The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has reversed a lower court decision dismissing a New Jersey couple’s lawsuit against the state after it removed their foster child and suspended their license to foster parent. The decision relies on recent U.S. Supreme . . . Continue reading →
Civil Life
When Elite Law School Students Reject Free Speech In Principle And Practice
The people who dominate American public life come from a few elite schools. Yale Law School (YLS) is one of those institutions. Continue reading
Reformed And Evangelical Seminaries In Ukraine, Russia, Latvia, And Germany Issue Joint Statement About The War Against Ukraine
The Christian Church has been instituted by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Created by the Word of God and directed by the Holy Spirit, the Church confesses one Lord and Savior Jesus, His gospel and law. Therefore, as part of the Church . . . Continue reading →
Has The United States Army Declared Your Congregation An “Extremist Organization”?
In July 2020, the United States Army adopted Army Regulation 600–20. This is a part of Army Command Policy and published by the HQ of the Department of the Army Continue reading →
Pray For Christians In Ukraine
It appears that the Russian invasion of Ukraine has begun in earnest. There are Reformed and Evangelical Christians in Donetsk, which was invaded yesterday. There are Reformed Christians in Kyiv associated with a seminary there. Pray for wisdom for our political leaders, . . . Continue reading →
Did Paul Lie To The Corinthians?
Of Masks And Weaker Brothers Revisited
Therefore, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that “an idol has no real existence,” and that “there is no God but one.” For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”— yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist. However, not all possess this knowledge. Continue reading →
Engel v. Vitale (1962) Forbids Required Prayer In the Public Schools Including Social-Justice Chants To Aztec Gods
Critical Theory Is Not A Secular Theory
California public schools will no longer be teaching students Aztec and Yoruba prayers as part of the state’s Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum.1 Thomas More Society attorneys obtained a settlement on January 13, 2022, in a lawsuit brought by parents and the Californians . . . Continue reading →
Erick Read The End Of The Book
Eschatology Matters
Being nice or civil is now a sign of weakness. Having friends across the aisle is too. We can’t turn the other cheek or love our neighbors if they disagree with us. Loving our neighbors who are gay now means we have . . . Continue reading →
Does The End Of Christendom Mean The Rise Of Neo-Paganism?
This year, at the height of what used to be called the Christmas season, a Pew Research Center poll on religion revealed that only slightly more Americans described themselves as Roman Catholics (21 percent) than as believers in “nothing in particular” (20 . . . Continue reading →
Of Christians And Rights
One of the crucial questions in our current moment of governmental overreaches has to do with how we understand our rights as Christians living in this world. Many of our current discussions evidence a great misunderstanding of our calling as believers in . . . Continue reading →
UK Christians Respond To Proposal To Ban “Conversion Therapy”
These Laws Already Exist In Some US States
We are Christian ministers and pastoral workers from a broad range of churches, who have in common that we hold to orthodox, historic Christian teaching on sexual ethics. We are writing in response to the consultation on ‘Banning “Conversion Therapy”’ presented by . . . Continue reading →
What’s Going on Right Now: Sex, Race, Politics, & Power with Dr. W Robert Godfrey (6)
In the sixth session of Bob Godfrey’s Sunday school class at the Escondido URC, he traces the effects of the Enlightenment upon the West. Drawing upon Carl Becker’s work he highlights four key tenets of the movement: (1) that man is not natively . . . Continue reading →
Religious Freedom Watch: SCOTUS To Consider Whether Religious Schools May Do Religious Things
Today, the Supreme Court will hear arguments in Carson v. Makin, a case that concerns whether Maine may constitutionally exclude religious schools from participating in the state’s private-school tuition-assistance program. To those who have been paying attention to recent Supreme Court decisions . . . Continue reading →
What’s Going on Right Now: Sex, Race, Politics, & Power with Dr. W Robert Godfrey (5)
In this fifth session of Dr. Godfrey’s Sunday school class at the Escondido URC, he traces the long period of challenges to Christendom within Christendom, and the rise of the Enlightenment, which thought Christianity to be too focused on the world to come, . . . Continue reading →
Let Us Pray
The Supreme Court of the United States has just finished hearing arguments in Dobbs v Women’s Health. Continue reading
Ninth Circuit Postpones Vaccine Mandate For Prison Workers
A federal appeals court temporarily blocked a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for California prison workers on Friday. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals granted a request for a stay of a lower court order from September pending an appeal, delaying the January . . . Continue reading →
With Back To The Reformation Podcast Taking About Politics And The Church
The question of how Christians should relate Christ (i.e., their allegiance to Christ and the Christian faith) to culture is perhaps the most pressing challenge facing the Christians individually and the institutional, visible church. A subset of this question touches on how . . . Continue reading →
Religious Liberty Watch: OSHA Suspends Vaccine Mandate In Wake Of Fifth Circuit Ruling
There is very little news coverage of this decision but it is on the OSHA website. Continue reading
Religious Liberty Watch: The Fifth Circuit Grants Stay Of OSHA Vaccine Mandate
…The Occupational Safety and Health Act, which created OSHA, was enacted by Congress to assure Americans “safe and healthful working conditions and to preserve our human resources.” See 29 U.S.C. § 651 (statement of findings and declaration of purpose and policy). It . . . Continue reading →
Wilentz: Taking Down Jefferson Is A Symbolic Take Down Of The Declaration
Removal of the David D’Angers statue of Thomas Jefferson from City Hall would be a direct attack on a symbol of the democratic values New Yorkers hold dear. The statue specifically honors Jefferson for his greatest contribution to America, indeed, to humankind: . . . Continue reading →