Late last week, ISIS-affiliated terrorists in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) rounded up 70 Christians, corralled them into a church, beheaded them, and left their bodies for others to find later. The facts are disturbing, and we naturally recoil from contemplating this barbaric display of Islamist violence. This horror seems a world away - not to mention a thousand years in the past. But underneath the revulsion, if we force ourselves to stare at this evidence of human depravity a moment longer, what other emotions does it stir within us?
In the wake of the celebratory spectacle put on by Hamas terrorists as they released the bodies of murdered hostages last week, Israel is signaling it may end the tenuous ceasefire deal. At the same time, the Jewish state is clamping down on terrorist threats emanating from Judea and Samaria.
While securing the border is essential, we must also recognize the millions of undocumented immigrants who already live and work in the U.S. These individuals are not just statistics; they are neighbors, coworkers, and fellow worshippers. The Republican Party now faces a challenge much like the one Ronald Reagan confronted: upholding the rule of law while addressing the reality of those already here. Reagan sought a solution in his time, yet many of the underlying issues persist to this day.
On Monday, the U.S. voted against a U.N. resolution demanding that Russian forces "immediately, completely, and unconditionally withdraw" from Ukraine. Even though the resolution called for a "de-escalation, an early cessation of hostilities, and a peaceful resolution of the war against Ukraine," the U.S. voted with 17 other nations, including Russia and North Korea, against it. The General Assembly resolution ultimately passed 93-18, with 65 member states abstaining (including China and Iran).
As the White House begins its review of policy recommendations for expanding in vitro fertilization (IVF), it might be helpful to lay out some additional questions in order to test what we really know about IVF and what pitfalls lie ahead for a practice with the potential to both create and destroy millions of human lives and alter what we now mean by parenthood and family. Here is a starter's list.
Christians with a sense of history know the most startling conversions happen, not inside revival tents or through Christian programs, but on the campaign trail. The latest politically inspired transfiguration took place earlier this month, as Pete Buttigieg, the nation's ostentatious LGBT political leader, claimed to be a Born Again foe of radical diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).