when it comes to foreign policy.

Paul Shippy