Recent Viewpoints

Penna Dexter We are at a moment in our history in which prayer during cabinet meetings is a bit disconcerting to many members of the media who cover the White House. “Unusual” and “striking,” even “creepy” were words reporters used to describe a recent moment of prayer about the passage of historic tax legislation. The president seemed to enjoy taunting reporters a bit when, just as the bill gained final congressional approval, he took time at a cabinet meeting to…

Kerby Anderson If I were to ask you which professions have high suicide rates, you would probably mention military veterans suffering from PTSD. In their latest report, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have found that the suicide rate for young male military veterans is higher than previously thought. But they found that it is lower in some states than the suicide rate for farmers. The high suicide rate for farmers is only just now beginning to get media attention….

Kerby Anderson A few months from now we will know how the Supreme Court will rule in the Colorado cake case involving Jack Phillips. In previous commentaries, I have talked about how this case will certainly have some influence on other cases involving bakers, florists, and photographers. Wesley J. Smith in a recent column says it might also affect people in the medical field. He believes it could have an impact on medical conscience rights. He says, “The law generally…

Kerby Anderson The Big Four Tech Masters are Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Google. They dominate the digital world and therefore have a responsibility they have been able to shirk until now. In a recent column, Jim Geraghty says they “were not built to differentiate accurate information from inaccurate information, to dispel and counteract hateful voices, or to sniff out and stop disinformation campaigns by foreign intelligence.” Instead, they were built to make money. They never foresaw how evil people could…

Kerby Anderson Sadly, it has become trendy in some circles to say that the world would be a better place without religion in general and Christianity in particular. I really do wonder if professors, commentators, and people on social media really believe this or are just saying it without any serious reflection. As I like to sometimes say to my atheist acquaintances, I see lots of Catholic hospitals, Presbyterian hospitals, and Baptist hospitals. I have never seen a humanist hospital….

Kerby Anderson On this Christmas day, I think it would be good to reflect for just a moment on the Incarnation. God became man and took on human flesh. This is a great theological wonder and mystery. Malcolm Muggeridge wrote this to describe the importance of the birth of Christ: “Thanks to the great mercy and marvel of the Incarnation, the cosmic scene is resolved into a human drama. A human drama in which God reached down to relate Himself…

Penna Dexter Hollywood celebrities put on a special Christmas extravaganza last week to raise money. Their cause: Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion provider. I love culture warrior Gary Bauer’s take on this. He says, “If King Herod were alive today, he’d have a photo on his wall signed by Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood. In an attempt to kill Jesus, Herod ordered all babies two and under to be murdered. Cecile Richards does him one better. She promotes…

Kerby Anderson On this Christmas week, I thought it would be appropriate to reflect on the coming of the Messiah. The Old Testament contains hundreds of prophecies that give specific detail about the “anointed one” who is the Messiah. The prophets proclaimed that He would come to save the people. The Bible is unique in many ways, especially when it comes to fulfilled prophecy. At the time when it was written, 27 percent (1800 verses) of the Bible was prophetic….

Kerby Anderson During this Christmas week, I have taken the time to discuss the theology of some of the Christmas hymns and carols that we sing. Today I would like to talk about “The First Noel.” It is an English song dating back to the sixteenth century. Some people believe that “The First Noel” was French because of the French spelling of Noel, but it is actually an English song. The French word Noël does mean “Christmas” and is relevant…

Kerby Anderson It is estimated that Charles Wesley wrote over 6500 hymns. Perhaps his best-known hymn is “Hark! the Herald Angels Sing.” Over the years, it has been edited slightly, but the meaning and theology remains as he wrote it more than two centuries ago. It begins with a proclamation of the birth of Jesus: “Hark! the herald angels sing, Glory to the newborn King; Peace on earth, and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled.” The hymn reminds us why…

Kerby Anderson This is Christmas week, and so I thought we might reflect on the hymn, “O Holy Night” by John Dwight. “O holy night! The stars are brightly shining. It is the night of the dear Savior’s birth. Long lay the world in sin and error pining, Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.” Jesus came into the world to save us and so we feel valuable and our soul feels its worth. Perhaps the most quoted…