Recent Viewpoints

Kerby Anderson You have probably chanted at one time or the other: “We’re number one.” But sometimes being number one isn’t something positive. If the legislation before Congress passes, the United States would be number one in taxes. The Tax Foundation calculated combined tax rates for individual incomes across major nations. If you look at their chart, you will see that currently the US is in the middle with tax rates comparable to Switzerland, Turkey, Spain, and the UK. Under…

Penna Dexter I both love and dread the holiday season. A couple of years ago, the women of my church gathered over a meal to “ring in the holidays.”  As our pastor addressed us, what we really wanted to know was how to get through the season without buckling under the pressure. Our young and wise pastor really gets it that, most of the time, it’s women who make the special family and social things happen at Christmas — the…

Kerby Anderson George Barna has been doing an extensive inventory of the worldviews of Americans through the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University. He was on my radio program last week to talk about two of his most recent surveys dealing with truth and morality. Past generations of Americans viewed God as the basis for truth. Not only has that changed for the general population, it has also changed significantly within the church. He found that there were certain…

Kerby Anderson Each year, we take time from our busy lives to celebrate a day of Thanksgiving. Though many holidays have become secular celebrations, this holiday still retains much of its historic religious overtones. A day of Thanksgiving was set aside by the Pilgrims who founded Plymouth Colony. Life was hard in the New World.  Half of the Pilgrims died in the first terrible winter. After the first harvest was completed, Governor William Bradford proclaimed a day of Thanksgiving and…

Kerby Anderson Thanksgiving is tomorrow, and I suspect that you are doing lots of things to get ready for this special day. Let me suggest you add one more item to your to do list. Visit our website and download a copy of my Thanksgiving Quiz. Thanksgiving is a wonderful time to gather as a family, but I also believe it can be a great time to teach our children and grandchildren about America’s godly heritage. I created this short…

Kerby Anderson Has Christianity made a positive impact on Western civilization? That was a question I posed a few months ago in a commentary, and in it I provided a short list of atheists who would agree with that statement. Now, there are more atheists coming to that conclusion. Jonathon Van Maren writes about a number of atheists who he calls “King Agrippa Christians.” After the Apostle Paul gave his testimony and the gospel, the king said he was nearly…

Kerby Anderson Harvard professor Steven Pinker had a simple explanation for why Republicans wanted to reopen the economy. Evangelicals were exerting an influence because they believe in an afterlife, which he said is a “malignant delusion.” It was a bizarre tweet, even for an atheist. Although many have answered his comment, I thought we might revisit it because you are likely to run into similar arguments. Pinker argued that belief in an afterlife “devalues actual lives and discourages action that…

Penna Dexter For months now, politicians have been negotiating over trillions of dollars in new spending. Inflation is surging partially due to the “stimulus” dollars already injected into the economy for pandemic “relief.” Adding trillions more will exacerbate inflation. This spending has another devastating consequence in that it provides poor families with a disincentive to work. The Heritage Foundation’s news outlet, The Daily Signal, points out that “President Biden’s Build Back Better” plan increases means-tested welfare spending by $756 billion over…

Kerby Anderson In a recent column, Dennis Prager argues that we are seeing a dress rehearsal for a police state. Although I think he makes a convincing case, I am intrigued by people’s response to it. Some people see it, while others do not. It is like watching people look at an optical illusion. Some people see it; others do not. Prager argues that our country is closer to a police state than ever before. And he hastens to add…

Kerby Anderson Although America is certainly a divided nation, the divisions between the various tribes are not as great as you might be led to believe. Yes, the social and political debates are loud and intense, but the fringe, rather than the mainstream, gets most of the attention. A study done by the group “More in Common” discovered “The Hidden Tribes of America.” The researchers discovered that a small group (8%) in the liberal wing and a smaller group (6%)…

Kerby Anderson A recent research paper concluded that first responders are more likely to die by suicide than in the line of duty. The Ruderman White Paper on Mental Health and Suicide of First Responders is a chilling look at the sobering statistics of the lives of men and women who protect us each day. The paper explains that, “Police and firefighters, when compared to the general civilian population, are at heightened risk for depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and suicide.”…