RealClearReligion Articles

After two boys, I so badly wanted a daughter. The boys were two years apart. Too close, I thought. Maybe we should wait two and a half years before having another child. That would take us to September 1989.  My mom's birthday is the 19th of September, so that would be the perfect day. We had my family over for my mom's birthday in September 1988, so I announced that for my mom's NEXT birthday I would have a baby girl.  Three months later, we had the shock of my sister Lynne passing away unexpectedly. You can imagine what our family went through, I won't go into that, but I didn't...

Here’s a trivia question…Who christened the Titanic? I’ll answer that question later. Interest in the Titanic never seems to abate. My wife and I got to visit an interactive, high-tech exhibit on the Titanic, which included a few artifacts brought up from the bottom of the sea, such as Captain Smith’s binoculars. The website for the exhibit notes: “Titanic: An Immersive Voyage in Florida is an extraordinary expedition that takes you deep into the history of the Titanic. Immersive video animations, and 3D projections allow you...

When we are overwhelmed by bad news, and by our own fears and failures, it can feel impossible to speak hope and life into the people and circumstances we care about most. Yet, thousands of years ago, God gave His people a simple, timeless prayer; a blessing so powerful that it still carries authority, favor, and protection today.  In Number 6:22-27, the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, ‘This is the way you shall bless the children of Israel. Say to them: The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious...

God-given femininity. The very concept seems to ignite a powder keg of emotions. For centuries, the beauty of God-given femininity has been under attack, its definition debated, and its behavior contested. In recent years, these attacks have intensified in visible and troubling ways. Secular media and influencers increasingly portray traditional feminine roles as outdated, oppressive or even harmful. High-profile cultural moments, including debates over women’s sports where biological males compete against females, have eroded protections rooted in biblical sexual...

One of the remarkable aspects of the IDF-Hamas war has been the attitude and behavior of Israel’s Arab citizens. Despite repeated provocation from the extreme rightwing led by Ben Gvir, they have maintained if not increased their allegiance to the state.  Moreover, their relationship with their Jewish neighbors has not been frayed but in many cases strengthened. Immediately after the October 7th attack, Ra’am leader Mansour Abbas gave an unequivocal condemnation of Hamas’ actions. It resonated broadly among Arab citizens as evidenced by the willingness of 86.5 percent...

A Texas member of the state House of Representatives from the liberal district of Austin catapulted to national fame last week. Why? He beat outspoken Jasmine Crockett in the Democratic primary as a candidate for the U.S. Senate. After this victory, Congressman James Talarico, said, “We are not just trying to win an election, We are trying to fundamentally change our politics. And it’s working.” What makes this politician of interest is that in the name of religion, he makes a lot of radical claims. He refers to the Bible as if it supports things that it clearly...

Since at least the 1960s, the idea of a Shia cleric-led government had been occupying the mind of the Shia cleric Ruhollah Khomeini. In 1980, his wish came true. For nearly 50 years, Iran has suffered under an authoritarian system led by Shia clerics. As a heap of despotism, the Regime violates every Shia principle of governance and is regularly indicted by human rights organizations for its violent crackdowns on dissent, forced disappearances, and mass executions. In the West, the Iranian Regime has become the scapegoat of “Sharia Law” and Islamic governance. However, while the...

For decades, the Middle East has been a significant hotbed of conflict, plagued by international wars, civil unrest, and ongoing battles between geopolitical and ideological rivalries that often transcend national boundaries. Although it is often considered a Middle Eastern country, the Islamic Republic of Iran bridges the gap between the Arab world and Central Asia. Iran also has some unique distinguishing features, such as its distinct Persian culture and the use of Farsi rather than Arabic as the official language. Regionally, Iran is a military powerhouse, having one...

The United States may not be in the midst of a spiritual revival, as President Donald Trump touted during the State of the Union Address, Feb. 24. The data is mixed, with religion being viewed as “very important” to less than half of Americans, as a recent Gallup survey found.  Nevertheless, for the nation to prosper and bind together, religiosity is not only a crucial aspect of civil society, but vital to its sustainability. This sentiment was expressed by none other than the country's first president, George Washington. Although private in his own religious convictions and...

