Recent Viewpoints

Kerby Anderson As even school children know, the British monarchy preceded the American republic. The framers wanted to change many aspects of their previous government so they wrote in Article 6 of the Constitution that no title of nobility should be granted by the federal government. But in other areas, they continued the British tradition of the king. One example is in Article 2 that grants the president the power to grants pardons. The framers justified it as a way…

Kerby Anderson Today is the presidential inauguration. In previous years, this day was a day of celebration with little controversy. But 2020 and now 2021 are not normal years. In fact, there was some controversy four years ago. This year, the controversy erupted into an attack on our capitol. For a moment, it is worth reflecting on our inaugural history. George Washington took office in 1789 in New York City to the sounds of ceremonial artillery and church bells ringing….

Kerby Anderson Over the last few weeks, I have had the privilege of interviewing authors who have written about our polarized country. David French writes about Divided We Fall. Justin Giboney writes about civic engagement in Compassion & Conviction. Both of them talked about a study known as the Hidden Tribes of America, that I wrote about two years ago. The study broke Americans into seven tribes: Progressive Activists, Traditional Liberals, Passive Liberals, Politically Disengaged, Moderates, Traditional Conservatives, and Devoted…

Kerby Anderson Now that the state legislatures are back in session, one of the more significant functions this year will be reapportionment. After the decennial census is completed, the states must reapportion the congressional districts. This is necessary for two reasons. First, the populations within states change. Second, the population of states varies because of migration from one state to another. Reapportionment will affect two issues. The allocation of the 435 seats in the House of Representatives is done by…

Penna Dexter The jarring events of the past year, and especially of recent weeks, have further divided an already-divided nation and rocked the sensibilities even of Bible-believing Christians. In 2021, we’re certainly not out of the woods. In fact, going forward, things may get difficult for Christians. How difficult remains to be seen, but believers certainly face headwinds in the culture. We will need courage. As the pandemic rose, some churches took financial hits. Others found it difficult to adapt…

Kerby Anderson Sometimes the verse in Jeremiah 29:11 has been misapplied since it originally was directed at the Jews in the Old Testament. It says, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” A number of years ago, Chuck Bentley with Crown Financial Ministries illustrated that if we look at the previous verses, we find a blueprint of “Four…

Kerby Anderson America is a house divided. That is the central message of the book by David French, Divided We Fall. His book was selected by World magazine as its book of the year, and I had him on my radio program recently to talk about the polarization in America. He believes it is time for us to understand that “the continued unity of the United States of America cannot be guaranteed.” He persuasively argues there is not a single…

Kerby Anderson Bryan Walsh writes about the future for Axios. Before that, he was a correspondent with Time magazine. He isn’t necessarily looking at issues from a Christian perspective, even though his most recent book has the title, End Times. He recently wrote about the death spiral of public life. While he acknowledges that technology has kept many people working, fed, and entertained at home, it has forced a retreat from public life that will have what he predicts will…

Kerby Anderson Should the federal government forgive college debt? That simple answer is no, but I want to explore the broader question of why this debate has even been taking place. Let’s consider the situation. A student heads off to college and borrows money in order to receive a college degree. We should assume that he or she is smart enough to understand the conditions of the loan. We are talking about students smart enough to go to a university….

Kerby Anderson The many myths surrounding the slogan “defund the police” need to be addressed. That is why I was encouraged to read a thoughtful critique from a progressive who lives in Seattle, but who also works for law enforcement. Christopher Young has been a big-city cop for more than a quarter-century and brings some common sense to the debate about the police. The first myth he tackles is the argument that “police are killing large numbers of civilians.” Criminal…

Penna Dexter At the United Nations, the terminology used to describe certain rights has significant impact on international policy. Decades-long battles are waged over language because certain terms can be used to push ideas many countries reject into UN documents and agreements which are then used to bludgeon nations into compliance. Take “reproductive health,” a stealth term that pro-abortion forces at the UN use to signify abortion rights. Twelve years ago, the George W. Bush administration allowed it into a…