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Is Raphael Warnock right that ‘the early church was a socialist church’?

Raphael Warnock, the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Georgia, believes that the Bible teaches socialism and that embracing a Marxist economic platform “actually makes you a Christian.” In a sermon delivered in 2016 in Atlanta’s Ebenezer Baptist Church, Warnock chided that “evangelicals who stand on the Bible” but reject socialism need to “go back and read the Bible.” Warnock told his flock: The early church was a socialist church. I know you think that’s an oxymoron, but the early...

Rev. Robert Sirico: Reject ‘moral relativism’ over the Capitol riot

Rev. Robert Sirico, the president and co-founder of the Acton Institute, discussed how Christians should respond to the Capitol riot in a segment of EWTN’s The World Over dedicated to “political protests and lawlessness.” “Why are we seeing more frequent, violent political protests here in the U.S., and what needs to be done about this rioting?” host Raymond Arroyo asked his guests, Rev. Sirico and Catholic League President Bill Donohue. “We need to be outraged – morally outraged – by...

Today is Lord Acton’s 187th birthday. His philosophy should guide our next two centuries

Sunday January 10, 2021, is Lord Acton’s 187th birthday. This difficult era of a global pandemic, a crisis in institutions, and civil unrest seem strange times indeed to look back on the life and legacy of a Victorian historian of ideas – but, as Lord Acton himself remarked, “if the Past has been an obstacle and a burden, knowledge of the past is the safest and surest emancipation.” The freedom of the historian is the freedom to look beyond our...

‘Amen and awoman’: Emanuel Cleaver’s prayer mocks U.S. civil religion

There has been a lot of social media hubbub about Congressman Emanuel Cleaver’s recent prayer in the U.S. House of Representatives, which he closed with “amen and awoman,” apparently striving to be gender inclusive. He omitted atransgender. Cleaver, D-Mo., is an ordained United Methodist who pastored a church in Kansas City for many years. His two-minute prayer was otherwise conventional, full of biblical references and King James cadences – until the very end, when he appealed to the “monotheistic God,”...

The four cultural crises revealed by the D.C. riots

On Wednesday, rioters broke into the U.S. Capitol building, vandalized the halls of government, and caused mayhem that left five people dead, including Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick. These sickening scenes of destruction did e out of the blue. They grew naturally out of cascading failures rippling through the culture, the government, and the church. The D.C. riots reveal the deep failure of the government. How could rioters breach the sanctuary of our republic? “Enormous strategic and planning failures” by...

Free video conference celebrates Sir Roger Scruton on the first anniversary of his death

Sir Roger Scruton passed away on January 12, 2020 – one year ago today. On the first anniversary of his death, many of his closest friends and colleagues will celebrate his memory and his incalculable contribution to conservatism in a free, online conference titled, “Remembering Roger Scruton.” Scruton’s death from cancer at the age of 75 deprived the worldwide conservative movement of his intellectual prowess, incisive and precise philosophical distinctions, and playfully delightful expressions. He produced an array of books,...

The state of human freedom in 2020

The year 2020 has been the most challenging and demanding year most Americans can remember. How did freedom fare in the United States and around the world over the past year? The Cato Institute and Canada’s Fraser Institute measured the level of liberty at the national, regional, and global level for the sixth year in a row. “The Human Freedom Index 2020” surveys conditions in 162 of the world’s 193 nations, covering 94% of the world’s population. Their verdict? Stasis....

RELIGION & LIBERTY

The Left’s Reversal on Free Speech

　　The political left lacks any subtlety in its attitudes toward free speech and the First Amendment. Indeed, whenever liberals cite the First Amendment, they inevitably argue for downgrading it from the pinnacle of constitutional provisions. Although the left once stood up for speech rights, now it seems to think of the First Amendment’s protections not as a command, but simply...

Dec 6, 2024

Gratitude as a Lifestyle

　　“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18 　　I am not a naturally grateful person. 　　It is easy to thank the stranger who held the door for me, repeatedly thank the teacher who helped my child learn math, or thank my family for once again forgiving me for burning supper....

Dec 6, 2024

The Joy of Thanks

　　THE JOY OF THANKS-LIVING 　　In everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 　　1 Thessalonians 5:18 　　We've arrived at the best time of the year – the Thanksgiving/Christmas season. I just love being with family and friends… enjoying great food, great fellowship, and great football (Go Longhorns!). 　　As we celebrate Thanksgiving, we tend to focus...

Dec 6, 2024

Originalism and Sullivan

　　The new originalist majority on the Supreme Court faces a problem: from their originalist viewpoint, many past opinions are ill-reasoned. Certainly, New York Times v. Sullivan is one of them. It thus may well be a candidate for overruling. Professor Holloway is to be congratulated for putting its reconsideration on the table. 　　That said, overruling Sullivan raises many difficult questions...

Dec 6, 2024

Axis of Deception

　　Making sense of the geopolitical landscape after 1989 would be hard enough without the self-inflicted fantasy that ideology, and thus history, had reached its final resting place. Once the infamous Iron Wall pulverized into the dustbin of history, Western intellectuals fed on a steady diet of dialectics proclaimed the emergence of a new consensus. The new world no longer needed...

Dec 6, 2024

God Is Sovereign

　　Weekend, November 16, 2024 　　God Is Sovereign 　　“I know that you can do anything, and no one can stop you.” (Job 42:2 NLT) 　　Sovereignty is a tough concept to wrap our heads around, especially in today’s highly influenceable culture. Everyone answers to someone. Public figures change their stances based on the feedback they get. Politicians are swayed by donors. Corporations...

Dec 6, 2024

A Prayer for Hope When the Holidays Trigger Painful Memories

　　A Prayer for Hope When the Holidays Trigger Painful Memories 　　By Rachel Wojo 　　Bible Reading 　　May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. - Romans 15:13 　　Listen or Read Below 　　Holidays are often painted as times of...

Dec 6, 2024

Dissidents Without Hope

　　Judged against other world empires, the Soviet Union had a short lifespan. The communist regime did not even last a full century: only a mere sixty-nine years passed from the Russian Revolution to the dissolution of the USSR. That is one year less than the Jews’ biblical exile to Babylon. And yet, the history of some aspects of that brief...

Dec 6, 2024

How Praising God Can Help You Deal with Challenges

　　How Praising God Can Help You Deal with Challenges 　　By Whitney Hopler 　　Bible Reading 　　“Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise – the fruit of lips that openly profess his name.” – Hebrews 13:15, NIV 　　Recently, I’ve been dealing with several serious challenges simultaneously. Thinking about all of those situations makes me feel overwhelmed....

Dec 6, 2024

How to Test and Approve Gods Will (Romans 12:2)

　　BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY:“Test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” - Romans 12:2 　　How to Test and Approve God's Will 　　By Matt Erbaugh, Bible Study Magazine 　　For me, it didn’t take long before I began to think the Bible might not be big enough. During my college years, the Bible guided me through many...

Dec 6, 2024