RELIGION & LIBERTY ONLINE
Godard Is Dead. Is Cinema?
One of the founding filmmakers of the French New Wave enraptured, confounded, and infuriated audiences, critics, and filmmakers. But no one was better at capturing the nihilistic moment of the late ’60s. Read More… Jean-Luc Godard died on September 13, 2022, and the news in the world of cinema and culture was received as confirmation that cinema itself was dead. Godard had a remarkable influence on cinema in the ’60s, but his fame went beyond that. He replaced the aged...
Not Jonesing for the Jones Act
An obscure maritime law hit the news recently because of catastrophic weather and its consequences. Let’s hope we never have to hear about it again. Read More… Just a few years ago, very few people knew or discussed the Jones Act. Now everyone is talking about it. In a colossal but somewhat predictable fiasco, while Puerto Rico was being pummeled by Hurricane Fiona, the Jones Act prevented a cargo ship from docking off its coast to deliver some 300,000 barrels...
The Anarchists Is a Case Study in the Decadence of Autonomy
A new HBO Max series takes a look at the tragic implosion of munity of self-described anarchists who “escaped” statist America for freedom in Mexico. Tragedy ensues. Read More… I have a reasonably high tolerance for fortable television and movies, maybe a higher tolerance than I should, but the first thing I would say about the HBO Max seriesThe Anarchistsis that it is not for the faint of heart. In this case, though, the tough stomach required is not due...
Lord Shaftesbury: Evangelical Social Reformer
Social justice warriors of the 21st century have nothing on this aristocratic evangelical. Read More… “I want nothing but usefulness to God and my country” (Diaries, February 22, 1827) When the funeral procession of Lord Shaftesbury progressed through the streets of London toward Westminster Abbey on October 8, 1885, thousands of people lined the streets, bands gathered to play Christian hymns, and hundreds of banners were held high with Bible verses. The representatives of more than 200 voluntary societies linked...
How Cars Can Keep Us Human
Does technology have its own moral code? And if so, does it influence ours? Why agency and action are essential to remaining fully human. Read More… Truck drivers are cowboys. I work at a food warehouse. Truckers show up with 40,000 pounds of primal-cut beef, equivalent to maybe 50 head of cattle, driven from Nebraska, by a team of horses, bit, bridled, and reined by bustion. I don’t actually spend a lot of time around these guys, but it’s pretty...
RELIGION & LIBERTY
Worship Together
  Worship Together   By: Amanda Idleman   Editor’s Note:This devotional was written before the Covid-19 global outbreak. We hope that you can still take the principles of this devotional and apply it to your specific situation, no matter what worship looks like for you at the moment.   That is why I can never stop praising you; I declare your glory all day...
Jan 28, 2026
An Entitlement Wake
  Social Security and Medicare are in a meltdown. In their recently published Trustees Reports, Social Security is facing a $25.4 trillion shortfall and Medicare is facing a $52.8 trillion shortfall, a combined total of $78.2 trillion—a daunting figure that is not included in calculations of our national debt.   It sometimes seems like the only existing bipartisan consensus in Washington is...
Jan 28, 2026
A Prayer for Lasting Peace
  A Prayer for Lasting Peace   By Kristine Brown   “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27 NIV)   If you were to do a quick search on the internet for “how to find peace,” you’d...
Jan 28, 2026
Pentecost
  Pentecost   Weekly Overview:   God’s presence is real, full of love, and completely transformational. It takes what was broken and brings healing. It takes what was lost and guides us to our rightful place in the Father. It satisfies the weary, brings light to the darkness, and pours out the refreshing rain of God’s love on the dryest, deepest parts of...
Jan 28, 2026
The Caregiving Boom Needs Spiritual Support
  Shanoah Bruner is among the quarter of American adults who find themselves in the sandwich generation, raising children under 18 and supporting aging parents.   At her home in the Indianapolis suburbs, the 40-something mom lives with her husband, tween and teen daughters, mother-in-law, and biological father.   The caretaking role comes naturally to Bruner. She was raised in a family that...
Jan 28, 2026
Billy Graham’s US Capitol Statue Unveiled
  Salvation in Christ Jesus was offered in National Statuary Hall May 16 at the unveiling of a statue of the iconic late global evangelist Billy Graham, which has John 3:16 and John 14:6 carved in its base.   Friends, Gods grace is undeserved, but through Christ it is freely given. And it is by trusting in Gods sacrifice that we are...
Jan 28, 2026
What We Have
  Weekend, May 18, 2024   What We Have   Then Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up. “There’s a young boy here with five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that with this huge crowd?” (John 6:8-9 NLT)   Andrew was a spiritually perceptive guy. Initially he was a disciple of John the Baptist. And when Jesus came on the scene,...
Jan 28, 2026
Why Your Church Needs You
  Why Your Church Needs You   The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!”On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable…. -1 Corinthians 12:21-22   In March of 1981, President Ronald Reagan was shot as he was walking toward the...
Jan 28, 2026
AI Preachers and Teachers? No Thanks, Say Most Americans.
  Ask ChatGPT how to improve your spiritual life, and the natural-language processing artificial intelligence chatbot has plenty of suggestions.   But Americans are skeptical that artificial intelligence, or AI, has much to offer in the way of reliable religious guidance.   Sixty-eight percent of people dont think AI could help them with their spiritual practices or promote spiritual health, according to the...
Jan 28, 2026
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