On the banks of the Rhine rises one of the most recognizable structures in Europe — a cathedral whose story spans centuries of faith, ambition, and human effort. For more than six centuries, the cathedral stood unfinished, its half-completed towers a familiar landmark along the Rhine. Cologne Cathedral towers above the surrounding city, its twin spires climbing 515 feet (157 meters) into the sky. Begun in the High Middle Ages and completed only in the nineteenth century, it stands today as one of the most ambitious stone building projects ever undertaken. When construction was finally...

It seems that virtually every week that goes by, there is an attack on our national patriotism in one way or another.  In the historic town of Winchester, Virginia, (not far from Harpers Ferry, WV), the town council has decided the Pledge of Allegiance is not needed for their regular meetings. The Daily Caller writes, “A Virginian public commission voted on Feb. 17 not to recite the Pledge of Allegiance before its business meetings, according to The Winchester Star.”  They add, “Commissioner Leesa Mayfield, who opposed the measure to add it, said she had nothing...

Apparently, that bastion of former unbiased news coverage, CNN, is promoting an upcoming installment of “The Whole Story” titled The Rise of Christian Nationalism, set to air on Sunday, March 8. According to Pamela Brown, their chief investigative correspondent, she has been working on this project for several months and will also expose Christian classical education, along with this alarming rise in “Christian Nationalism,” as one of the great threats to our democracy. To sustain her conclusion, she points to the “radicalization” of Christianity...

Memento mori, “remember you will die.” From Greek and Roman philosophers to Christian ascetics and medieval monks, acknowledging that death comes for us all prompted contemplation about how to live a life of virtue and promote justice. But while many in the modern West complain about the state of our society, how often do we think about or discuss our pending deaths? For most of human history, death was something people confronted in their daily lives. Deaths of infants, mothers in childbirth, friends and family from disease, the loss of a child or parent to war, and passing of...

In 2025, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) received over 20 million reports of online abuse. Too often, when people — myself included — hear those statistics, they don’t make the impact they should. It’s easy to forget that each of those 20 million reports has a real person on the other side. A victim with a story.  Imagine what would happen if every church in the United States made it a priority to help these abused children. If each of the estimated 400,000 churches from coast to coast mobilized a small team to minister to...

At the collegiate and professional level, many teams utilize a sports scout to identify and evaluate talented athletes. They actively seek out potential prospects who possess the necessary skills, physical attributes and competitive drive to succeed at higher levels. Once identified and chosen by the scout, the athlete still needs to prove themselves and demonstrate their skills and ability to make the team. Athletes are keenly aware of these scouts and keep a watchful eye for them when practicing and competing. They focus on proving themselves and standing out, which could lead to...

In February 1777, Thomas Jefferson helped establish an evangelical church. What? Yes, that Thomas Jefferson. It was called the Calvinisitical Reformed Church of Charlottesville. And it met in the local courthouse. Why, that’s enough to give the ACLU apoplexy. This was less than a year after he wrote the first draft of the Declaration of Independence. It’s important to understand that the early Thomas Jefferson was much more faithful to his professed Christian faith than we are led to believe. Yes, he harbored serious doubts later in life. But the...

Just in time for America’s 250th anniversary, Bunni Pounds and the team at Christian Engaged are gearing up for a massive Scripture-based event this spring — “America Reads the Bible.” I spoke with Bunni Pounds for a radio segment about this upcoming event. She told our listeners:  “On April 18-25, we’re going to be in Washington, D.C. We’re going to have 475 of our national leaders reading the Bible from Genesis to Revelation over the course of seven days.”  These leaders will include actress Candace Cameron Bure who said that the...

The Temptation of Christ in the Wilderness (1898) by Briton Rivière, a British-born artist, prominently hangs above my home office desk. I bought the print after encountering it in a daily Lenten devotional, Born of Fire, written by Father Innocent Montgomery, CFR, and published by the Knights of Columbus. To me, the scene elicits conflicting emotions: guilt and loneliness, but gratitude and joy. More importantly, the work captures the heart of Lent: rediscovering our true identity. After his baptism by John the Baptist, Jesus Christ was “full of the Holy Spirit, returned from...

Quite honestly, I don’t follow sports. In fact, I was leading a church service during the Super Bowl. We all have different tastes, but when it comes to watching sports games on TV, I’m like the bank examiner in “It’s a Wonderful Life!,” who said in a different context: “Well, they do those sort of things, I suppose.” But even I couldn’t escape news of the anti-American halftime show at the Super Bowl with Bad Bunny versus a patriotic counterpart put on by Kid Rock, et al. for the late Charlie Kirk’s group, Turning Point USA. It was Bad...