Tag Archive for: The Church

The New Religion of AI: Who Gets to Define What It Means to Be Human?

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On January 20, 2026, historian Yuval Noah Harari stood before the World Economic Forum at Davos and issued a direct challenge to Christians worldwide. “If religion is built from words, then AI will take over religion,” he said, then named Christianity by name: “This is particularly true of religions based on books, like Islam, Christianity, or Judaism.” And he left this question in the air: “What happens to the religion of a book when the greatest expert on the holy book is an AI?”

The clip accumulated 1.2 million views within days. The room at Davos did not object.

A Documented Shift, not a Conspiracy

Harari’s 2026 remarks are the current edge of a worldview shift building for years — visible in the public statements of the most powerful technologists of our time, spanning five distinct domains of the human person.

It was Harari himself who told the same World Economic Forum in 2020 that we are “no longer mysterious souls — we are now hackable animals.” Six years later, he has moved from contesting human identity to contesting the authority of Scripture. The trajectory is not random.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman wrote in 2017 that “the merge has already started” — that phones and algorithms already “control us” and “decide what we think.” By 2025, he had enlarged that frame: an essay titled “The Gentle Singularity” described AI as “building a brain for the world,” projected brain-computer interfaces, and suggested “some people will probably decide to ‘plug in.’” Venture capitalist Marc Andreessen has called AI development a “moral obligation” and envisions every person equipped with an AI “assistant, coach, mentor, tutor… therapist” — roles Scripture reserves for God, parents, pastors, and community.

Billionaire, AI investor, and co-founder of Palantir Technologies Peter Thiel has said, “I’ve always had this really strong sense that death was a terrible, terrible thing… I prefer to fight it,” investing millions to turn mortality into an engineering problem. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, writing in more restrained terms, envisions AI-enabled biology offering “control and freedom over our own biological processes” addressing conditions “we currently think of as immutable parts of the human condition” — potentially including a doubling of the human lifespan.

These statements come from different people with different assumptions. What they share is a common direction: the human being as improvable hardware, death as a bug to be patched, and — in Harari’s own words before world leaders — the Bible as a database awaiting a more capable administrator.

The Contest That Matters More than the One We’re Watching

In “The New AI Cold War,” I document how China, Russia, and Iran are weaponizing artificial intelligence to surveil populations and export digital tyranny worldwide. That geopolitical contest is real and urgent. But the deeper one is being fought inside Western civilization itself — on the terrain of human identity and, as Harari’s Davos appearance confirmed, on the terrain of Christian faith. The architects of AI understand this better than most Christians do.

What Scripture Actually Says

No technological development alters what Scripture says about human beings. “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness’” (Genesis 1:26). That declaration is the load-bearing wall of Christian anthropology — the reason human dignity is inherent and not a function of what AI can do with our genome or our sacred texts.

In “AI for Mankind’s Future,” I examine what it means to bear the imago Dei when machines imitate human intelligence. Harari’s question has a Christian answer no algorithm can produce: the Holy Spirit, not processing power, illuminates Scripture. The soul is real and not reducible to data. The body is not hardware — it will be raised imperishable. Death is an enemy, but the resurrection of Jesus Christ has already answered that claim. “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5) is not a devotional sentiment — it is the posture Scripture commands for this moment.

The Jurisdiction That Is Quietly Changing Hands

The most consequential shift in AI is not technological. It is jurisdictional. AI is migrating from tool to authority — not by coercion, but through the frictionless convenience of daily use. Algorithms already shape what millions of people read and believe, mediate education, and form moral character. Andreessen’s vision of AI as universal tutor, therapist, and life guide is not a distant scenario. It is the operational goal of every major platform already in your household.

When a digital system begins answering the questions of identity, purpose, and meaning that once belonged to God, to parents, and to community, it does not remain a tool. Romans 1:25 describes the exchange in which Paul warns against trading the truth of God for the created thing. Harari is more candid than most about where that exchange leads — and at Davos, he named your Bible specifically.

The Response Christians Cannot Afford to Delay

AI produces genuine benefits — in medicine, national security, and communication — and “AI for Mankind’s Future” acknowledges them. The argument here is against surrender: surrendering judgment to the algorithm, and the formation of the next generation to systems whose designers have already decided the human being is improvable hardware and the Bible is a word-processing problem.

Christians must engage AI with discernment — using the technology without adopting its embedded anthropology. That means defending what the technologists are actively contesting: that human dignity is a gift of the Creator, not a product of code, and that the authority of Scripture cannot be transferred to any machine. “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death” (Proverbs 14:12).

Harari posed the right question at Davos, and the answer has not changed since Moses received it at Mount Sinai. What remains is whether the church will say it loudly enough, and soon enough, for the world to hear.

AUTHOR

Robert Maginnis

Robert Maginnis is a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, senior fellow for National Security at Family Research Council, and the author of 14 books. His latest, “The New AI Cold War,” releases in April 2026.

EDITORS NOTE: This Washington Stand column is republished with permission. All rights reserved. ©2026 Family Research Council.

The Washington Stand is Family Research Council’s outlet for news and commentary from a biblical worldview. The Washington Stand is based in Washington, D.C. and is published by FRC, whose mission is to advance faith, family, and freedom in public policy and the culture from a biblical worldview. We invite you to stand with us by partnering with FRC.

PERKINS: Civil Leaders and Spiritual Authority

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President Trump’s Truth Social post last weekend which seemed to depict him as the Great Physician (though he later deleted it) serves as a reminder of why the biblical principle often described as the separation of church and state still matters.

Yes, I support that separation and always have. Let me explain.

When many on the Left invoke “separation of church and state,” they often mean the exclusion of God from government, suggesting He has no authority or place in public life. That is neither biblically grounded nor practically sustainable. As the Apostle Paul writes in Romans 13:1, “there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.” Civil leaders get their authority from God.

And when governments deny or marginalize that truth, they ultimately erode the very foundation of their own authority.

Scripture draws a clear boundary. Civil leaders are not to assume roles or authority that belong to God or His ordained institutions, yet spiritual leaders are responsible for upholding those boundaries.

We see this vividly in 2 Chronicles 26 during King Uzziah’s reign. Israel was flourishing, economically strong, militarily secure, and territorially expanding. But success gave way to pride:

“But when he [Uzziah] was strong, he grew proud, to his destruction. For he was unfaithful to the LORD his God and entered the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense. But Azariah the priest went in after him, with eighty priests of the LORD who were men of valor, and they withstood King Uzziah and said to him, ‘It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the LORD, but for the priests…’” (2 Chronicles 26:16-18)

He entered the temple to burn incense, a duty reserved exclusively for the priests. Azariah and 80 priests confronted him, warning that he had crossed a line established by God. Uzziah’s judgment was swift and sobering.

The lesson is clear: God establishes both authority and limits. The king was not above those limits. The priests had the authority not only to defend the sacred but also to confront and correct the king. To do so, they needed to be independent of the king.

This is the proper understanding of the separation of church and state: civil leaders must not assume spiritual authority, and spiritual leaders must not surrender moral authority. It protects the church’s independence so it can speak truth to power — and it restrains the state from assuming spiritual authority it does not possess.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. captured this well in his sermon “A Knock at Midnight”: “The church must be reminded that it is not the master or the servant of the state, but rather the conscience of the state. It must be the guide and the critic of the state, and never its tool. If the church does not recapture its prophetic zeal, it will become an irrelevant social club without moral or spiritual authority.”

When any political leader is portrayed — or allows himself to be portrayed — in explicitly messianic terms, a line has been crossed. And when the church remains silent, the line fades.

The question is not merely about one post or one moment. It is whether the church will faithfully serve as the conscience of the state — or quietly surrender that role.

Because when the line disappears, both institutions suffer — and truth is the casualty.

AUTHOR

Tony Perkins

Tony Perkins is president of Family Research Council and executive editor of The Washington Stand.

EDITORS NOTE: This Washington Stand column is republished with permission. All rights reserved. ©2026 Family Research Council.

The Washington Stand is Family Research Council’s outlet for news and commentary from a biblical worldview. The Washington Stand is based in Washington, D.C. and is published by FRC, whose mission is to advance faith, family, and freedom in public policy and the culture from a biblical worldview. We invite you to stand with us by partnering with FRC.

The Most Important Debate in Cuba Happening Today: Christians and Politics (Part 3)

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(Read Part 1 and Part 2)

The Catholic intellectual Dagoberto Valdés has spoken of that essential embrace between the exiles and those remaining within the country — those two “lungs” of the nation. Millions of Cubans are scattered across the globe, kept apart by politics and the draconian laws of a totalitarian regime. From the prohibitions and surveillance surrounding the receipt of letters from abroad, to the deep-seated mistrust directed at the men and women who departed the island — all these wounds must be healed.

“Not everyone will discern this right away,” Methodist Pastor Darlon Bermúdez cautioned. “It happened in the days of Nehemiah, and it will happen again now. But when the hand of God rests upon a people, He Himself undergirds the entire process. Cuba has not been forgotten by God. These ruins do not mark the end of the story. God continues to raise up, to restore, and to establish — and He often accomplishes this by bringing back those who were once compelled to leave, yet who never ceased to belong.”

Zeal Tempered by Love; Prudence Guided by Truth

For his part, religious leader Carlos López Valdés drew another historical parallel — though in this instance, he focused on two distinct groups that coexisted during the days of Jesus. The pastor of the Evangelical League of Cuba recalled that, at that time, Israel was living under immense socio-political pressure.

“Amidst that reality, the Zealots emerged: men deeply passionate about God and about the freedom of their nation. They believed — rightly so — that only God should reign over His people, and that oppression was not God’s design for Israel,” said López Valdés. In his view, their contribution was significant: they kept the people’s identity alive, defended God’s sovereignty, and refused to resign themselves to an unjust reality.

To the pastor, some of them chose the wrong paths — “not in their yearning for change, but in the methods they employed to achieve it.”

Then there were the Pharisees. “Men sincere in their desire to honor the Law, committed to the spiritual life of the people. Many of them sought to preserve the faith amidst a complex context,” he said. “Their concern to avoid conflict with Rome also stemmed, in part, from a desire to shield the nation from graver consequences.”

Yet in that attempt to preserve, he underscored, “there was sometimes a risk of adapting too readily to the system and of viewing with suspicion those who raised a dissenting voice.”

López Valdés noted that Jesus did not align Himself with the violence of some Zealots, yet neither did He ignore the need for transformation. He did not reject the Pharisees as individuals, though He did confront — with love and authority — attitudes that hardened the heart.

The controversy surrounding political engagement within the Cuban church reminded the pastor of that historical scenario. Regarding believers who, moved by their faith, voiced their anguish in the face of injustice, he stated that they did so not out of hatred or violence, “but out of a deep conviction that human dignity must be honored.”

He acknowledged that, at the same time, other brethren feel concern regarding the tone, the potential repercussions, or the risk that the church might lose its spiritual focus. “Their desire, often, is to safeguard unity, avoid divisions, and protect their witness,” he said. In his reflection, López Valdés took issue with the epithets hurled during the controversy. “Calling a brother a ‘zealot’ can end up being a label that oversimplifies something far more complex. For not everyone who raises their voice seeks violent confrontation. And not everyone who remains silent does so out of a lack of conviction,” he wrote.

