It started out as a good idea. We conservative, evangelical Christians need to become politically active. We need to work together with others who share our moral values and save America from the godless, liberal agenda. Now, we've got a monster on our hands.

I recall my conversations with Tim Lahaye back in the early nineties. He told me about the books he was writing that later became known as the Left Behind Series. As you know, these books sold in the millions and, as a result, they have altered our popular view on the subject of end-time Bible prophecy.

Speaking from his mountain cabin in California, Lahaye informed me that his wife, Beverly Lahaye, was in Washington at the time where she had a radio show and was deeply involved with America's religious right political movement. Coming from a politically conservative home myself, I could naturally understand the Lahaye's political concerns. However, there was still something that bothered me about this information. I recall thinking to myself, Christ's kingdom is not of this earth.

Unknown to me at the time, it turned out that the Lahaye's had just set out to fight another cause. A new book, written by a Jewish Baptist minister by the name of Marfvin Rosenthal, had presented a serious challenge to the pre-tribulation rapture doctrine. So, the Lahaye's decided the pre-tribulation view had to be defended at all cost. Tim Lahaye contacted other like-minded people -- such as Bible scholar Thomas Ice -- and started what is known today as the Pre-Trib Research Center.

It's amazing what a few dedicated people, such as the Lahaye's, can do. Today we find that America's religious right has become a major political force. Without the backing of the religious right, President George Bush would never have made it back to the White House. And, seeing what the backing of the religious right can accomplish, even the most liberal Democrats are suddenly finding religion.

This brings us to my concern. You see, just because we may share political and moral values, that doesn't make us members of the same spiritual family. For example, take a look at this commentary by Patrick Buchanan. Here we find an out-spoken member of America's religious right movement who is promoting what he thinks is a common agenda. But, what he's really promoting are the teachings of his Catholic Church. Buchana writes:

Except you eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink his blood, you have no life in you.

Hearing Jesus' words in the synagogue at Capernaum, many of his disciples said, "This is a hard saying; who can hear it?" . . . From that time many . . . walked no more with him.'

Buchana goes on to say:

This episode from the Gospel of St. John is instructive. For today, scores of millions do not believe that John Paul II taught infallibly when he condemned abortion, contraception, homosexuality and the idea of women priests. They cannot accept church teaching as settled and final, and want it changed to reflect their own beliefs. Yet, all the modern popes and now Benedict XVI refuse to change doctrine to accommodate them.

And, Buchana says:

And so the new pope is denounced as ''God's rottweiler,'' ''der PanzerKardinal,'' John Paul II's enforcer and the chief inquisitor who cruelly silenced the voices of dissent after Vatican II. What the hostility of the liberal media to the selection of Ratzinger tells us is that the conclave got it right Read about it here.

We evangelicals may not see it now. But, our alliance with other religions for political expedience is going to come back to bite us. Why? Because, we have forgotten why we came here to America in the first place. For the majority of us, it was to escape the religious persecution we felt at the hands of the corrupt state churches of Europe. Now, here we are, we evangelicals are more than ready to welcome the leaders of these same corrupt religious institutions back into our open arms.

Friends, when the day comes and these same religious folk who we now have allied ourselves with begin to persecute us again, what will we say? After all, we did it to ourselves.

We've created a monster.