Recent Viewpoints

by Kerby Anderson During this election season you may hear candidates use a phrase that has been used by politicians for the last two decades. When a social issue is discussed, the politician merely responses that we should “let the states decide.” After all, isn’t that what federalism is all about? Various states may come to different conclusions about issues ranging from restrictions on abortion to the legalization of marijuana. It sounds reasonable to “let the states decide” until you…

Kerby Anderson A group of 51 families whose children attend in Illinois have filed a federal lawsuit over transgender access to bathrooms and locker rooms. They did so because the Obama Department of Education has threatened to pull $6 million in federal funding unless the school officials allow a transgender boy to change in the girls’ locker room instead of in a separate facility. The issue began when Student A filed a complaint with the Education Department. He was born…

By Penna Dexter We’re hearing a lot lately about the need for educational institutions to comply with Title IX of the United States Education Code. This part of law, which dates back to 1972, prohibits discrimination based on sex. In order to receive federal funds of any sort schools must abide by it. Over the years colleges and universities have figured out how to comply. But, lately many faith-based institutions of higher learning find they can no longer do so…

By Kerby Anderson I suppose we shouldn’t really be surprised that various social media outlets are censoring posts they don’t like. Three years ago, officials at the National Religious Broadcasters called my attention to social media censorship. But what has been happening at Facebook I think deserves more attention. Let me start by saying that this is not a First Amendment issue. Facebook or any other social media outlet is free to decide what they allow to be posted on…

By Kerby Anderson In the first quarter this year, the nation’s gross domestic product grew by just one-half of a percent. Let me say to people who are younger and have grown up with this slow growth that this is terrible. From 1950 to 2000, the U.S. economy grew at an annual rate of 3.5 percent. In fact, President Obama may be the only president in modern times to have presided over an economy that never even reached 3 percent…

You may have noticed that some politicians and judges are no longer talking about the freedom of religion. They now promote a lower standard they call the freedom of worship. The difference is significant. Freedom of religion implies the freedom to express your religious values in the marketplace. Freedom of worship implies you only have that freedom inside your church. The case of Dr. Eric Walsh suggests that even that weaker “freedom of worship” standard is under attack. He holds…

Two weeks ago, the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces heard an historic case involving religious freedom in the military. This court is essentially the Supreme Court of the military and will have a far-reaching impact on people who serve in the military and other areas of governmental service. Marine Monifa Sterling was court-martialed because she posted a Bible verse in her workplace. The Lance Corporal was stationed at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Her supervisor ordered her to remove…

By Kerby Anderson Much has been written about Target’s policy for restrooms and fitting rooms. I think Glenn Stanton’s recent column was the most insightful. It would hard to accuse him of being anti-gay since his latest book has the title, “Loving My LGBT Neighbor.” His critique goes on for five pages, but here is a brief summary of it. First, single-sex bathrooms weren’t discriminatory yesterday. Earlier this year, Target received a glowing 100 percent rating from the Human Rights…

I’m not much of a boycotter. It’s hard to break entrenched shopping habits and I’m never sure how much it really accomplishes. But once in awhile a targeted (no pun intended) boycott is called for. The boycott of Target stores is such a case. Target recently announced that, in their stores, transgender individuals can use the bathroom of the gender they identify with. Target spokeswoman Molly Snyder says the policy has been in place for several years. But Target’s proud…

By Kerby Anderson The next time you see a story about alleged discrimination, you might stop and consider whether the story is true. There seems to be an increase in the number of hoaxes being promoted by social justice advocates. The latest was the claim by a homosexual pastor in Austin that someone at Whole Foods put a gay slur on his cake. Whole Foods claims it did not happen, has video to back up their claim, and are taking…

By Kerby Anderson While politicians and critics debate the merits of so-called “bathroom bills,” it might be worth considering what medical experts are saying about gender and sexuality. The American College of Pediatricians issued a temporary statement in March and will follow up with a full statement this summer. You can’t say they were guilty of burying their lead. The title of their statement was: “Gender Ideology Harms Children.” Here are some of the eight points they make in their…