For him, the challenge amidst the controversy was not “labeling one another,” but rather discerning hearts and fruits. “There is a zeal that needs to be guided by love. And there is also a prudence that needs to be accompanied by truth. The church is called to uphold both: a passion for justice, and wisdom in its approach.”

In an invitation to unity, López Valdés urged everyone to listen to one another with humility. “Behind every stance lie distinct stories, fears, convictions, and burdens. And all of us, in some way, are striving to remain faithful to God amidst complex realities,” he remarked. “Instead of discrediting one another, we are called to walk alongside each other. Instead of labeling one another, we are called to understand one another.”

Zeal is not the problem, nor is prudence. “The true challenge is ensuring that both are surrendered to Christ. For ultimately, the Kingdom of God advances neither through imposition nor through silence, but through transformed hearts that know how to love the Truth and live it out with grace.”

I believe that a mature and realistic perspective on the church’s mission involves viewing it — yes — as an institution, but also as the sum of its members. We are one body; I have been called to be a voice, while others serve as hands or feet. No one is superior to another. We are all part of the Redeemer’s plan.

At the same time, I never forget that whenever members of the political police detained or summoned me regarding my work as a journalist, they would invariably sneer the phrase: “Christians don’t get involved in politics.” Of course! That is precisely what they desire: that those who know the Light should hide it away. Yet, it fills me with hope to know that within the Cuban church, many simply do not know how to hide their lamp under the bed.

AUTHOR

Yoe Suarez

Yoe Suárez is an exiled journalist, writer, and producer who investigated in Havana about torture, political police, gangs, government black lists, and cybersurveillance. A graduate of Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, he was a CBN correspondent, and has written for outlets like The Hill and Newsweek. He has appeared on Vox, Univision, and Deutsche Welle as an analyst on Cuba, security, and U.S. foreign policy.

EDITORS NOTE: This Washington Stand column is republished with permission. All rights reserved. ©2026 Family Research Council.

The Washington Stand is Family Research Council’s outlet for news and commentary from a biblical worldview. The Washington Stand is based in Washington, D.C. and is published by FRC, whose mission is to advance faith, family, and freedom in public policy and the culture from a biblical worldview. We invite you to stand with us by partnering with FRC.

Firm Steps for the Cuban Transition

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John Suárez — the son of Cuban exiles who spends part of his year living in Miami — has experienced firsthand the hopes held by the exile community and their families. He has witnessed their dreams of returning home and the dinner-table conversations envisioning a prosperous, free future for the island.

Now, as executive director of the Center for a Free Cuba (CFC) — a non-partisan, D.C.-based NGO focused on monitoring human rights violations — he has published a significant analytical paper titled “Cuba at a Crossroads: Options for Supporting Democratic Transition Amidst Economic Collapse and National Security Challenges.”

The report calls upon the Trump administration to focus on immediate, shared objectives, such as demanding the unconditional release of all political prisoners (currently numbering over 1,200) and a full amnesty. This is perhaps the point where his views most concretely align with those of activists in exile and Cubans on the island who seek a change of regime.

Furthermore, the CFC demands that the International Committee of the Red Cross be granted access to Cuban prisons. The last such visit authorized by Havana took place in 1989.

Suárez deems it crucial to “secure verified humanitarian assistance through independent channels — bypassing entities controlled by the regime — in a manner consistent with a spirit of reconciliation.” This is something the administration has already been facilitating through the Catholic Church, but which it could also pursue in future aid shipments through evangelical groups — a growing presence now spread across the entire island.

U.S. Ambassador to Havana, Mike Hammer, recently held meetings with representatives of these groups.

The CFC calls for preparations for what it terms the “Liberation Phase.” How? By documenting acts of repression, training citizens in non-violent resistance and transitional governance, and preserving evidence for future truth and justice commissions. Of that entire list, in my opinion, the most critical element is that the regime must set a date for holding free and fair elections. There must be a date!

As I explained in an interview with Univision a few days ago, the regime is an expert at buying time. Havana has proven its ability to evade the deadlines of history. And John Suárez is well aware of this, too. In a previous conversation with me, he acknowledged that Washington should not underestimate the Castro regime.

Furthermore, the CFC document includes several policy recommendations to be followed.

First, it urges the United Nations to send an independent delegation to conduct an on-the-ground assessment of the current food and medicine crisis in Cuba. As a second step, donor nations must “channel assistance exclusively through independent mechanisms of proven effectiveness” or insist that Havana legalize genuine non-governmental organizations. In this effort, diplomats must maintain constant oversight.

The Castro regime is weak, but not finished. For this reason, the CFC recommends maintaining and expanding targeted sanctions against its repressive agents, and rejecting bills such as the United States-Cuba Trade Act — which would prematurely dismantle the sanctions against the regime — “precisely at a moment when Havana has been exposed for supporting Putin’s war in Ukraine and maintaining hidden military assets in Venezuela.”

Introduced by Democrats James P. McGovern (term ends February 12, 2026) and Ron Wyden (term ends January 16, 2025) — and codified as H.R. 7521 in the House and S. 136 in the Senate — the bill seeks to lift the main restrictions of the embargo, as well as to prohibit limits on remittances and other transactions.

Instead, the CFC argues, the United States should tighten sanctions, apply Magnitsky-style measures against individual repressors, and condition any future relief upon concrete actions. Some of these include: withdrawing all Cuban military and intelligence personnel from Venezuela, Ukraine, and Nicaragua; closing Chinese radar facilities directed against the United States; surrendering terrorists and fugitives from justice; and, on the domestic front, legalizing political parties.

Running counter to Barack Obama’s policy, the CFC maintains that genuine democratic political change will drive economic liberalization — not the other way around. “Decades of European economic engagement — intensified under the 2016 Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement — failed to yield democratic reforms, while simultaneously enabling the regime to capture foreign capital through mandatory joint ventures with the military conglomerate GAESA,” the document underscored.

Notwithstanding all external support, however, the real change that will steer Cuba away from its socialist nightmare will come from within. It is a cultural shift that has already crystallized among a number of young evangelicals — currently the most far-reaching independent political voices on the island.

The CFC considers it essential to establish greater unity among Cubans who support democracy. To this end, it recommends forming “informal yet effective working groups (operating through secure channels) that connect internal opposition networks with exile organizations,” in order to “coordinate non-violent civic actions within Cuba with international advocacy, the delivery of humanitarian aid, and legal pressure abroad.” In the realm of non-violent civic actions and the overall internal strategy, the voices of domestic actors will carry the greatest weight.

Along this path — I am certain — the growing Cuban evangelical church will play a significant role. The church in both its senses: as a community of believers, and as an institution. The former to rebuild and administer justice; the latter to foster reconciliation. Both to point toward the ultimate Truth and to reconstitute the philosophical and moral fabric that will restore Cuba to the orbit of the West, and heal the nation of the snares of resentment and envy that socialism has sown for decades.

AUTHOR

Yoe Suarez

Yoe Suárez is an exiled journalist, writer, and producer who investigated in Havana about torture, political police, gangs, government black lists, and cybersurveillance. A graduate of Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, he was a CBN correspondent, and has written for outlets like The Hill and Newsweek. He has appeared on Vox, Univision, and Deutsche Welle as an analyst on Cuba, security, and U.S. foreign policy.

EDITORS NOTE: This Washington Stand column is republished with permission. ©All rights reserved. ©2026 Family Research Council.

The Washington Stand is Family Research Council’s outlet for news and commentary from a biblical worldview. The Washington Stand is based in Washington, D.C. and is published by FRC, whose mission is to advance faith, family, and freedom in public policy and the culture from a biblical worldview. We invite you to stand with us by partnering with FRC.

Are American Churches Becoming Pastored by AI?

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American pastors are becoming increasingly comfortable using artificial intelligence in ministry, according to a 2025 survey prepared by AI company Exponential. According to “The 2025 State of AI in the Church Survey Report,” 91% of ministry leaders surveyed declared themselves “for … the use of AI in ministry work” (up from 87% in 2024), 61% of respondents used AI at least weekly (up from 25% in 2024), and 25% used AI daily (up from 13% in 2024).

Is this increased use of AI positive or negative? In answer to a question about their “perspective on AI as it relates to ministry,” 30% of survey respondents said it was positive, 5% called it inherently dangerous, and 65% viewed it as a “neutral tool,” whose “impact depends entirely on how it’s used.” (Notably, 0% of respondents chose the fourth option provided, which is that AI is irrelevant to ministry — a fact discussed further below.)

While these varied responses may reflect theological diversity among those surveyed, they also reflect the astonishing diversity in programs and applications that fall under the general category, “AI.” Whether AI in the church is good, bad, or neutral depends in large measure on which AI tools are considered — and for what purpose.

Limitations

Before delving into this discussion, however, it’s worth clarifying the limitations of the AI survey. First, the survey was produced by an AI company that has made Christian ministry its target market, giving it a clear profit motive to expand the use of AI among church leaders. The source does not necessarily invalidate the survey results, but it’s worth keeping the potential for bias in mind.

Second, the survey’s sample selection method is unclear. The summary simply states that “Survey responses were collected from a total of 594 pastors and church staff members across a variety of denominations, church sizes, and geographic regions.” (Note also the relatively small survey size; more than 500 respondents is adequate, as the summary states, “for statistical confidence at a 95% level with a ±5% margin of error,” but surveys with 1,000 or more respondents yield smaller margins of error.)

From the information provided, it is unclear whether survey participants were random or voluntary. A random sample would provide more confidence in the result, whereas a sample comprised of volunteers would skew toward those with stronger opinions or curiosity about AI in ministry. The surprisingly high number of respondents using AI or in favor of use may signal a voluntary sample, as well as the fact that 0% of respondents thought AI was irrelevant to ministry.

What Kind of AI?

With these limitations in mind, we can now turn to consider what kinds of AI were used in church ministry, according to survey responses. Unfortunately, the survey questions only provided the broadest sketch of these uses. In answer to the question, “What is the PRIMARY way you use AI tools in ministry?” 36% of respondents chose “content creation,” followed by research (26%), administrative work (16%), and image or graphics generation (10%).

Some of these categories are clear, but the most common category is both vague and likely the most problematic category. For what kind of content creation are church leaders using AI? If AI is drafting website text and event announcements, that’s uncontroversial. If AI is generating prayer requests or compiling notes from a pastor’s sermon, that’s more controversial. If the content being created is the substance of the sermon itself — well, that’s downright problematic.

While the AI survey fails to clarify this point outright, it does offer a slightly-less-foggy picture from a nearer vantage point. To the question, “Which AI tools have you used in the last 6 months?” the top five responses were ChatGPT (26%), Grammarly (11%), Microsoft Co-Pilot (9%), Google Gemini (8%), and Canva Magic Studio (8%).

Insofar as some of these tools have definite uses, these answers begin to shed a little light. For instance, Canva is a graphic design tool, and Co-Pilot is a search engine; these tools are obviously used for image creation and research, respectively. Grammarly, likewise, is a writing and editing tool. However, this question presents only a partial picture, as ChatGPT and Gemini have multiple uses.

Even questions that seem to drill down on potential problem areas fall short of clarity. Of the 69% of respondents who were involved in sermon preparation, the survey asked, “Have you used AI as part of your sermon preparation or writing process?” (In response, 64% said “yes” in the 2025 survey, up from 43% in 2024.)

Yet even this question lacks necessary precision. A preacher who uses Microsoft Co-Pilot to track down the origin of a great Spurgeon quote he once heard would answer “yes,” just like a preacher who asked ChatGPT to feed him an outline and applications.

