IT REALLY IS A GOD THING by DAN BORCHERS

It Really Is a God Thing
By Daniel Borchers
August 18, 2010

Seven months ago, I penned a positive piece commending controversialist Ann Coulter (“It’s a God Thing”) and extolling the God who can redeem and transform any human being. Today, I must address a complementary aspect of God’s sovereignty in light of Coulter’s conduct, one found in the first chapter of Romans.

But before we get to that, consider these circumstances: Coulter is the keynote speaker of a pro-gay organization and is also scheduled to speak at a Culture Campaign event just two weeks later. Culture Campaign’s mission statement is “To engage Christians in actively living out and declaring biblical truth in a secular, humanistic American culture.”

To his credit, Joseph Farah removed Coulter from the roster of notables speaking at his Taking America Back Conference in September. Farah explained: "Ultimately, as a matter of principle, it would not make sense for us to have Ann speak to a conference about 'taking America back' when she clearly does not recognize that the ideals to be espoused there simply do not include the radical and very 'unconservative' agenda represented by GOProud."

Coulter’s latest abandonment of conservative principles and Christian morals is striking. Nevertheless, Coulter could not grasp the enormity of her error, nor did she see anything wrong with her behavior. She justified her participation in that pro-gay event – a participation which lends it greater legitimacy and potency – by saying, “They hired me to give a speech, so I'm giving a speech. I do it all the time.”

This is not the first time that Coulter has been morally blind to her words and actions and disregarded the things of God. Indeed, back in 2000, Coulter claimed to know better than God: “If God himself came down from heaven and told me these cops intentionally murdered Amadou Diallo knowing he was unarmed, I would not believe it.”

Since then – despite those rare instances when she correctly declares the gospel of Christ (as noted in “It’s a God Thing”) – Coulter has trampled upon the Word of God, twisting and perverting it to suit her needs, and jettisoning it when His truth and will become inconvenient.

For instance, in defending Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ, Coulter transformed the gospel of living a transformed life into one of judging who will die. Mocking the evangelical acronym WWJD (What Would Jesus Do?), Coulter created her own acronym, WWJK (Who Would Jesus Kill?), missing the whole point of the movie and the theology she was defending.

Coulter herself has turned Christian theology on its head by claiming that “being nice to people is an incidental tenet of Christianity.” She denies the Christian imperative given by Jesus Christ Himself in the Sermon on the Mount – the Golden Rule.

Coulter later oxymoronically described herself as “a mean Christian.” That meanness comes to light in Coulter’s propensity to engage in character assassination and her use of death threats and elimination rhetoric, even when discussing pro-life issues. Ironically, she frequently sacrifices her fierce anti-abortion views, even in supporting pro-abortion candidates.

Personal repentance seems to be another Christian concept which is foreign to Coulter, who boasts: “I have friends I went to summer camp with who say I haven’t changed in that respect. I’ve always talked this way, and I always will.” Ironically, Coulter only regrets being nice: “I’ve never said anything so outrageous that I regret it. Though I’ve regretted things that were too tame.”

Spiritual growth requires repentance. We cannot grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ without repentance. A Christian who isn’t growing has a dead faith.

Surprisingly, as early as 2002, Coulter claimed that liberals regard themselves as God, a theme which suffuses all of her post-9/11 books. Was (and is) Coulter projecting?

In 1998, fans began lauding Coulter as “the goddess of the conservative movement,” as if any movement which calls itself conservative could have a goddess. Now regarded as a conservative icon and superstar, has Coulter succumbed to her own press?

Since Coulter has exalted herself and her ideas above God and the things of God, has God removed from her the ability to discern right from wrong? Has He given her over to a debased mind – a principle expounded in Romans 1:28 – until she sinks so low that she recognizes her need to turn to God?

Those who continue to enable Coulter to be the worst she can be should be ashamed of themselves.  Instead, speak truth to power in love. I urge all Christians to join me in praying for God’s invention in Ann’s life, that the power of the risen Christ may provide redemption and healing.