Recent Viewpoints

Kerby Anderson A few months ago, I provided some commentary on the New York Times 1619 Project that attempts to “reframe” American history. The authors suggest we begin America’s history in the year African slaves were first brought to America. In other words, the “true founding” of America was not in 1776 with liberty but in 1619 with slavery. Over the last few months, a number of respected historians in America have had very critical comments about the New York…

Kerby Anderson Antisemitism has been on the rise, and Jews are being targeted here in America. Here are a few of the most reported attacks over the last 15 months. A white supremacist kills 11 Jews and wounds 7 others during Sabbath services in a Pittsburgh synagogue. Another shooter opens fire in a Passover service in California. Two shooters with the Black Hebrew Israelites target a kosher grocery store in Jersey City and kill four. A black man storms into…

Kerby Anderson During the political campaigns this year, we will hear quite a bit about the need to have safe and secure elections. Democrat concerns about interference from Russia, and Republican concerns about election fraud will drive the discussion. Unfortunately, much of the rhetoric will focus on flawed bills that passed the House but were ignored in the Senate. A few months ago, I wrote about the Safe Act (Securing Federal Elections Act). While it had a number of positive…

Penna Dexter The economic numbers are good and improving in America — a blessing for which we must be thankful. Let this not blind us to the fact that, as a nation, in many ways, we’re still headed in the wrong direction. We’re aborting 800,000 babies a year. We’re mainstreaming deviant sexuality. It’s difficult to stand for and live according to what we know is the truth. Plus, we’re dabbling in socialist policies. How do we live going forward? Prayerfully….

Kerby Anderson Let’s start with an obvious statement: there are no easy answers for cities trying to deal with homelessness on their streets. But a recent court decision coupled with a decision by the Supreme Court to avoid the issue won’t help those cities in the western states. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals struck down an attempt by Boise, Idaho to deal with people camping and sleeping on sidewalks. The court declared that giving a homeless person a ticket…

Kerby Anderson The future of the Affordable Care Act, often called Obamacare, is in legal limbo. A three-judge panel of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals essentially declared the law unconstitutional but sent it back to the federal district court to evaluate its status. Two years ago, the Attorneys General of a number of states, led by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, asked a federal judge in Fort Worth to strike down the law as unconstitutional. Their argument was simple….

Kerby Anderson Let me begin by wishing you a Happy New Year. At the start of this New Year, I wanted to pass on some advice. In previous commentaries, I have talked about the value of using this time of year to change something in your life. There is nothing magical about using January 1 as a start date, but why not use it to improve yourself? First, I would recommend you pick just one thing to change. If you…

Kerby Anderson Yesterday I talked about charitable giving. Today I wanted to follow up by challenging us as Christians to consider giving even more than we do. Perhaps the best book on that subject was written by David Green. It has the arresting title, Giving It All Away. He is the founder of Hobby Lobby and tells the story of his success and calls for Christians to give generously to churches and other ministries. He and the rest of his…

Kerby Anderson As this year winds down, many Americans focus on year-end giving. There is abundant evidence that charitable giving has been affected by our newly revised tax code that rewards fewer taxpayers with tax benefits. Howard Husock wrote about this earlier this month when many Americans took advantage of “Giving Tuesday.” His observations then are even more relevant at the end of December. Indiana University’s school of philanthropy had been able to document two significant trends. While overall giving…

Penna Dexter At its Christmas party this year, the Texas Equal Access Fund, a non-profit that helps women pay for abortions, gave workers and volunteers candles that say: “Abortion is Magical.” It’s a strange message. Especially since Christmas is about birth — as Family Research Council points out — “the most unplanned pregnancy of all.” Still, it’s a reminder that, as we end 2019 and head into the new year, we face a stark divide regarding the issue of abortion. Public…

Kerby Anderson Although we usually sing the carol “Joy to the World” during the Christmas season, the hymn isn’t really about the incarnation of Jesus. Isaac Watts wrote it and has often been known as the “Father of English Hymnology.” He composed “Joy to the World” in 1719. It was originally titled “The Messiah’s Coming and Kingdom.” The original title illustrates why there is no reference to angels, shepherds, or wise men. It is really about Christ’s second coming. That…