Outsourcing Ministry?

This is the issue that is truly at stake: Are pastors outsourcing their essential duties to a computer program? Nothing theological is at stake when an office assistant uses Grammarly to compose emails, or when a volunteer pulls icebreaker questions for youth night from ChatGPT. But when AI is shepherding the flock, then that is a real problem.

Jesus the Good Shepherd gave his sheep “shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ” (Ephesians 6:11-12). To accomplish this work, pastors must devote themselves, like the apostles, “to prayer and to the ministry of the word” (Acts 6:4).

Because this is a sacred duty, those who exercise it “will be judged with greater strictness” (James 3:1). Who wants to stand before the judgment seat of God and argue that their pastoral errors were due to an overreliance on AI?

Pastors can do no better than follow Peter’s counsel, “Shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory” (1 Peter 5:2-4).

In the estimation of AI businesses, churches can grow their engagement and impact by effectively leveraging AI to improve efficiency (or so the trendy business jargon goes). In the estimation of Jesus Christ, faithfulness in ministry matters far more. Some forms of AI can assist in this mission if wisely used, but AI can never replace the essential ministry of human under-shepherds, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, through whom Jesus promised to build his church.

AUTHOR

Joshua Arnold

Joshua Arnold is a senior writer at The Washington Stand.

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EDITORS NOTE: This Washington Stand column is republished with permission. All rights reserved. ©2025 Family Research Council.

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The Washington Stand is Family Research Council’s outlet for news and commentary from a biblical worldview. The Washington Stand is based in Washington, D.C. and is published by FRC, whose mission is to advance faith, family, and freedom in public policy and the culture from a biblical worldview. We invite you to stand with us by partnering with FRC.

Study: Charlie Kirk’s Murder Fueled Religious Revival among Young Americans

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The assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk had a significant impact on the nation, fostering discussions on the link between dehumanizing rhetoric and political violence, prompting the White House to investigate left-wing domestic terrorist groups, and inspiring a Christian revival among broad swaths of the population. Now, a new study is examining that revival, its extent, and its impact.

According to a survey conducted by the Barna Group, nearly one fifth (18%) of American adults reported that they became more spiritually active following Kirk’s assassination, while 5% said that they became more politically active and 6% said that they became both more spiritually and more politically active.

The spike in being spiritually active was most pronounced among younger generations and practicing Christians, the Barna Group noted. Among adults of Generation Z, 22% reported becoming more spiritually active, 7% more politically active, and 6% both more spiritually and more politically active. The share was almost identical among Millennials, with only 2% more reporting becoming more spiritually active. Among practicing Christians, 30% reported becoming more spiritually active and 10% reported becoming both more spiritually and more politically active, while only 3% reported becoming just more politically active.

“It is remarkable to see the impact of a widely known public figure, and the fact that tens of millions of Americans were inspired to take action as a result of his death,” said Barna Group CEO David Kinnaman in a statement. “There has been some discussion about Charlie Kirk’s passing as directly responsible for a surge in church attendance,” he observed. However, Kinnaman pointed out that younger Americans (especially Generation Z) were already returning to church and becoming more religious in the months preceding Kirk’s murder, which the Barna Group chief suggested may have fueled or accelerated that Christian revival.

In comments to The Washington Stand, Joseph Backholm, senior fellow for Biblical Worldview at Family Research Council, noted, “In recent years, Charlie had emphasized the importance of faith before political activity, and in his death that message landed with those who respected him.” Backholm continued, “I also think there’s an understanding that he was murdered, not because of his political positions, but because he was engaged very directly in a spiritual war. This clearly became about more than politics and an encouraging number of young people are seeing this and they want to engage in the spiritual war that inspires our political wars.”

Nearly half (47%) of Americans, including a majority (71%) of practicing Christians, said that they believe Kirk’s death will continue to have a positive impact on Christianity among younger generations, but survey respondents were less optimistic on other issues. Only about a third (34%) of polled adults said that they believe the ability to have civil political conversations will improve in the years ahead, while a similar share (33%) predicted that the ability to have civil political conversations will continue to deteriorate. Less than 30% said that Kirk’s assassination will foster cooperation between conservatives and liberals, while over a third (35%) anticipated a negative impact. The Barna Group noted that Generation Z “respondents were particularly likely to expect negative impacts on political cooperation (45% negative vs. 29% positive), American politics broadly (46% negative vs 33% positive), and civil discourse (43% negative vs 32% positive).”

“Practicing Christians held markedly different views,” the Barna Group observed. In addition to anticipating a positive impact on Christianity among young Americans, a majority (53%) of practicing Christians said that they expect Kirk’s murder to yield a positive impact on civil political discourse. Nearly half (49%) also expected Kirk’s death would have a positive impact on politics in the U.S. and nearly as many (44%) anticipated a positive impact on the relationship between conservatives and liberals.

“It is a cliché that young people are the leaders of tomorrow because it’s true. We need future leaders who understand what time it is and the spiritual nature of our political conflicts,” Backholm told TWS. “The first responsibility of Christian adults is to disciple young people in our sphere, particularly those in our homes. Charlie was especially good at reaching young people, but he is by no means the only one capable of doing that, and now we all have to pick up the mantle.”

“Every person is on a unique spiritual journey, so there is no one way to activate people spiritually. And some people aren’t interested in the truth and can’t be activated until hearts are changed,” Backholm cautioned. “But there are always people who are seeking the truth as well, and pointing them to the truth requires us to live lives that demonstrate God’s ways are better while also being able to communicate why rebellion against God’s plan for humanity causes so much pain,” he continued. “Reality will always be on our side because God made the rules; we just need to make sure our words and lives consistently demonstrate the beauty and superiority of God’s plan. If we do, people will be interested.”

In the weeks following Kirk’s assassination, TPUSA hosted a memorial event for their slain leader, attended by President Donald Trump and members of his administration. Renowned neurosurgeon and former Trump administration official Dr. Ben Carson marveled at the “revival” inspired by Kirk’s Christian faith. “Get on board of the revival that is coming. We are not going to be able to stop it. You see evidence of it right here in this stadium. We’re all going to be a part of it,” he urged pastors.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that “the movement Charlie Kirk led and started and gave fuel to was about politics, but not only about politics.” He then delivered a synopsis of the Gospels, recounting how sin entered the world and how Christ suffered, died, and rose again in order to free mankind from that sin. “Because He took on that death, because He carried that cross, we were freed from the sin that separated us from Him. And when He returns, there will be a new Heaven and a new earth, and we will all be together. And we are going to have a great reunion there again with Charlie and all the people we love,” the secretary declared. Vice President J.D. Vance, a longtime friend of Kirk’s, also spoke. “The evil murderer who took Charlie from us expected us to have a funeral today. And instead, my friends, we have had a revival in celebration of Charlie Kirk and of his Lord Jesus Christ.”

Kirk’s widow and now his successor as CEO of TPUSA, Erika, made international headlines for her own Christian witness. “Charlie passionately wanted to reach and save the Lost Boys of the West, the young men who feel like they have no direction, no purpose, no faith, and no reason to live, the men wasting their lives on distractions and the men consumed with resentment, anger, and hate,” she recalled of her husband’s work and mission. “He wanted to save young men, just like the one who took his life. That young man, that young man,” she said, visibly emotional and choking on tears. “On the cross, our Savior said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they [do] not know what they do.’ That man, that young man. I forgive him.”

“This past week, we saw people open a Bible for the first time in a decade. We saw people pray for the first time since they were children. We saw people go to a church service for the first time in their entire lives,” Erika said, in reference to the spiritual impact her husband’s death had on the nation. “To those of you out there who just made that decision and took the first step toward a spiritual life, I say thank you and welcome. One day I hope you look back and realize it was the most important decision of your life. Because it is,” she continued. “All of you who are already believers, it is your job to shepherd these people. Do not take that lightly. Water the seed of their faith, protect it, and help it grow,” Erika urged. “Choose prayer. Choose courage. Choose beauty. Choose adventure. Choose family. Choose a life of faith. Most importantly, choose Christ.”

AUTHOR

S.A. McCarthy

S.A. McCarthy serves as a news writer at The Washington Stand.

EDITORS NOTE: This Washington Stand column is republished with permission. All rights reserved. ©2025 Family Research Council.

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The Washington Stand is Family Research Council’s outlet for news and commentary from a biblical worldview. The Washington Stand is based in Washington, D.C. and is published by FRC, whose mission is to advance faith, family, and freedom in public policy and the culture from a biblical worldview. We invite you to stand with us by partnering with FRC.

Navigating a Hostile World: 5 Ways Christians Can Stand Firm with Grace and Truth

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How should Christians respond to a world increasingly hostile toward Christians and the values they proclaim?

This pressing question was explored during a panel discussion at Family Research Council’s 2025 Pray Vote Stand Summit over the weekend, where thousands of believers gathered for two days of worship, learning, and equipping to stand resolute in their faith. The panelists offered a multifaceted approach to engaging a hostile culture with compassion, conviction, and biblical grounding. Here are five key insights from their discussion.

1. Winning Hearts or Winning Debates?

Engaging a hostile world begins with rejecting its combative tone. “[W]e’re to speak the truth in love,” said FRC President Tony Perkins. And yet, “oftentimes when we get into these discussions, we want to win a debate as opposed to winning a heart” — a perspective that usually only deepens the divide. That’s when Mike Winger, founder of BibleThinker, chimed in, stating that “biblically speaking, you actually care about the other person.”

Speaking with someone we’re at odds with can be challenging, but as Winger further explained, “[W]e can be passionate … about where the country is or where our churches are at. But am I passionate about that individual and them changing their mind or getting at least a seed planted?” Anyone can change their mind later “down the road,” but “the agenda is transformation on the other side, not just a victory.”

How do you view the person you’re talking to? This, as Perkins noted, is a fundamental question to ask yourself when navigating these kinds of conversations. If you see them as a sinner in need of saving and blinded by darkness, chances are, you may find yourself far more compassionate and loving toward them than you thought possible.

2. The “Theology of Losing Friends”

Founder and President of Them Before Us Katy Faust put it bluntly. If Christians are to share truth in an age that cancels truth tellers, then we must “develop a theology of losing friends.” She encouraged believers to prioritize relationships and initiate connections with those who disagree, but to set biblical boundaries. “[Y]ou need to think ahead of time,” she said, “and you need to think biblically.” What are you not willing to do simply to keep the relationship? Are you willing to lose a friend if it means not compromising?

Scripture is clear that the world will hate Christians because it first hates and rejects Christ (John 15:18). As such, for believers willing to stand firm, losing friendships is an inevitable reality. But as Faust emphasized, when you lose that friendship, you should be able to say, “[I’ve] lost the relationship. Not because I was a jerk … unprepared … uninformed, or I was doing too much truth telling and not enough grace giving. [I] lost the relationship because the only way for me to keep it was to compromise on what I believe.” This, Faust urged, is not only “an acceptable reason to lose a friend,” but it’s also “what honoring your Lord looks like in … a hostile culture.”

3. Care about What the Bible Cares about

Christians must engage with all issues the Bible addresses, even those deemed “secondary.” Winger explained how Jesus Himself spoke on taxes and divorce, even if what He said was not accepted. Of course, sharing the gospel is crucial for Christians, but it’s a “narrow view of the gospel” to think that Christians can not or should not address other conversations within culture.

