Current Events

The elections are coming up quickly here in the US. I’m sure many of us are still making up our minds about which propositions and leaders we will ultimately choose. I appreciate the fact that I have the opportunity to vote, and I am always concerned about making sure my …

I remember when COVID-19 was first being discussed in the news. The idea that a pandemic was on the horizon was totally foreign to most of us; we simply had not experienced such an event in our lifetime. Early reactions seemed extreme and inconsistent. Some of us rushed to buy …

A national conversation has begun about the monuments in our communities. Maybe you’ve seen the news coverage of protesters removing statues of historical figures due to the moral failings of the individuals depicted. The recent events have caused me to wonder about (and re-evaluate) my own thoughts about monuments. When …

It has been a sad time for law enforcement. Recent events have turned the public’s attention toward our profession, and the public is not happy with what it sees. The actions of a few have put all of us under insurmountable scrutiny. I’m always upset when I see or hear …

A recent Gallup Poll (released on December 24th) chronicles the continuing decline of religious influence in America. In 1952, 75% of Americans said religion was very important in their lives. Today, only 51% report this to be true. In addition, most Americans now believe religion is losing its influence on America. …

Many Christian leaders are concerned about the impact visual media is having on Christianity in America. Their concern centers largely around the moral messaging in contemporary movies, television series, and commercials – most of which runs contrary to the teaching of the New Testament authors. But that’s not the biggest …

An Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll measures the degree to which Americans think it’s important for political candidates to have strong religious beliefs. While the data is nuanced, the poll found that “just 25 percent of Americans say it’s very or extremely important that a candidate has strong …

A recent study from Lifeway Research reveals that “most Americans want more religious meaning to the Christmas season.” 65% of those surveyed said, “Christmas should be more about Jesus.” While that might sound like good news for Christians, the number of Americans who want to “keep Christ in Christmas” – …

(Updated on January 20th, 2020) Much has been written about both the Biblical illiteracy of teenage believers and the flight of young people from the Church. Many have observed this trend, and I too have witnessed it anecdotally as a youth pastor (and shamefully, I contributed to the trend for some …

A new, 2018 Pew Research Center Report polled a growing group in America: “religious nones.” This group describes themselves as “nothing in particular” when asked if they identify with a specific religious group. The vast majority are ex-Christians, and most are under the age of thirty-five. Pew asked a representative …