Recent Viewpoints

Kerby Anderson Recent surveys show that millions of Americans doubt that the 2020 elections were run fairly. That is why a number of state legislators are filing bills and considering what changes need to be made before the next election cycle. In fact, Senator Rand Paul announced on one TV program what he will be “spending the next two years going around from state to state and fixing these problems.” He and other members of Congress might also spend a…

Penna Dexter During the early shutdowns back in April, author J.K. Rowling released a children’s novel in three installments for families stuck at home. She actually wrote The Ickabog during the years when she was writing the Harry Potter series. The full novel was published in  November. The story begins when King Fred of Cornucopia allows two manipulative and power-hungry advisors to convince him to embark on a quest to kill the Ickabog, a creature most of his subjects consider…

Kerby Anderson Representative Dan Crenshaw started his commentary about lockdowns but quickly focused on how our brains process risk. He wanted to help us understand why Americans see the pandemic and the lockdowns very differently. He cites research that discovered that “Democrats and Republicans differ in the neural mechanism activated during risk-taking exercises, specifically in the amygdala region. This demonstrates measurable physiological differences when confronted with risk.” For example, “conservatives overwhelmingly fill the ranks of physically riskier jobs such as…

Kerby Anderson A corrupt government policy that was stopped by the Trump administration looks like it may return under the Biden administration. The Justice Department during the Obama administration allowed prosecutors to make settlement agreements that directed payments to left-wing groups rather than to the government or victims. The Trump administration stopped such payments when it came into office. Attorney General Jeff Sessions argued in 2017 that “when the federal government settles a case” those funds “should go first to…

Kerby Anderson The 1776 Commission issued a report that summarizes “the principles of the American founding and how those principles have shaped our country.” Unfortunately, that will be its only report. In his first few hours in office, President Joe Biden disbanded the commission with an executive order. Compared to his other executive orders that killed the Keystone Pipeline, stopped construction of the wall, and promoted transgenderism, this action might not seem that significant. But it shows how radical he…

Kerby Anderson Yesterday I talked about a commentary by Glen Greenwald criticizing the call for a domestic war on terror. One of his concerns is the attempt to justify new domestic police powers because speech can “incite violence.” Not only is that used to justify going after our fellow Americans, it also was the basis for the impeachment article against Trump. Citing Rudy Giuliani in what constitutes incitement wouldn’t be helpful since he has been the former president’s lawyer. It…

Kerby Anderson We are hearing more and more talk of instituting a domestic war on terror. Glen Greenwald says he has seen all of this before. Some calling for new domestic police powers against “terrorists” admit they are using a model from the first war on terror nearly two decades ago. Politicians and pundits even suggest that we think about creating a 9/11 type of commission for domestic extremism. That would obviously be modeled on the 9/11 Commission established in 2002. Perhaps,…

Penna Dexter In many parts of the country, K-12 educators are now eligible to receive the coronavirus vaccine. States are responsible for setting these priorities and some are making sure teachers and other school staff members are vaccinated quickly. Education Week reports that, as of January 22, at least 21 states have made some or all teachers eligible to receive the vaccine. Yet teachers’ unions in some of the nation’s most populous cities still argue for keeping schools closed. New…

Kerby Anderson What is the American Creed? That is a question David Gelernter asks in his book, America-Lite. He has been on my radio program to talk about his book and his op-ed that appeared in the Wall Street Journal. He is a fascinating individual. He received two degrees in classical Hebrew literature, but then became a professor of computer science at Yale University. Some have called him a “rock star” in the world of computing. You might also remember…

Kerby Anderson America is turning more into a secular society. But this post-Christian nation has not turned into a kinder, more tolerant place to live. Peter Beinart, writing in The Atlantic, reminds us that a vast majority of Americans still believe in God, but they are fleeing organized religion in increasing numbers. The percentage of people with no religious affiliation jumped from 6 percent in 1992 to 22 percent in 2014. Among Millennials, the figure is 35 percent. Many secular…

Kerby Anderson Americans in general, and even evangelicals in particular, seem confused about important details of their faith. A study done by Lifeway Research found that Americans don’t know much about theology, and many evangelicals seem confused as well. Tyler O’Neil wrote about the “12 Lies American Evangelicals Believe.” Here are a few of them. Americans generally believe that their personal salvation depends on good works. The survey found that three-fourths (77%) agreed with the statement that people must contribute…