Winger went further: “[W]e’ve underestimated how much these secondary issues are actually our neighbor’s primary issues.” For many, issues concerning life, gender, identity, and more sit at the “center of their worldview. … And when you leave that alone, you’re leaving the stronghold center of their worldview alone” — the very aspect “that’s making them resistant to the gospel of Christ.” There are plenty of people who struggle with homosexuality, unchallenged by the truth of Scripture, who may agree to go to church. Yet, Winger noted, “when [their sin] finally gets confronted, they just bail.”

Christians can’t “abandon central issues our people are dealing with,” Winger stressed, because then “we leave them alone without any guidance from the light of the world on these issues that are destroying their souls.”

4. Be Engaged by Finding Your Identity in Christ, Not in Politics

Political engagement can spark spiritual revival, as Faust observed: “[P]olitical conservatism has led to a spiritual revival” when Christians speak with “sanity and evidence.” Natasha Crain, author of “When Culture Hates You,” chimed in, remarking, “There’s always the risk that we can conflate our identity. … We need to identify the risks” to avoid “conflating our Christian identity with any kind of political identity.”

However, Crain argued, “My concern is sometimes, when we’re talking about those risks, we never get past the risk.” Christians often spend a lot of time warning other Christians of the negative consequences of getting wrapped up in politics that they forget to address what it should look like — how Christians can faithfully engage in a way that sparks positive change. From Crain’s observation, “A lot of that pressure [Christian’s face] to hide because of … hostility comes from within the church.”

There are many “leaders within the church,” she emphasized, “a lot of pastors who are doing so much of the warning … that it makes us shrink back and go, ‘Oh, I guess I shouldn’t want to impose my values on others,’ or, ‘I guess I shouldn’t be seeking the power to do things right.’ We hear all of these kind of mantras in the church.” Yet, “When you pull them back, you realize that they’re really not logically consistent. They’re not biblically consistent. We are called to be salt and light” and “follow Jesus’s commands … to love God [and] others. … [P]art of loving others … is caring about their lives in the context of the societies in which they live.”

Ultimately, it’s an identity found in Christ alone that allows Christians to engage in politics without making an identity out of it. And when you are criticized for voicing God’s truth, Winger encouraged believers to “ignore them and keep moving forward.” And if you’re scared to speak up at all and are concerned you aren’t equipped, Winger added, “I would rather stumble forward and kind of mess up a little along the way and try to change the world than to just sit back. … I’m not worried about my identity. My identity is in Christ.” But “do I have the guts and the courage and the fortitude to stand up and continue to defend the truth against even this in-crowd that we’re talking about? That’s the test.”

5. God’s Word: The Anchor in the Cultural Storm

Above all, Perkins asserted, “We’ve got to be in the word of God, and we need to be in churches that are preaching the word of God” — especially “if we’re going to have the confidence to stand in this increasingly hostile culture.”

Furthermore, by being grounded in the word, Christians can better understand how the biblical worldview is not invalid. As Winger put it, “[W]e need to relearn how to be utterly unashamed of our Christian grounding … worldview … purposes, and reasons, and then explore the borders.” And if you’re accused of “trying to force your values on people,” he added, you can say, “Yes, I am. … Everyone’s trying to force values. I’m trying to force good values that are grounded in truth and God. … [Y]ou’re trying to force values that you see as valuable, you see as good, but they’re not grounded in truth, in God.”

“We’re in a moment,” Perkins observed. “How do we make the most of this?”

The panelists called Christians to action: mobilize, as Winger urged, by actively engaging culture; immerse yourself in Scripture, as Crain advocated, to ground your worldview; and embrace justice, as Faust emphasized, to protect the vulnerable. In a constitutional republic, Christians have the freedom to share their values boldly, and by anchoring themselves in God’s word, speaking truth with love, and standing firm without compromising, Christians can navigate a hostile world with grace, courage, and transformative impact.

AUTHOR

Sarah Holliday

Sarah Holliday is a reporter at The Washington Stand.

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EDITORS NOTE: This Washington Stand column is republished with permission. All rights reserved. ©2025 Family Research Council.

The Washington Stand is Family Research Council’s outlet for news and commentary from a biblical worldview. The Washington Stand is based in Washington, D.C. and is published by FRC, whose mission is to advance faith, family, and freedom in public policy and the culture from a biblical worldview. We invite you to stand with us by partnering with FRC.

This Year, Trump Celebrates Holy Week. Last Year, Biden Celebrated Trans Visibility Day

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If voters ever needed proof of the cultural and spiritual importance of what is at stake in a presidential election, they need look no further than this Easter. This year, President Donald Trump began the celebration of blessed Holy Week, the days leading up to the annual remembrance of Jesus Christ’s resurrection from the dead, by issuing a remarkably erudite and theologically precise presidential message on Palm Sunday. Just one year ago, President Joe Biden rang in Easter by urging Americans to celebrate the Transgender Day of Visibility.

President Trump’s Holy Week message reads like it could have been written by a combination of Adrian Rogers and Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen. “In His final hours on Earth, Christ willingly endured excruciating pain, torture, and execution on the cross out of a deep and abiding love for all His creation. Through His suffering, we have redemption. Through His death, we are forgiven of our sins. Through His Resurrection, we have hope of eternal life,” wrote the president. “On Easter morning, the stone is rolled away, the tomb is empty, and light prevails over darkness — signaling that death does not have the final word.”

The statement of Trump, a Presbyterian, managed to sound simultaneously more revivalist than George W. Bush, who became a born again Christian after a personal intervention from Billy Graham, and more Roman Catholic than the nation’s second Catholic president. “Beginning with Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday and culminating in the Paschal Triduum, which begins on Holy Thursday with the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, followed by Good Friday, and reaching its pinnacle in the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday night,” wrote President Trump. “This week is a time of reflection for Christians to memorialize Jesus’ crucifixion — and to prepare their hearts, minds, and souls for His miraculous Resurrection from the dead.”

“This week, we pray for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon our beloved Nation,” continued President Trump, who named Paula White-Cain, a Pentecostal, as his special adviser to the White House Faith Office.

Nor did the president endorse only a mental faith, putting his political capital on the line to defend evangelical Christians, who gave Trump 81% of their votes in the 2024 presidential election. “This Holy Week, my Administration renews its promise to defend the Christian faith in our schools, military, workplaces, hospitals, and halls of government. We will never waver in safeguarding the right to religious liberty, upholding the dignity of life, and protecting God in our public square,” he vowed.

The president’s message constitutes just one public act celebrating the religious faith of America’s maligned majority. In an additional post on Truth Social, he added, “In that moment of His Resurrection, History was forever changed with the Promise of Everlasting Life.” Indeed, the second Trump administration’s “White House Faith Office has put together an extraordinary weeklong celebration for Holy Week ahead of Easter Sunday,” declared Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, who recently appeared in a candid social media video capturing her praying before a White House press briefing.

The White House Faith Office announced, in addition to the president’s message, the White House would release a special presidential video, host a pre-Easter dinner, and hold a White House staff Easter communion service led by White, Franklin Graham, Greg Laurie, and Jentezen Franklin. It will be “a special time of prayer and worship at the White House to be shared with Americans,” according to the office’s faith director, Jennifer Korn.

Christians praised the Trump presidency’s high-profile celebration of faith. “It is so encouraging to see people who believe in the power of prayer in this administration!” said Franklin Graham of Samaritan’s Purse. “I voted for this,” said Megan Basham, author of “Shepherds for Sale.”

Compare this Holy Week under the second Trump administration to the Biden-Harris administration’s decision to divert the nation’s collective attention away from Easter Sunday and direct it toward the Transgender Day of Visibility, one of the endless string of nouveau LGBTQ holidays which fell on Easter (March 31). This year, President Trump posted his statements on Palm Sunday to celebrate all the sacred events of Holy Week. Last year, Biden’s White House released a high-profile statement on the Trans Day of Visibility on Good Friday, so Americans could revel in the celebration all weekend long. Biden rolled out his last paschal statement only on Easter Sunday itself.

In both timing and substance, the Biden administration clearly saw Easter as an afterthought to advancing the LGBTQIA2S+ agenda. The Easter statement released by President Biden (or whomever controlled his autopen) amounted to six terse sentences featuring nebulous references to “the power of hope” and “the blessing of the dawn of new possibilities.” But its 2024 Trans Day of Visibility proclamation ran six effusive paragraphs and contained 675% as many words as his Easter statement. In it, Biden warned darkly that “extremists” attempting to prevent the transgender industry from carrying out cross-sex hormone injections or surgeries on “transgender kids” actually “attack our most basic American values.”

That overheated rhetoric actually constituted a step down from 2023, when the Biden White House issued a statement, a “fact sheet,” and a presidential proclamation that declared, “Transgender Americans shape our [n]ation’s soul” (which is true, but not the way Biden implied).

When confronted over last year’s panegyric to gender confusion, America’s “devout” Roman Catholic president denied issuing the statement. “I didn’t do that,” Biden (who was no stranger to confusion himself) told reporters, deriding Speaker of the House Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) criticisms as “thoroughly uninformed.” Then-White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre categorized public backlash as “dishonest,” “misinformation,” and “untrue.” And then-Assistant Secretary of Health at HHS Richard B. “Rachel” Levine derided Christians for engaging in “faux outrage.” But Levine — who had previously lobbied the medical profession to remove age barriers for transgender procedures on minors and for the administration to transform Pride Month into “a summer of Pride” — protested too much.

Joe Biden spent four years encouraging gender confusion, suppressing the manifesto of trans-identifying mass child murderer Audrey “Aidan” Hale, hosting trans-identifying influencers (one of whom flashed his artificial breasts at the White House), and promoting outright heresy by implying God approves of transgenderism. Biden told trans-identifying “young people” that their artificial gender identity is “made in the image of God.” President Trump by contrast, in his most recent speech to a joint session of Congress last month, responded, “Our message to every child in America is that you are perfect exactly the way God made you.”

Biden’s indifference or hostility to the things of God mirrors that of his entire party. Then-vice president and “candidate of joy” Kamala Harris famously called out two students at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse who praised Jesus’s Name at one of her campaign events. “Oh, you guys are at the wrong rally,” Harris chided them. To recapitulate: A major party presidential candidate thought the most important thing she could do in the waning moments of an election she knew she was losing was to tell swing-state voters she would have zero tolerance for those who believe “Jesus is Lord.” Days later, Republican vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance told a crowd in Waukesha, Wisconsin, “That’s right. Jesus is king.”

The most popular figure in the Democratic Party’s grassroots, Senator Bernie Sanders (technically an Independent and democratic socialist from Vermont), thanked a trans-identifying male who belted out a blasphemous song depicting the Lord as a sexual predator and describing Almighty God’s genitalia during a “Fighting Oligarchy” rally (also, coincidentally, in Wisconsin) on March 7.

Indeed, Ryan Burge, an associate professor of Political Science at Eastern Illinois University and research director for Faith Counts, has noted, “When Democrats don’t go to church, a huge chunk of them say that religion is ‘not important at all,’ about 70% in 2022.” Among Republicans, the level is closer to 40% — something Burge called “pretty good evidence for Cultural Christianity.”

This week’s changed tone proves that elections have consequences. One of them is the fact that the president commands a federal bureaucracy — a workforce so vast, no one really knows how many people work for it (although Elon Musk has made tremendous strides to make bureaucracy both accountable and countable). President Trump has reclaimed it and turned it toward promoting truth instead of lies. Even Trump’s Truth Social media message eerily paralleled the language used by extreme gender ideologues. “We need God, we want God and, with His help, we will make our Nation Stronger, Safer, Greater, more Prosperous, and more United than ever before,” he wrote.

