Recent Viewpoints

How did we get here? What I mean is that in the late 18th Century . . . surveys showed that 99.8% of those living in the United States—99.8%—claimed to be either Roman Catholic or Protestant Christians… and the other .2% said they were Jewish. In the late 19th Century – Supreme Court Justice David Josiah Brewer, writing for a unanimous Court – said “this is a Christian nation.” Yet here we are in 2015 . . . five justices…

Later this month the U.N. Climate Change Conference will be held in Paris. You can tell how skewed the environmental priorities of the participants are by looking at one picture that accompanies the op-ed by Bjorn Lomborg. The title of his piece is: This child doesn’t need a solar panel. The picture is of an impoverished half-clothed boy in Mozambique crossing a trash-strewn mud hole. No, this boy and his family need food, clean water, clothing, and much more. But…

If you were asked to do a series on the Founding Fathers of America, who would you select? George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton . . . there are so many from which to choose. But my guess is – you might not think to include Augustine, John of Salisbury, Thomas Aquinas, Martin Luther, John Calvin, Huldrych Zwingli, John Knox, Guillaume Farel, Christopher Goodman . . . Do you even know those names? Have you ever considered why…

A recent vote in the U.S. Senate highlighted the problem of “sanctuary cities.” Senate Democrats were able to block a vote on a bill called the Stop Sanctuary Policies and Protect Americans Act. The 54-45 Senate vote fell short of the 60-vote threshold. Senator David Vitter introduced the legislation, which also included a provision that has been called Kate’s Law. That is a reference to Kate Steinle who was shot by Juan Francisco Lopez-Sanchez in San Francisco. He is an…

The United States military now has its third female Army Ranger. She’s Major Lisa Jaster, a 37-year old engineer, officer in the Army Reserve and mom of two. “A lot of doors can open for women if we go about it the right way,” she said in an interview posted on Facebook. “The right way,” she said, ‘includes being professional, thick skinned, and ensuring that we minimize any special treatment.” Minimize special treatment? A male who went through this year’s…

Dr. Ben Carson has a new book out that should be required reading not only for U.S. citizens but also for many of the presidential candidates. In his book, A More Perfect Union, he provides a detailed introduction and overview of the U.S. Constitution. He was on my radio program recently to talk about the book and some of the things he is hearing as he travels the country on his presidential campaign. Dr. Carson says that understanding government and…

What religious rights do Christians have in the workplace? A court case in Atlanta may begin to restrict those rights in ways that should concern us. The case involves former Atlanta Fire Chief Kelvin Cochran. As I discussed in the previous commentary, he was fired from his job because of a devotional book he wrote that addressed sexual issues from a biblical perspective. Cochran has been a firefighter since the early 1980s. He was even appointed by President Obama as…

Every four years, presidential candidates talk about giving away lots of free stuff in order to get elected. Tim Wildmon, in a recent column, explains the “promise and peril of free stuff.” He believes that Republicans will have to deal with a major challenge. Democratic candidates are offering lots of free stuff. “It’s hard to out free-stuff the Democrats.” Leading the way in giving out free stuff is Senator Bernie Sanders. One article in the Wall Street Journal estimated that…

The Supreme Court’s decision in Obergefell vs. Hodges, bringing same-sex marriage to the entire nation, is resulting in some serious legislative proposals. The Left’s efforts to mainstream the gay lifestyle have mostly been met with success. But there’s been some difficulty getting federal laws on the books to force acceptance and affirmation of homosexual behavior. Now, emboldened by the High Court’s validation of gay marriage, LGBT advocates are working their plan to quickly get Congress to pass bills that enshrine…

A week ago I had a discussion on the radio about guns that I wish the nation were having right now. Frank Miniter is the author of a new book, The Future of the Gun. In one of the chapters he talked about technology that can alleviate some of the legitimate concerns raised by parents and law enforcement. For example, we can put biometric scanners on guns that can see through sweat and even blood. It would only allow certain…

On the heels of a successful Christian film, War Room, is another Christian film about faith, Woodlawn. I predict that this new film will do well as more people hear about it through word of mouth. The movie is a powerful story of what happened in the early 1970s at Woodlawn High School in Birmingham, Alabama. Racial conflict broke out because of government-mandated desegregation. In the midst of this, Hank brings a gospel message to the football team. More than…