RealClearReligion Articles

What if the thing that drives you crazy about your son is actually one of his greatest God-given strengths? You know the moment. You’re at the dinner table, and everything’s peaceful — until the silverware starts rattling. One boy’s knee is bouncing. Another is spinning his fork. He’s not trying to be disruptive. He just can’t seem to sit still. And before you know it, someone says it: “Why can’t you just calm down?” “Why can’t you sit still like your sister? Like your sister.  Here’s the thing: your son is not...

In a New York Times article, Ezra Klein interviewed former Israel Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. While he made some useful points, Olmert could not control his appetite for settling political scores. Most interestingly, when Klein asked him about Naftali Bennett, the leading contender to defeat Netanyahu in the next elections, Olmert called him “Ben-Gvir with a suit.” Because Ben-Gvir is widely thought to have Hitlerite political aspirations for Palestinians, clearing them from Gaza and much of the West Bank, Olmert is inferring Bennett is “Hitler lite.” Olmert ignored...

The founding fathers aimed to ensure our liberty under law, in conformity with the “laws of Nature and of Nature’s God.” Natural law refers to the moral law the Creator has impressed upon the world. For example, Samuel Adams once wrote: “Thou shall do no injury to thy neighbor, is the voice of nature and reason, and it is confirmed by written revelation.” But today, we see a lot of anarchy in the streets. Some of it is spontaneous, perhaps. But recent reports indicate that organizations are behind the funding of paid protesters for...

Napoleon Bonaparte’s fall from grace was complete.  On Oct. 15, 1815, after nearly ten weeks at sea on the HMS Northumberland, the former French emperor arrived as a political prisoner at St. Helena, a small British colony in the mid-Atlantic nearly 1,200 miles west of Africa. Only months before he had escaped his first exile in Elba, galvanized the French army and reclaimed his title as emperor, and marched against Europeans nations — known as the Seventh Coalition — before suffering his greatest defeat at the Battle of Waterloo (June 18, 1815).  This...

At the risk of sounding self-important, I will say that I am a living laboratory of all the Catholic Church has gone through in the modern world. Born in 1957, the year of the most US births of the post-war era, I am a Boomer of Boomers. I received First Communion in 1965, the year the Second Vatican Council closed, with the old Mass and traditions (kneeling at the altar rail, receiving on the tongue) and was confirmed two years later (yes, age 9) with some elements of both the old and the in-revision Mass, though the bishop did give us a tap on the cheek for good measure. For seven years of...

My father, KP Yohannan, went to be with the Lord one year ago. I remember him every single day since then — wishing he was here and wishing we could continue some of the conversations we started. As I've looked back, I've come to realize what a tremendous blessing it was for me to witness how he lived out his faith daily. One of the most impactful things he modeled for me was how to live a life of integrity. He was the same person at home as he was in public. That consistency is rare, yet it's one of the most powerful ways a parent can love their children. Every day, my father lived...

Every child longs for their father's love — not just in the form of provision or protection, but through what he gives of himself: words that affirm, hands that embrace, and a steady presence that says, "You matter more than words can express." A father's blessing is one of the most powerful gifts a child can receive—and one of the most important a father can give. This kind of blessing is deeply biblical. In the Old Testament, when fathers like Isaac blessed their children, they weren't just sharing sentimental thoughts; they spoke identity and destiny with spiritual authority....

For many young girls, their father is the childhood hero, who carries their bike, puts the Band-Aid on their injuries, and — in my case — caught me when I fell off the horse.  But when I was 15, Dad did a lot more than clean a scraped knee. On my way to softball practice, I was in a head-on collision that left me with a traumatic brain injury and in a coma for more than two weeks. I didn’t know it at the time, but my father, who is a first responder for our county, was on the scene.  He stabilized my neck as the emergency team extracted me from the car and lifted...

Fatherhood is one of the most impactful titles a man can hold. It is a divinely appointed ability in which men are given the chance to humbly walk in the guidance of their Heavenly Father as they themselves raise up new generations. Yet, in our broken world permeated with people determined to rescript God's original design, the definition of "fatherhood" has become skewed.  Fortunately, God isn't a detached celestial being reining in Heaven. He is an up-close and personal Father, calling His children to follow His example of fatherhood modeled by patience, discipline, grace, forgiveness,...