In May 2023, Nebraska State Senator Machaela Cavanaugh (D-6) had a meltdown during a speech in the state Capitol, chanting, “We need trans people! We love trans people! Trans people belong here!” (The president previously exclaimed, “We want God!” during his momentous July 2017 speech in Warsaw, Poland.) G.K. Chesterton once observed that “hard-shelled materialists were all balanced on the very edge of belief — of belief in almost anything.”

President Trump deserves praise for emphasizing the second half of the bully pulpit this Easter.

AUTHOR

Ben Johnson

Ben Johnson is senior reporter and editor at The Washington Stand.

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EDITORS NOTE: This Washington Stand column is republished with permission. All rights reserved. ©2025 Family Research Council.

The Washington Stand is Family Research Council’s outlet for news and commentary from a biblical worldview. The Washington Stand is based in Washington, D.C. and is published by FRC, whose mission is to advance faith, family, and freedom in public policy and the culture from a biblical worldview. We invite you to stand with us by partnering with FRC.

How Do We Lower Crime, Poverty, and Substance Abuse? Bring Back Two-Parent Families.

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The 2024 election revealed that an increasing number of Americans realize that the woke, DEI, transgender, Marxist policies pushed onto the country by the Biden administration and Democrats over the last four years are destroying our nation. We want to return to common-sense policies that will end illegal immigration, human trafficking, and drug trafficking, lower homelessness and crime, and enable families to afford food, gas, and housing again.

Family Research Council’s Joseph Backholm recently talked on the “Outstanding” podcast about how Americans can achieve these goals with founder and president of TakeCharge, Kendall Qualls. TakeCharge is an organization committed to supporting the notion that the promise of America works for everyone regardless of race or social status. They advocate for faith-based education.

Get Back to the Roots of Faith, Family, and Education

Qualls says that the 2024 election results give us a political reprieve, but that the real onus is on us as citizens. Being American citizens requires active participation — especially from the church. He is calling on the church to wake up, saying, “I think for the last 30 to 40 years, we’ve been asleep at the wheel.”

Qualls knows the importance of faith and family first-hand, explaining, “Having grown up in a divorced family, a broken family,” he wanted “something different.” He didn’t know what that was, but, Qualls reiterated, “I just wanted something different. I had to take ownership myself. I had to take charge. And that’s the essence of our organization. And it is helping our … culture, especially in the black community, get back to the roots of faith, family, and education. That’s who the culture was before we had ‘help’ from the government.”

Men and Women, Take Charge

Qualls shared alarming data that “even in the worst of times in the black community in the history of our country … when I was five years old, 80% of the black community’s children were born in two-parent families. … Today, it’s approximately 80% fatherless homes that those kids are born in.” Sadly, fatherlessness is expanding in the Hispanic and white communities as well. These are not children in divorced homes — they never had married parents to begin with.

According to TakeCharge’s website, fatherless kids comprise 75% of children in substance abuse centers, 71% of high school dropouts, 90% of homeless and runaway children, 75% of rapists, and 70% of youth in juvenile detention centers.

In fact, the United States has the highest rate of children living in single-parent households among any country in the world. As Jack Brewer and others are pointing out, almost one out of every four children in the United States live in single-parent homes. This is the highest percentage of any country. The world average is just 7%. In America, nearly 24 million children live without their biological fathers in the home.

Qualls described a study in 2004 that ought to be shared all over the country. He said it “showed that even with economic disparities, when black and Hispanic kids are in two-parent families and there is a faith … component to that family, the academic disparities just disappear. … [T]hey graduate, they perform at parity of their peers as regular Americans because the formula works. … They’ve buried this data for literally years because they don’t want to promote the traditional nuclear family.” He went on to say, “Marriage rates within the black community and Hispanic community lowers poverty literally by 80%.”

Churches, Take Charge

“We don’t have a systemic racism problem, we have the fatherless home problem,” Qualls insisted. Thankfully, black communities and churches are heeding that warning, and more and more are waking up to just how devastating the consequences of fatherlessness is. Qualls explained:

“Look, my parents lived through the Jim Crow South. They would have loved to have grown up in the America I grew up in. And what I share when I go into the black community … is evidence. … Everything we’ve done [has] to be evidence-based, peer-reviewed journals. … Our prisons are full of young men [who] would love to have had a father growing up.

And when I … talk to women in our community, [I say], ‘God did not intend for you to raise children alone.’ They all nod their head up and down. They don’t know where to go [or] what to do next. Instead of the church embracing the whole social justice narrative, they said, ‘Yes, we do have disparities because we’re not living the way we intended to live. This is not who we are. … We have ignored the strength of the traditional nuclear family.’”

TakeCharge has an army of Christian black men and women who are going into churches across the country to share the message about the necessity of waiting to have children until marriage. They also offer a Fatherhood Impact Award, recognizing fathers in front of their church congregation on Father’s Day with a TakeCharge representative and the senior pastor awarding them certificates, prize money, a copy of their book, “The Man Code,” and featuring them in their local newspaper.

Schools, Take Charge

Another way that TakeCharge is helping to lower poverty in communities is by equipping churches to start their own schools through the Washington Academy. Qualls explained, “We have an arm of … generous benefactors … that are helping us to fund this. … We are going to churches and we’re leasing out their space that’s relatively empty or low-occupied during the week for these schools. … Our schools are called ‘Washington Academy.’ We named it after George Washington and Booker T. Washington.”

Washington Academy offers an affordable Christian classical curriculum with high standards. Their mission is to create a learning environment where faith and academics work hand-in-hand, laying a strong foundation for lifelong success. They have their own content and also partner with Hillsdale Academy and PragerU.

Thankfully, the Washington Academy is in high demand. Qualls is happy to report that “more people, more churches … are wanting to open schools than we have the resources for. To be honest with you, all of the praise to the Lord, if I could open them … today, we probably would have 20 churches … if I had the funding for it.” Churches in South Carolina, Tennessee, Mississippi, Nebraska, Michigan, Nevada, and Arizona have all reached out, wanting to start a Washington Academy.

Pastors and Churches, Your Mission Field Is the Schools in Your Backyard

Qualls closed his discussion with Backholm by calling on pastors to lead their communities, saying, “You know, we need our pastors to step up to the plate. I mean … it’s not going to be solved only by politics. I think we got a reprieve from a political standpoint right now. But we need Christian Bible-centered pastors. This is a calling upon the church from a mission standpoint. … If you think you’ve got missions that are overseas, we’ve got it right here in our country and in our backyards, in our public schools. And that’s what we need to go into. Seminaries need to get on board with this too.”

AUTHOR

Kathy Athearn

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EDITORS NOTE: This Washington Stand column is republished with permission. All rights reserved. ©2025 Family Research Council.

The Washington Stand is Family Research Council’s outlet for news and commentary from a biblical worldview. The Washington Stand is based in Washington, D.C. and is published by FRC, whose mission is to advance faith, family, and freedom in public policy and the culture from a biblical worldview. We invite you to stand with us by partnering with FRC.

Public Trust in Government, Media, and the Church Has Fallen. Is There Hope for Change in 2025?

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With President-elect Donald Trump’s landslide victory and a Republican majority in both the Senate and the House, 2024 seems to be ending on a high note for conservatives. And yet, polls show that there is a significant lack of public trust in government. Not only that, but Americans are increasingly losing confidence in the media. What kind of obstacles or difficulties could this bring going into 2025?

Americans are navigating “through a rapidly evolving cultural and political landscape,” guest host Jody Hice said on Thursday’s episode of “Washington Watch.” Already, “there are certain … trends that reveal that we have both challenges as well as opportunities facing us.” As Hice explained, Americans seem to be going through a bit of a mental and spiritual crisis, with “Gen Z … bucking the downward trend of Bible engagement … [and] a troubling rise in things like anxiety and depression and suicide rates.”

Hice continued, “I look at 2025 right now on the horizon, [and there’s] no doubt there are many changes that are coming.” Most notably is the Republican control of the White House during “a time when overall confidence in government is probably at historic lows.” He asked, “Is there any way that we might see an increase in trust among the American people with the government?” George Barna, senior research fellow for the Center for Biblical Worldview at Family Research Council, joined the conversation.

“Well,” he said, “there are a couple of ways of looking at that.” In one sense, it “could easily get higher because it’s so low right now. There’s not too much lower that it can drop.” However, Barna admitted that any increase in the trust Americans have in their government likely won’t come easily. “[C]an it get higher?” he asked. “Yes, it can. But it’s going to take some significant steps forward. One of those would be casting a compelling vision of the future for our nation, and describing ways in which everyone in government is going to work together to see that happen.”

“People are tired of the standstill in government, of all the obstacles that they’re seeing … the outrageous amounts of money being spent, [and] the debt that’s being piled up,” Barna noted. Many Americans “also have this perception that a huge proportion of public officials are corrupt. And so, if we want to change people’s sense of trust in their government, they’re going to have to address those issues full on. They’re going to have to see actual leadership skills demonstrated.” Hice agreed, stating how “that’s a big hill to climb in the current environment.” But beyond Congress, he added, trust in the media has dwindled as well.

In fact, Hice explained how this year saw a significant increase in people who relied on social media platforms for gathering information. With this in mind, he asked, “Is that likely to change or not change in the coming year?” According to Barna, it is unlikely to change. Rather, as he put it, “I think what we’re going to see is a continued movement away from traditional sources of media … toward independent media.” Barna argued that this is because mainstream media now comes across as more subjective and biased than before. So, Americans are “going to look elsewhere,” he argued, further asserting that this also explains why podcasts, for instance, have “skyrocketed in terms of their popularity.”

Barna added, “Is traditional media going to be able to win back their popularity and the sense of trust of Americans? I don’t really see that happening in the next three or four years at least, because people now have set their minds to the point where they’re saying, ‘I can’t trust them. There’s no reason for me to even listen to them.’”

There’s one more notable area where people seem to be losing trust, Hice observed. “I hate to even bring this up, but there’s also seemingly … an increasing distrust for churches, a lack of trust. What do you think this next year holds for the church? Is there anything that they can do to become a greater influence in our culture?”

“[I]t’s interesting,” Barna replied, “because when you look at what’s going on with churches, in some ways it’s very similar to what’s happening with government, where people have less and less trust in the leadership of their churches.” Additionally, he explained how many Christians “feel like they’re not getting real value from their churches. And as we’ve been evaluating that, one of the things that’s become clear is that, often, that’s because they feel they’re not being given practical advice, practical guidance — real, tangible value for their life. … [This] come[s] from preaching God’s word on a consistent basis and breaking it down for people so that they know how to apply God’s truth principles in their personal life.”

But if churchgoers feel that church is not serving them, the question becomes why is that the case? Barna contended that a lot of it boils down to how churches “evaluate their success in ministry … based on how many people show up, how many programs they offer, how many … people they’ve hired, how much money they’re raising, [and] how much square footage they’ve built out.” This is problematic, Barna argued, because “if you think about those five objectives that most churches in America consistently measure to evaluate their ministry effectiveness, one conclusion we can come to is … [that they’re] bound to fail as a set of measures.”

