Politics
(OPINION) It’s gratifying to see new government policies which align with God’s creational order, yet this is not the end of our witness on this issue. Our churches should both be eager to declare what is good and true and beautiful about biblical masculinity and femininity and read to help those who struggle with gender dysphoria find hope in the Gospel and the resurrection of the body at the end of the age.
Evangelicals want both secure borders and laws that provide avenues for certain illegal immigrants to obtain legal status, according to a Lifeway Research study. They want to deport dangerous illegal immigrants but aren’t as concerned about those who arrived as children and have lived peacefully in the U.S. Additionally, evangelicals recognize personal and national responsibilities to care for refugees and others fleeing their nation of origin.
Extolling the importance of religious liberty, Trump announced the formation of a task force to “eradicate anti-Christian bias” in the country as well as the launch of the White House Faith Office during the National Prayer Breakfast on Thursday morning. The task force will come by executive order on Feb. 6, he said, and will be led by newly confirmed Attorney General Pam Bondi.
(ANALYSIS) President Donald Trump’s suggestion that the U.S. should “take over” Gaza, displace its current population and turn the enclave into “the Riviera of the Middle East” is unsettling — in both a literal and, to Palestinians, a very personal sense.
President Trump on Wednesday signed an executive order aimed at prohibiting transgender women and girls from competing in women’s sports, directing agencies to withdraw federal funding for any schools that refused to comply. The step, taken on National Girls & Women in Sports Day, is one of several by the new president regarding gender.
The partisan divide between how Americans view family and the importance of marriage is growing — although most agree that economic challenges continue to be a major concern, a new survey reveals. The annual American Family Survey found that 71% of respondents identified the economy as one of the most important issues affecting families today.
(OPINION) Trump’s ideas, however fantastical, would reshuffle the deck completely. How exactly he might intend for the U.S. to take over management of the territory and rebuild it “magnificently,” is unclear. Even more unclear: Who, exactly, would benefit from this dubiously thought out plan?
(ANALYSIS) The backlash against President Trump’s funding freeze was swift and strong. But the outcry was not just from progressives. A number of Christian groups, some of them relatively conservative, also objected. World Relief, the benevolence arm of the National Association of Evangelicals, said the freeze would hamper their refugee resettlement efforts.
(REVIEW) In “Immigration and Apocalypse: How the Book of Revelation Shaped American Immigration,” Yii Jan Lin narrates how some Americans have used the apocalyptic vision from the Book of Revelation to idealize the United States as a new holy land, while simultaneously marginalizing immigrants. The U.S. is portrayed as the New Jerusalem, with immigrants viewed as outsiders exhibiting unethical behaviors.
(OPINION) Vandalism won’t stop us from serving great food — and, with it, joy, connection and unity.
The bottom line: Next year, more journalists need to attend some of the worship services linked to the March for Life. They will hear plenty of voices, young and old, stressing that the sanctity of human life is too complex to be discussed in political terms, alone.
Trump’s executive order on antisemitism encourages the attorney general to use a federal law created to target the KKK and will direct federal agencies to tell colleges and universities to “monitor” and “report activities” by foreign students, staff and faculty for activities related to terrorism.
The loss of a rule that prevented officials from entering churches to arrest immigrants accused of being in the U.S. illegally has hurt the Church’s witness, the National Hispanic Baptist Network said on Jan. 29 in calling for the rule’s reinstatement.
(ANALYSIS) The questions at the 2025 March for Life were familiar ones for D.C. Beltway insiders: Would major politicians show up, and what would they say?
(ANALYSIS) As 2025 begins, Russia ends its official “Year of the Family.” But the state has been promoting what it calls “traditional” or “pro-family” values for more than a decade — and looks likely to continue.
The Middle Eastern kingdom is undergoing a remarkable transformation. Once known for its strict adherence to austere social norms rooted in a conservative interpretation of Islam, Saudi Arabia has, in less than a decade, repositioned itself as a burgeoning hub for entertainment, sports, music and the arts.
The United States has a “relatively low level of religious nationalism” compared to other countries, but its impact on politics and society is particularly notable among high-income nations. The Pew Research Study released on Tuesday examined the role of religion worldwide by surveying people across 36 countries.
As flames continue to sweep across Los Angeles, the impact on local faith communities has been profound. Yet, it has also highlighted the spirit of generosity and solidarity among Angelenos. Many congregants, displaced by the fires, have found refuge in the homes of fellow members, while others have offered their properties at cost to help those who’ve lost everything.
(ANALYSIS) A Texas Supreme Court hearing marked the climax of a significant six-year legal battle. SMU has declared its independence from the United Methodist Church, ending a 114-year connection while planning to retain its “Methodist” name. Regardless of the decision, one question remains: In what respects is SMU a “Methodist” or a “Christian” university beyond acknowledging its heritage?
This year’s March for Life, which is understood to be the world’s largest annual human rights demonstration, marks the third time the event has been held since the historic overturning of the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision, which returned abortion legislation to the states.
Episcopalians own the cathedral of D.C. culture Thus, journalists embedded in Beltway life applauded Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde.
President Donald Trump’s latest inaugural speech was notable not for its inclusion of God but for the specific personal nature of what he said.
In November, Zimbabwe’s Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube announced that starting this month, churches in the country would be expected to pay taxes. The announcement caused apprehension among religious leaders, prompting the country’s tax agency, the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority, to clarify that the new tax would apply only to churches’ trading income, not tithes and offerings.
(OPINION) I have one bit of advice for all those people fuming over Elon Musk’s hand gestures: Stop. I know it’s tough to resist the temptation to go into full outrage mode over the apparent Nazi gesture Musk made during an Inauguration Day speech at Washington, D.C.’s Capital One Arena. A lot of energy has gone into parsing Musk’s gesture, and attacking those who don’t see it your way.
(ANALYSIS) While many critics accuse the Babylon Bee of spreading political misinformation — the website's motto is “Fake News You Can Trust” — controversies about its work usually center on clashes between religious doctrines and powerful trends in modern life, such as the sexual revolution.
President Donald Trump has halted for at least 90 days a refugee admissions program that resettled 100,000 individuals fleeing persecution in fiscal year 2024, including nearly 30,000 Christians. By an executive order Monday, Trump suspended the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program “until such time as the further entry into the United States of refugees aligns with the interests” of the nation.
In a day punctuated by prayer and references to God, Donald Trump was sworn in on Monday as the 47th president of the United States. “I was saved by God to make America great again,” Trump said in his inaugural speech, alluding to the failed assassination attempt against him last July during a Pennsylvania rally.
Christians in Iran were sentenced to a combined total of over 250 years in prison last year — a sixfold increase compared to 2023, according to a new report. In all, 96 Christians were sentenced to a combined 263 years behind bars in 2024. That’s compared to 22 Christians sentenced to 43½ years in 2023.
American churches are finding new ways to adapt and rebuild after facing crises like political polarization, the pandemic and even natural disasters. While some congregations struggle to stay afloat, others are embracing diversity, tough conversations and community engagement in an effort to become more resilient in the age of Trump.
(ANALYSIS) The Supreme Court has agreed to decide whether Oklahoma can open St. Isidore: an online Roman Catholic charter school named after the patron saint of the internet. If affirmed, the school would be the nation’s first faith-based charter — a sea change in education law, expanding the boundaries of government aid to faith-based schools.