Father’s Day can be a painful reminder for those mourning the loss of a father. For many, however, that grief is complicated not just by the death but also by the estrangement that preceded it.For those whose relationship with their father was fractured, death is the final, irrevocable loss, extinguishing any hope of reconciliation. It’s not just the death of a parent they feel — it’s the death of any potential future earthly connection.Yana knows this well. She had a tumultuous relationship with her father, marked by inconsistency, absence, and addiction. As a...

In an age often characterized by spiritual skepticism and declining religious affiliation, a recent Barna Group study offers a beacon of hope, particularly for those of us dedicated to fostering faith in the marketplace. The findings are not just encouraging; they are a powerful affirmation of the enduring relevance of Christian ministry and the vital work being done by organizations like Christian Business Men’s Connection (CBMC). The study reveals that a remarkable 66% of U.S. adults have made a personal commitment to Jesus that continues to hold profound significance...

Recently, I had the privilege to be interviewed by Dr. Gina Loudon on “American Sunrise,” the morning program of “America’s Real Voice” network. This was for their faith segment, and the one interviewing me this time was Dr. Gina Loudon. (Other times it is David Brody of CBN.) Dr. Gina asked me to comment about some remarks Hollywood A-lister Matthew McConaughey made about what appears to be his burgeoning faith. McConaughey said recently, “I’m a believer. I believe in God.” He went to church as a child, and now is...

The media and academia complain a lot about “Christian nationalists,” an epithet used to demonize conservative Evangelicals. But I associate Evangelicals with a broadcast to which I occasionally listen while driving. Beamed two hours every weekday on Moody Radio, In The Market [referring to the marketplace of ideas] with Janet Parshall has impressed me, since I first chanced upon it, with its smart and probing panorama of Evangelical theology, Bible interpretation, concerns and values. Janet Parshall is brilliant, well-read, enthusiastic and superbly...

The election of the first ever American Pope has elevated a national discussion on the state of religion in the U.S. Many Catholics are optimistic that Pope Leo XIV will rejuvenate the Church and lead people back to the pews. Others are hopeful it will lead to a resurgence in Christianity in general. Headlines proclaimed a “comeback” for Christianity just days after the announcement.   Perhaps these early predictions will turn out to be true. Or perhaps faith will continue to plateau after a steady decline. What matters more than predicting religious...

On Pentecost, the Holy Spirit — whom Jesus Christ promised to send at his Ascension — burst into the upper room “like a strong driving wind” where his Apostles and disciples were gathered. Appearing as tongues of fire, the Paraclete rested on their heads and empowered them to “speak in different tongues” and proclaim the Good News: that their friend, the Son of God, had been resurrected three days after being crucified. The event was seismic; so much so, a curious crowd convened due to the sound it produced. All were “confused because each one heard...

The number 40 has profound Biblical significance. Rain fell for 40 days and nights after Noah built the ark. Moses spent 40 days on Mount Sinai receiving God’s law. Jesus fasted for 40 days before His ministry. In each case, God worked powerfully during these 40 days. He used this time to bring about transformation and set eternally consequential events in motion.  Might that be precisely what the Church and Christians worldwide need today? Could God be calling each of us to a period of deep communion and intentional time in His presence?  I certainly think so. And it’s...

Did the hand of God have anything to do with the birth of America? There’s a great new movie that gives a resounding, “Yes,” and it’s called “The American Miracle.”  It’s based on the best-selling book with the same title by Michael Medved, a popular radio show host, author, political commentator, and film critic. Medved hosts the new movie, weaving commentary throughout the film, which features on-screen insights from Paul Kengor, Jane Cook, Professor Robert George, Mary Thompson, Stephen Meyer, and many others.  Recently, I interviewed...

Artificial intelligence shows no signs of slowing down, and neither do the warnings about the threat it poses to the future of humanity. Within days of his election, Pope Leo XIV acknowledged AI’s “immense potential” for the good of humanity, but also pointed to “new challenges for the defense of human dignity, justice, and labor.” Citing the ramp-up in AI development as the next “great industrial revolution,” the new Pope suggested working-class people are at particular risk of AI disruption. He even chose the...

Until the glorious return of Jesus Christ, it is unlikely that evangelicals and the Catholic Church will ever see eye to eye on certain core doctrinal issues. Whether it’s sola scriptura, Marian devotion, praying to saints, or ecclesiastical authority, the gap is real — and not going anywhere soon. And yet, despite these differences, there is a growing urgency — one rooted not in compromise but in conviction — for collaboration. Why? Because we are living in an era where the very foundation of Western civilization is under siege. The only worldview that offers moral...