“Why?” he asked. “Because Jesus didn’t die for any of those. That’s not what His life, His ministry, [or] His teaching is all about.” At the heart of the matter, Barna contended, is that “we’ve gotten away from the Bible not only in what we’re teaching, but even in how we’re measuring success and impact in ministry. … [I]n the last five years … half of all adults in America attending a church at least once a month on average [has gone] down to roughly one third of Americans. That’s a huge drop in a short period of time. And … the reason is they’re not getting biblical value from churches.”

“Wow,” Hice sighed. “[T]his is an extremely important issue because the well-being of our whole culture ultimately comes down to the spiritual health of the culture, which ultimately obviously rests upon the health of the church.” Considering this, he asked, “What does the church need to do to get people to come back to church? What kind of changes need to be taking place within a church body to fulfill the mission that God has given them to do?”

According to Barna, it “comes back to the whole issue of worldview. Why is it that young people in particular would say that they often are struggling with fear, depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts? … [I]t comes back to their perspectives about how life works. When you’ve got a young adult who doesn’t believe that there’s a God who’s all knowing, all powerful … merciful … just … involved and engaged in their lives, [and] when you’ve got generations of people who say that they don’t believe that there’s anything that happens after they die,” he urged that “it’s imperative that if … churches or families want to be uplifting [and] … a source of strength and hope and optimism, particularly for younger adults, well, then they’ve got to get back to God’s word.”

“[O]ur entire culture [is moving] in the wrong direction,” Barna warned, “and it’s up to churches and parents to raise their children up, to understand the truths of Scripture … to trust the Bible, to know God, to trust Jesus personally, [and] to understand that we’re sinners.” People must understand that “success in life isn’t by your material goods. … It’s not by your fame. It’s not by your popularity. It’s not even by feeling good. It’s about consistent obedience to God.” Another part of this issue is due to a lack of discipleship, he argued, and disciples who aren’t properly equipping themselves.

For anyone grappling with fear, anxiety, or depression, Barna concluded that “Jesus is the antidote. … The Bible shows us an alternative way of living,” and “the more that we can address worldview issues, the more that we can not only rebuild the church, but we can bring back a sense of life and hope and optimism to all Americans.”

AUTHOR

Sarah Holliday

Sarah Holliday is a reporter at The Washington Stand.

EDITORS NOTE: This Washington Stand column is republished with permission. All rights reserved. ©2024 Family Research Council.

The Washington Stand is Family Research Council’s outlet for news and commentary from a biblical worldview. The Washington Stand is based in Washington, D.C. and is published by FRC, whose mission is to advance faith, family, and freedom in public policy and the culture from a biblical worldview. We invite you to stand with us by partnering with FRC.

Could People Starved for Hope Be Causing the Increase in Bible Sales?

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There’s been a rise in two prominent areas: secularism and Bible sales. While seemingly at odds, is it possible the two go hand-in-hand?

The Wall Street Journal wrote that “Bible sales are up 22% in the U.S. through the end of October, compared with the same period last year.” According to the outlet, there are several potential factors for why this is the case. Jeff Crosby, president of the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association, believes “people are experiencing anxiety … related to artificial intelligence [and] election cycles.” All of which “feeds a desire for assurance that we’re going to be okay.” Maybe Crosby is right. People want to know they’re going to be okay, and so they’re turning to the Bible.

Others have speculated that the rise in Bible sales can be attributed to influencers on social media. Cely Vazquez, whom WSJ described as an artist and influencer, has used her platform to share that she “recently bought her first Bible.” Likewise, the outlet highlighted Amber Cimiotti, another social media figure who thinks podcasters and TikTokers play a major role in the growing number of people buying Bibles.

WSJ also noted how several publishing houses found the customers largely responsible for the surge in Bible sales were members of Gen Z, college students, and younger people alike. And it’s not just religious publishers seeing the Bibles fly off the shelves, but mainstream retailers too — including Amazon. Observers are puzzling over what’s causing it in light of recent surveys that have found that at least 28% of American adults claim to be religiously unaffiliated. That doesn’t exactly scream an increased demand for religious material.

Ultimately, it’s more than likely that all of these factors laid out by WSJ played a part in the increase of people buying Bibles. Rev. Blaine Crawford of Irvington Presbyterian Church told WSJ that he has seen a recent increase in Scripture study groups. He remarked that God’s word is a “grand epic story of the great questions of life. What do we do with grief or anger, what are we here for, where is the world going? The Bible provides a counterpart in a conversation about what we’re doing at this time.”

As people made in the image of God, we were never meant to be away from Him. The reigning theme in the book of Ecclesiastes is not that life has no meaning, but that apart from Christ, the source from which our purpose derives, there is no meaning. As The Post Millennial wrote, “Experts and industry insiders attribute the growth in Bible sales to societal anxieties and a search for hope.” But I don’t think the experts are the only ones who could have figured this out. Rather, Christians should understand this to be the case better than almost anyone. After all, Christians are to be the people who understand their sin and need of a Savior. We ought to be at the frontlines of an anxious culture offering them the hope of the gospel.

Family Research Council President Tony Perkins put it this way: “Obtaining a Bible is the first step; the second step is to read it and then understand it. As Philip helped the Ethiopian leader understand the Word, pray that those who are turning to the truth for hope will have others who can help them understand the Good News contained within the pages of the Bible.” Guest host Jody Hice also commented on the news that the Bible is in higher demand on Monday’s episode of “Washington Watch.” Simply put, he stated, it’s “tremendous news!”

Pastor Jay Johnson, FRC’s National Prayer Director, agreed. As he emphasized, “I certainly rejoice at that news, and [I’m] just grateful that … there’s a demand” for the word of God. “There [are]people all over looking for hope, and people are guiding them to God’s word.” But according to Johnson, “it’s not just to know the Bible [and] not just to read the Bible, but to know God. And I think that’s the beauty of God’s word.” He also referenced FRC’s Bible reading plan, Stand on the Word, noting that it’s “a great resource for people to engage in reading God’s word.”

Both agreed that it’s important to read and study the Bible, but beyond Scripture, Johnson urged that “it’s also very vital to find a church that is teaching and preaching the word of God.” It’s important “to get engaged with a local church where they can study with others.” Especially because, as Hice and Johnson agreed, it can be difficult to stay focused when reading the Bible. It can be hard to get started, particularly for people who are new to picking up God’s word like the 22% or so this year. “I just want to encourage people,” Johnson said, “to start out by praying and asking for divine guidance.”

On behalf of everyone here at FRC, we believe in the life-giving, soul-saving power of God’s word. It’s the reason we start every morning as an organization in prayer and Bible study. And so, whether you’re new to reading the Bible or have been reading it nearly your whole life, now is the time to open it up and study it, know it, and ask the Holy Spirit to write it on your heart. And as we read of the 22% increase of people who are cracking open the pages of Scripture, let us pray that God opens their eyes, ears, and hearts to the glorious truth of the gospel.

It’s no wonder this fallen world is full of broken people looking for hope, answers, and truth. And this hope, these answers, and the truth we all crave is found in the Bible. The riches are there, free of charge. All you have to do is read and, by God’s grace, believe.

AUTHOR

Sarah Holliday

Sarah Holliday is a reporter at The Washington Stand.

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EDITORS NOTE: This Washington Stand column is republished with permission. All rights reserved. ©2024 Family Research Council.

The Washington Stand is Family Research Council’s outlet for news and commentary from a biblical worldview. The Washington Stand is based in Washington, D.C. and is published by FRC, whose mission is to advance faith, family, and freedom in public policy and the culture from a biblical worldview. We invite you to stand with us by partnering with FRC.

Study: Christian Voters Responsible for Trump Victory

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In the wake of President-elect Donald Trump’s historic electoral victory earlier this month, media pundits and talking heads have focused on his significant gains among traditionally-Democratic voting blocs, such as young voters and both black and Hispanic men; but a new study is suggesting that it was Christian voters who were the decisive factor in Trump’s win. George Barna, senior research fellow for the Center for Biblical Worldview at Family Research Council and director of the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University, published his post-election report last week, demonstrating that Christian voters “made the difference in the race.”

Prior to the election, Barna had anticipated that voter turnout among Christians would be low, with as many as 40 million Christians simply choosing not to vote. While Christians did vote in fewer numbers than they did in 2020, Barna noted that the “potentially devastating impact for the Trump campaign was blunted by the even lower levels of turnout among the Harris campaign’s target segments.” Overall, 56% of self-identified Christians voted in 2024, which Barna pointed out “was barely higher than the involvement among people aligned with non-Christian faiths (53%), but significantly higher than among voting-age Americans who have no religious faith (48%).” Interestingly, Catholic voters and Christians with a biblical worldview both outperformed their 2020 turnout by three points.

“Trump was a heavy favorite among most of the three dozen Christian segments studied by the Cultural Research Center survey. The former president received a landslide 56% to 43% margin of victory among all self-identified Christians,” Barna observed. He added, “Among the approximately 75 million votes Trump garnered in the election, more than three-quarters of them — 78% — came from the Christian community.” Barna also noted that Trump’s Democratic opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, scored low among almost all Christian denominations and demographics, with the exception of “mainline and traditionally black Protestant congregations.” Overall, less than two thirds of Harris’s votes came from Christians.

The majority of Christian voters also identified their religious beliefs, the differing party platforms, and the insight of their family as the biggest impacts on their choice of candidates. “Consistent with the patterns established, Trump voters were twice as likely as Harris voters to identify their religious faith as a major influence on their candidate of choice (30% vs. 14%, respectively),” Barna noted.

In comments to The Washington Stand, Joseph Backholm, senior fellow for Biblical Worldview at FRC, explained, “Religion gives people a worldview which, among other things, gives people a way to understand what’s wrong with the world and what the solution is. Elections are one way people indicate their understanding of what’s wrong and what we need to do to fix it.” Pointing to Barna’s study, he continued, “This survey is evidence that Christians think about these questions differently than people of other faiths or no religion at all, which really shouldn’t be surprising. If anything, it might be surprising that Christians aren’t more different, but elections never offer perfect choices, and this election was more complicated than others.” Backholm added, “Christians were always going to be a significant part of this election either through what we did or did not do. In this case, tens of millions of Christians evaluated an admittedly tricky choice and reached the same conclusion, and as Robert Frost would say, that has made all the difference.”

Appearing on Monday night’s episode of “Washington Watch,” Adam Rasmussen, who worked on the post-election report with Barna, explained just how decisive a role Christians played. “What we saw is that 72% of those who came out to vote were Christians, and they have values,” Rasmussen said. He continued, “And we saw that — probably because of the platform of the Republicans and Donald Trump — Christians gave a 17 million vote advantage or cushion to Donald Trump, and because the margin between the two of them was less than that, it was insurmountable.”

Inflation and immigration were consistently ranked as top concerns among the general population heading into the election, and Barna’s post-election study found that Christian voters also placed the greatest emphasis on those issues. Overall, nearly 40% of Christian voters identified inflation as a major concern that determined who they voted for, and 34% rated immigration and border control as the same. Evangelical voters, however, placed a higher premium on immigration, with 40% identifying it as a major concern. Rasmussen said that this was likely linked to a concern over the breakdown of law. “That’s one of the major responsibilities of the federal government, is to have safe borders. How could it not? And that was a decisive factor for certain,” he said.

Addressing the issue of the 44% of Christians who chose not to vote, Rasmussen recommended that pastors and church leaders should encourage their congregations to vote in accord with Cristian principles. “We found that perhaps if there was a last-minute push, pastors and family members and churches could encourage those 32 million Christians we were calling to come out and vote,” he said. Rasmussen added, “And maybe that might push another five million into the voting polls. And we need to be more engaged in those things.”

AUTHOR

S.A. McCarthy

S.A. McCarthy serves as a news writer at The Washington Stand.

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EDITORS NOTE: This Washington Stand column is republished with permission. All rights reserved. ©2024 Family Research Council.

The Washington Stand is Family Research Council’s outlet for news and commentary from a biblical worldview. The Washington Stand is based in Washington, D.C. and is published by FRC, whose mission is to advance faith, family, and freedom in public policy and the culture from a biblical worldview. We invite you to stand with us by partnering with FRC.

‘Jesus Is King’: J.D. Vance, Kamala Harris, and the Church’s Future

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You could not get a starker contrast of worldviews. At a recent Kamala Harris presidential rally, someone shouted out “Jesus is Lord!” and Vice President Harris snapped back: “Oh, you guys are at the wrong rally. No, I think you meant to go to the smaller one down the street.” Harris’s hearers boisterously applauded her dismissive retort.

Measure that against the quick reply of vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance at a different event. Just days after Harris’s put-down, someone shouted “Christ is king!” while Vance spoke, and he calmly but boldly said, “That’s right, Jesus is King.” The crowd went wild.

In the span of a few hours, Harris and Vance showed us how Christianity is received by the two major parties in America today. In one rally, Christianity is not welcome; in the other, Christianity is affirmed (albeit quickly). Rarely have we gotten a clearer demonstration of the divide in American politics and American culture than this.

In noting this divide, we do not make the mistake of equating Christianity with the Republican Party. Further, zooming out from this particular moment, we evangelicals know that there are no perfect candidates in this fallen world. Jesus is not on the ballot and never will be. This truth, however, is not a defeatist principle. It is a liberating reality. Because we are under no pressure to choose the perfect candidate, we are freed to choose the best possible candidate.

We can operate in this freedom because we Christians are not voting to elect a national pastor. We are trying to honor good and oppose evil, and elect those who we believe will best carry out this mission (see Romans 13:1-7). In such a posture, we believers seek to be “salt and light” as Christ called us to be (Matthew 5:13-16). Salt, we remember, is preservative. In love for our neighbor (Matthew 22:39), we believers do what we can to preserve what is good in our nation.

We do this in dark days, to be sure. But Christianity, we recall, is a faith that is made for the darkness. As such, we Christians cannot abandon the public square. Scripture gives us no such mandate. In fact, the Old and New Testament alike summon us in the opposite direction. For example, the following figures show us powerful examples of faith in action — faith applied to politics.

In righteous Joseph, we see a man thrust in the center of a kingdom, doing great good for many through careful leadership. In courageous Esther, we see a woman who used all her God-given agency to save the Jewish people, those murderously opposed and targeted by wicked Haman. In uncompromising Daniel, we see a man given great influence in Babylon, yet who refused to live by pagan lies. In the prophet John the Baptist, we see a man who called out a ruler for his sexual sin and became the first Christian martyr for doing so. In Paul the apostle, we see a man who used his Roman citizenship to go on preaching the gospel when others tried to stop him.

All of these figures applied their faith to a fallen world. They did not have perfect political choices before them. Several of them, in fact, worked in pagan administrations and did so by the providential direction of God. (Note that Esther was involuntarily married to a pagan king — how’s that for an opportunity for cultural engagement?) Yet these brave men and women of God honored God in difficult circumstances. Placed in the fire by God, they did not run away from the smoke; they ran toward it.

These believers give us a marvelous example for our own day. They summon the modern church to moral action. Like them, we are not responsible for making the world sinless and painless. We cannot do so; only Jesus can (and Jesus surely will). We are responsible, instead, for doing all we can to love our neighbor. In a democracy like ours, which allows us the God-given privilege of voting, I believe that this entails that we are free to vote for the best possible candidate and party before us. In sum, we are freed to practice political realism in order to do what good we can.

This leads us back to where we started. One presidential candidate has declared that Jesus has no place in her rally. What a startling and frightening response Kamala Harris gave. We tremble for her soul. By contrast, J.D. Vance affirmed the kingship of Jesus. These starkly different responses clarify where we are in our society today. The church has just been given a visceral picture of its impending future. Tragically, one party is openly hostile to the Christian faith; the other is openly welcoming. May this reality wake us up and move us to act as we can.

But let us also remember this: there will come a day when the gathering of God’s people will not be small. Then, the people of God will be gathered in one glorious throng to honor and worship the King, Jesus Christ, the lamb slain before the foundation of the earth (Revelation 5). On that day, no one will be holding a counter-rally, no one will be mocking Christ, and no one will be able to hold back the action of his arm, an arm that is mighty to save, and terrifying in its power to judge.

AUTHOR

Owen Strachan

Owen Strachan is Senior Fellow for FRC’s Center for Biblical Worldview.

EDITORS NOTE: This Washington Stand column is republished with permission. All rights reserved. ©2024 Family Research Council.

The Washington Stand is Family Research Council’s outlet for news and commentary from a biblical worldview. The Washington Stand is based in Washington, D.C. and is published by FRC, whose mission is to advance faith, family, and freedom in public policy and the culture from a biblical worldview. We invite you to stand with us by partnering with FRC.

‘Jesus Is Lord’? A Tale of Two Rallies

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Political campaigns all too often come down to one memorable moment: Nixon’s debate with JFK, Reagan asking if Americans are better off today than four years ago, Bush promising “no new taxes,” or Trump descending a golden escalator. Two rallies — and three events — over the last week presented a series of revelatory moments that should burn themselves into Christians’ minds, culminating with the way two of the most important figures in the election responded to the phrase, “Jesus is Lord.”

Kamala Harris presided over the first event at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse last Thursday. As she delved into a monologue castigating pro-life protections for the unborn, two university students declared, “Christ is King!” and “Jesus is Lord!”

“Oh, you guys are at the wrong rally,” replied the Democratic Party’s candidate for president of the United States.

The students — Grant Beth and Luke Polaske, two juniors at the university — said Harris singled them out during the speech. “She was actually waving to me. I took this cross off my neck that I wear, and as we were getting asked to leave, I held it up in the air and waved at her and pointed at her, and she looked directly in the eye, kind of gave me an evil smirk,” Polaske told “Fox and Friends Weekend.” Sadly, the liberal university crowd shared Harris’s disrespect for Christians and, allegedly, for Christ. The New York Post reports:

“I was pushed by an elderly woman. We were heckled at, we were cursed at, we were mocked, and that’s the biggest thing for me personally,” Beth said. “In reflection of the event, Jesus was mocked. You know, [H]is disciples were mocked, and that’s OK.”

Contrast that scene with a rally Republican vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance held in Waukesha, Wisconsin, on Sunday. During a lull in his speech, someone in the audience cheered, “Jesus is king!”

“That’s right. Jesus is king,” Vance responded, as the Republican crowd erupted in approval.

One candidate signaled that the Name of Jesus Christ — the Name at which every knee shall bow and every tongue confess His eternal lordship — is unwelcome speech at any of her rallies. And if the Democratic nominee banishes Jesus’s Name from her campaign, when she’s trying to earn the votes of the largest share of U.S. citizens (and, alas, others), how much more will Jesus find disfavor once she’s comfortably ensconced in the Oval Office for the next four years?

On the other hand, J.D. Vance rhetorically affirmed, not merely empty praise for Jesus, but the notion that God’s sovereignty supersedes even his own. The phrase “Jesus is King!” recognizes the view that government, and those to whom it is temporarily entrusted, are subordinate to the will of God. Their will is circumscribed by the rights, priorities, privileges, and kingdom rights of Christ the King. Vance’s words pumped oxygen into the heart of the American experiment, that U.S. citizens enjoy certain unalienable rights which no government can ever take away.

Those two images should stand preeminent above all others. Yet in true, post-2020 fashion, the campaigns have given us an overabundance of definitive moments.

Another came at the 79th Annual Al Smith Dinner in New York, where former President Donald Trump highlighted the empty chair reserved for Vice President Kamala Harris. The two candidates’ remarks offered another enduring contrast.

First, Trump managed to come across as the more humble candidate. At one point, he declined to tell any self-deprecating jokes, saying, “I guess I just don’t see the point of taking shots at myself when other people have been shooting at me.” But he actually began with a self-effacing quip: “These days, it’s really a pleasure [to be] anywhere in New York without a subpoena for my appearance.” And he humbly admitted, “I went overboard” in attacking Hillary Clinton during his remarks at the 2016 event.

Kamala Harris broke with tradition to send in a video featuring “Saturday Night Live” alumna Molly Shannon as Mary Katherine Gallagher. After a few stale references to her character (who debuted on SNL 29 years ago and has not been a regular recurring character since 2001), the very funny Shannon gave a laughless, identity-focused monologue about the importance of electing a woman, because women are smarter than men. She closed by calling the incumbent vice president “Momala,” as Drew Barrymore did recently. Secular leftists are looking for a matriarch. Christians bask in the love of the Father and seek no substitute.

The incumbent vice president’s celebrity video sent a subtle message to the Al Smith crowd: Kamala Harris would rather be praised on the accident of her birth by her Hollywood friends than tell self-deprecating jokes around Christians. As she has said, she is “not aspiring to be humble.” Donald Trump seeming humbler than anyone is a miracle potentially qualifying Al Smith for sainthood.

But Trump offered a second moment in the speech worth remembering. Highlighting the Democratic Party’s increasingly strident anti-Catholic record, Trump quipped, “Instead of attending tonight, she’s in Michigan receiving Communion from Gretchen Whitmer.” (Trump also joked that Governor Tim “Walz isn’t here himself, but don’t worry, he’ll say that he was.” That is, of course, a reference to Walz’s erroneous claims that he served in battle and had been in the Far East during the Tiananmen Square massacre, which Walz explained away by saying “my grammar’s not always correct” and calling himself a “knucklehead” — which would have made a good punchline at the Al Smith Dinner. As an explanation for stolen valor, not so much.)

Harris asked Shannon’s character for tips in addressing the Catholic crowd. “Maybe don’t say anything negative about Catholics,” Shannon/Gallagher advised.

“I would never do that, no matter where I was,” replied Harris.

But, of course, that could hardly be further from the truth, as Harris’s record proves:

  • While in the Senate, Harris grilled nominee Brian Buescher, a nominee to the U.S. District Court in Nebraska, in 2018 over his membership in the Knights of Columbus, classifying it as an “all-male society” that “opposed a woman’s right to choose” and “marriage equality.”
  • As California attorney general, Harris supported the misnamed “Reproductive FACT Act,” which compelled pro-life pregnancy resource centers to engage in self-defeating speech and refer mothers to abortion facilities. (The Supreme Court struck down the law in 2018’s NIFLA v. Becerra)
  • As a senator, Harris sponsored the so-called “Do No Harm” act, which would deny Christians the right to live out their faithful convictions on the issues of abortion, LGBTQIA+ business practices, and transgender surgeries.
  • The Biden-Harris administration’s FBI investigated alleged “violent extremists in radical-traditionalist Catholic” circles who attend the Traditional Latin Mass.

Of course, Harris’s animus extends beyond Roman Catholics. As California attorney general, she signed onto a brief in the Supreme Court’s Burwell v. Hobby Lobby case, attempting to force the evangelical Christian family-owned business to purchase potentially abortifacient birth control in violation of their Bible-based, pro-life beliefs.

The third moment Christians should remember comes from a Univision town hall. A Hispanic woman asked both Donald Trump and Kamala Harris to name three good things about their opponent. Trump answered that Harris “seems to have an ability to survive. … She seems to have some pretty long-time friendships … and she seems to have a nice way about her.” Harris stumbled before saying, “I think Donald Trump loves his family” — a fact as controversial as saying Trump breathes oxygen (or loves McDonald’s). “But,” she continued, “I don’t really know him. I only met him one time … so I don’t really have much more to offer you.”

Kamala Harris’s refusal to come up with a perfunctory list of good attributes signals the most concerning shift: the perpetual demonization of one’s political opponents. As Harris’s interview with Bret Baier showed, every issue eventually comes back to an anti-Trump screed. American political discourse has slipped from a search for comity to the stoking of perpetual hatred. In fact, Harris’s refusal to appear at the Al Smith Dinner was said to be based on fears that doing so might “humanize” President Trump — an odd phrase to use about a human being.

Roman Catholic commentators offered another explanation for her absence: “None of us like to go to a party where we feel out of place. This explains why Kamala Harris decided to stiff New York Archbishop Timothy Cardinal Dolan and skip the Al Smith Dinner,” said Bill Donohue of the Catholic League in an email sent to The Washington Stand.

But perhaps her video message to the dinner summed up the contrast best. At one point, she lectured Molly Shannon, “You should never let anyone tell you who you are: You tell them who you are.”

We’ve been told, loud and clear.

AUTHOR

Ben Johnson

Ben Johnson is senior reporter and editor at The Washington Stand.

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EDITORS NOTE: This Washington Stand column is republished with permission. All rights reserved. ©2024 Family Research Council.

The Washington Stand is Family Research Council’s outlet for news and commentary from a biblical worldview. The Washington Stand is based in Washington, D.C. and is published by FRC, whose mission is to advance faith, family, and freedom in public policy and the culture from a biblical worldview. We invite you to stand with us by partnering with FRC.

PERKINS: How Should Christians Approach the 2024 Election?

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The candidates say it. We say it. Every few years, the world thinks it: “This is the most important election of our lifetime.” And in a nation ripped apart at the seams by two radically different visions for our country, it will never stop being true. Since Barack Obama’s vow to fundamentally transform America — a promise he kept — each November has become less about politics and personalities and more of a ferocious battle over whose worldview will define a nation. Values and traditions that used to unite us have vanished, replaced by the hard contours of two parties without much common ground.

In 2024, we’re a country racked by violence, turmoil, and upheaval at the highest levels of government. For Christians, this year has not only been marked by the shock of an assassination attempt and the unprecedented shake-up at the top of the Democratic ticket — but a unique set of challenges. The disappointments of a watered-down GOP platform still sting, and the abandonment of core principles by leaders we’ve come to know and trust is forcing some believers to question their very involvement in politics. When even those who claim to be conservative walk away from absolute truth, as clearly revealed in Scripture, what should Christians do? How should we approach an election when the flaws of the candidates and the imperfections of both parties seem more evident than ever before?

1. With Realistic Expectations

“None is righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:10).

Our political system, like the rest of our fallen world, is messy, broken, and flawed. As frustrating as it is to see our values trampled or ignored, we need to accept that the church isn’t going to find a perfect ruler until the millennial reign of Christ. Men and women in public office are human, and they’ll continue to let us down, no matter how sincere their faith may seem.

As someone who served on this year’s Republican platform committee — a process that’s been described as “insulting” and “despicable” — I understand the disillusionment that comes with the betrayal of longtime principles. I watched leaders who I considered stalwarts of the conservative movement wipe out decades of pro-life and pro-family progress. It convinced me of this: Christians should go into this election with eyes wide open. We must practice discernment, understanding that we will never have perfect alignment with any political party.

Does that mean we shrug our shoulders and walk away? Absolutely not. It means we recommit ourselves to being faithful witnesses to the truth of His Word at this moment in time that God has entrusted to us, whether it’s in vogue or not.

2. With Discernment

“But test everything; hold fast what is good” (I Thessalonians 5:21).

An alarming number of Christians in America today aren’t operating from a biblical worldview. How can we expect those believers to vote for biblical values if they don’t know what the Bible says? If Christians are going to change the country’s trajectory, it has to begin with a basic understanding of God’s truth.

Engaging the culture and evaluating the candidates all begins with a biblical perspective. Fortunately, Scripture spells out the fundamental values we should be looking for in the first 12 chapters of Genesis: God the Creator (1:1); Life (1:26); Marriage (2:22); Male and Female (1:26); and Israel (12:3). Using these five categories as a guide, how do Kamala Harris and Donald Trump stack up?

While Donald Trump seems to have taken a disconcerting step back from some of his socially conservative views in recent months, Americans do have the benefit of the 45th president’s four-year track record, which demonstrated his support for the sanctity of life, religious freedom, parental rights, biological sex, national security, legal immigration, military readiness, free speech, constitutionalist judges and justices, and Israel. (Visit FRC Action’s Trump Administration Accomplishments for a detailed list.)

What is much less known is the record of Kamala Harris, who, like Trump, professes to be Christian but invokes her faith as a justification for policies like social justice, LGBT activism, same-sex marriage, and even abortion.

When she ran (unsuccessfully) for the 2020 presidential nomination, Harris insisted that the work she did as California attorney general should serve as “a model of what our nation needs to do…” That “model” was a six-year masterclass in weaponizing the office of AG in which she:

  • Attacked pro-lifer David Daleiden for exposing Planned Parenthood’s sale of baby body parts;
  • Demanded that California pregnancy resource centers promote abortion;
  • Targeted businesses with moral objections to abortifacients;
  • Refused to defend laws upholding man-woman marriage;
  • Fought to overturn abortion safety standards for women.

Harris’s record in the U.S. Senate was so lopsided that GovTrack dubbed her 2019’s “most liberal senator,” an unsurprising distinction considering she:

  • Voted twice in favor of legal infanticide;
  • Vowed to force taxpayers to fund abortion;
  • Applied a religious test to judicial and Supreme Court nominees;
  • Sponsored the Equality Act to end religious freedom in America;
  • Promoted legal prostitution;
  • Supported the elimination of the Senate filibuster to pack the Supreme Court and abolish election integrity laws;
  • Opposed homeschooling and popular school choice legislation;
  • Earned 100% on Planned Parenthood’s scorecard;
  • Introduced the Do No Harm Act to gut religious liberty;
  • Cosponsored a bill that would block religious freedom for adoption providers;
  • Campaigned on allowing trans-identifying men and women in the U.S. military; and
  • Lobbied for girls’ restrooms, locker rooms, showers, sports, and even women’s prisons to be opened to biological men.

In the White House, insiders say she’s the force behind Joe Biden’s leftward lurch, even becoming the first sitting president or vice president to visit an abortion facility. Together with the president, she:

  • Rewrote Title IX to force schools to use preferred pronouns, hide gender identities from parents, and elevate transgenderism above women’s rights;
  • Sued pro-life states to overturn protections for the unborn;
  • Turned neighborhood drugstores into abortion pill dispensaries;
  • Granted taxpayer-funded travel to active military seeking abortions;
  • Forced taxpayers to cover abortions for veterans;
  • Reinstated overseas abortion funding;
  • Advocated for gender-mutilating surgeries and hormones for minors, while demanding taxpayers cover transgender procedures for veterans and military personnel;
  • Prosecuted political opponents like peaceful pro-lifers and whistleblowers like Eithan Haim for exposing his Texas hospital’s unlawful transgender procedures on children;
  • Lobbied to expose students to pornographic books;
  • Funded Planned Parenthood through Title X dollars; and
  • Tried to shut down America’s largest Christian universities.

(For a complete list, visit FRC Action’s website.)

While it’s true that we can’t save the country with a single election, the reality of these policies is: we could very well lose it.

3. With Obedience

“Faith without work is dead” (James 2:26).

Why should Christians care about politics? Because government is appointed by God. In Romans 13:1-7, Paul describes the governing authorities as “ministers of God,” responsible for administering civil justice. Government is God’s idea, and Christians should think about it and engage with it in a way that’s consistent with its God-ordained purposes.

As believers called to be agents of transformation in the broader society, we have a clear responsibility to vote — not just when we’re enthusiastic about the options or when the choices seem most obvious. If political parties and candidates don’t align perfectly with our values, the answer is not for Christians to retreat. The answer is in rekindling our love and devotion to Christ that causes us to accomplish our spiritual and cultural commissions.

That’s not to say that we should put our trust in the outcome of any election or elected leader — because that would be a false hope. But if we fail to be the salt and light we’ve been called to be, we could clearly see America sink deeper into darkness.

4. With Neighborly Love and Global Compassion

“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves…” (Proverbs 31:8).

America’s decisions have a direct impact on people’s lives everywhere from our local communities to the rest of the world. When God commanded us to love our neighbors (Mark 12:31), one way we can do that is by engaging in the political process to meet other people’s needs. While the race for president gets the most attention, there are much broader implications for voting this November than who will occupy 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. In our hands rest the hopes of soldiers on foreign battlefields, the persecuted church in faraway lands, and the peace of God’s chosen nation Israel (Numbers 24:9).

And many would argue that there are much more important decisions than the presidency on the state and local ballot. Control of the House and Senate hangs in the balance. Governors, state attorneys general, local school boards, even comptrollers are amassing major victories in protecting children from radical gender ideology, pushing back on corporate America’s woke agenda, fighting the Biden administration’s lawless overreach, and passing sweeping pro-life and pro-parent laws. While we might not have the ideal situation at the very top of the ballot, Americans have several other issues to be mindful of as we head to the polls.

5. With Eternal Perspective

“But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 3:20).

As we weigh how to approach this year’s election, it’s just as important to understand how not to approach it — and that’s with fear, timidity, or despair. I Thessalonians 5:18 says, “In all things give thanks…” Regardless of what’s happening in America, we should be eternally grateful that we live in a country where we still have the ability to vote. Even though the fabric of our nation is being stretched and tested as never before, each of us has the power to shape our future and our family’s future — a luxury millions of people around the world will never know.

And yet, as believers, we understand that this earth is not our ultimate home. However, we must engage with the culture, including politics, while standing firm on the transcendent truth of God’s word. Paul tells the Ephesians to keep standing (6:13). We are called to stand whether the battle is in our favor or against us, knowing that as we remain faithful to God’s Truth, our actions in this life will echo into eternity.

Will we turn this country around? We will work toward that end. As former president John Quincy Adams responded to a cynical question about the failure to end slavery after decades of trying, he said simply, “Duty is ours; results are God’s.” Let us do our duty!

This story was adapted from Decision Magazine’s October print version. It was originally published in its shortened form in Decision Magazine.

AUTHOR

Tony Perkins

Tony Perkins is president of Family Research Council and executive editor of The Washington Stand.

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EDITORS NOTE: This Washington Stand column is republished with permission. All rights reserved. ©2024 Family Research Council.

The Washington Stand is Family Research Council’s outlet for news and commentary from a biblical worldview. The Washington Stand is based in Washington, D.C. and is published by FRC, whose mission is to advance faith, family, and freedom in public policy and the culture from a biblical worldview. We invite you to stand with us by partnering with FRC.