The state of Texas recently implemented a new education curriculum that includes passages from the Old and New Testaments. Committed secularists, liberal and progressive religious leaders, and even many evangelicals quickly pounced on the inclusion of Hebrew and Christian texts in the state’s educational program.
CNN breathlessly <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/texas-is-poised-to-require-millions-of-students-to-study-bible-stories/ar-AA26zDMV?ocid=BingNewsVerp">warned</a> that “Texas is on the verge of requiring its more than 5 million public school students to study Bible stories, as the state emerges as a leader in a national conservative effort to infuse Christian teachings into American classrooms.” But Texas is not proposing theocracy, or implementing some sort of evangelical proselytization program. It is doing what Americans have done since 1776: ensuring that students have the best and most comprehensive education in order to make them citizens of a republic dedicated to the proposition &#8220;that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights.&#8221;
The American republic just had its 250th birthday, and ever since the 13 colonies cast their lot among the independent and sovereign nations of the world, education has formed a vital part of the United States’ republican identity. Certainly, the new American union saw state churches and the oppressive religious structures of the Old World as a cumbersome inheritance they could, and did, cast off. But that was not something the colonists agreed on at the outset of the American Revolution in 1775, nor was it the reason for their Declaration of Independence in 1776.
The late Joyce Appleby, one of the 20th century’s great historians of the era of American independence, noted that even though the elites who began the war for independence believed the revolution was for a regime dedicated to natural rights, most of those same elites “saw few radical implications in this affirmation of natural rights.” John Adams, George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and most of the revolutionaries who eventually identified with the Federalist Party “expected continued federance; they supported the authority of patriarchal families, established churches, and legitimate governments.” The Federalists who wrote the United States’ constitution were not secularists, and they were comfortable with the Bible as a essential part of the schooling that made good republican citizens.
Of course, Thomas Jefferson and his Jeffersonian Republicans did work to remove religion from the oversight of government, but not even Jeffersonians believed that the Bible could safely be removed from the sources of knowledge that made educated citizens. And therein lies the basic confusion about what Texas is doing: Secularists, and evangelical Christians, believe learning the Bible is an intrinsically religious act. Reading the Bible is certainly a religious act for Christians and Jews, but the Bible is also a major source of the moral framework of Western Civilization that gives modern Americans the freedoms we enjoy. The reason it is good for Texas’ public school children to know the Bible is the same reason it’s good they know <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-ancient-lesson-christopher-nolan-may-have-completely-stripped-out-of-the-odyssey">Homer</a>; it’s an important part of the Western canon and a vital piece of the catechesis that creates cultural literacy necessary for liberal democracy. 
The Bible is full of the folk tales found in classical Jewish literature; the Old Testament tells of Moses and Pharaoh, David and Goliath, King Solomon’s wisdom, Joshua and the walls of Jericho, Gideon’s small band of warriors, and so much more. Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey tell stories of Achilles, Agamemnon, Hector, Paris, Helen, Odysseus, Penelope, and other figures of Greek mythology. The United States too has its folklore: Pecos Bill, Mike Fink, Daniel Boone, David Crockett, John Henry, and Paul Bunyan are the American versions of those Biblical and Greek figures, and they are all — Hebrew, Greek, and American — important for young Americans to know and learn about. The American republic can only have a healthy society if its citizens are educated enough to know not only that Paul Bunyan, Hercules, and Goliath are all big strong men, but that they are each an example of a very different type of big strong man.
Understanding the moral dimensions of the Bible is vital for the formation of a moral republic. But if secularists, and also some evangelicals, have their way, American students in the 21st century will not have the opportunity to learn the great moral stories their parents and grandparents did. Both groups are arguing that the any reading of the Bible must be a religious act and therefore cannot be done by public schools. This proposition is a twin form of religious and secular fundamentalism that says a pupil cannot study the Bible as literature. The Bible is one of the greatest, if not the greatest, sources of moral literature the West has. It would be a grave mistake to rob American students of its moral and literary influence. Texas has decided to give that gift to its public school students. Other states should do the same.
***
Miles Smith IV is an associate professor of history at Hillsdale College.
This article is part of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/introducing-upstream-a-lifestyle-and-culture-section-of-the-daily-wire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Upstream,</a> The Daily Wire’s new home for culture and lifestyle. Real human insight and human stories — from our featured writers to you.

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The Battle Over America’s Moral Foundation Is Back

Bible

Education

History

Public Schools

Religion

Upstream

America turns 250 this week. There will be parades, fireworks, speeches, and celebrations from El Paso to Beaumont. It will be a moment of national reflection unlike any in our lifetime.
But amid the celebration, we should ask a simple question: Do our students understand the history, principles, and sacrifices that made 250 years of American freedom possible?
As Texans, we believe that question matters. That is why our State Board of Education has spent several years undertaking the most significant revision of our social studies standards in more than a decade. Over that time, teachers played a larger role in developing these standards than in the previous four revision cycles combined. This week, that effort culminated in the Board&#8217;s final approval of the new K-8 social studies standards. The work of educating the next generation is never finished, but this marks a major step forward in ensuring Texas students leave our classrooms with a deeper understanding of the history, principles, and responsibilities that sustain a free society.
The timing is not accidental. The state&#8217;s curriculum review cycle placed this revision squarely in 2026, the year America commemorates 250 years of the most successful experiment in self-government the world has ever known. I don&#8217;t believe in coincidences. I believe in obligations and duty. This was the mission we were called to complete: finishing this work for this generation in this historic year.
The new Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for social studies trace the arc of civilization from which our republic emerged: the republics of Athens and Rome; the moral framework of the Old and New Testaments; the Magna Carta; the Enlightenment; and ultimately, the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution — the enduring foundations of the American heritage Texans hold dear. Students will understand not just what happened in American history, but why it matters and what tradition of thought and courage made it possible.
Cicero wrote that &#8220;to be ignorant of what occurred before you were born is to remain always a child.&#8221; These standards reject that ignorance. They root students not just in American history, but in the civilization that made America possible — so the next generation can carry it forward with open eyes.
To reinforce this content, the Board is pairing the new social studies standards with a comprehensive, first-in-the-nation K-12 Literary List that includes both classic works and biblically related texts. The Bible has furnished the English language and Western mind with phrases, analogies, and images for centuries. Our legal vocabulary reflects this inheritance: Good Samaritan laws. Covenant agreements. The right of sanctuary. The language of justice and mercy woven through our founding documents. To teach Western civilization without the text that shaped it would be an act of willful ignorance, not neutrality.
George Washington, in his Farewell Address, called religion and morality &#8220;indispensable supports&#8221; of political prosperity, describing them as essential habits of a self-governing people. John Adams put it plainly: &#8220;Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.&#8221; The Founders did not shy away from this reality. Neither should we.
Today, just 32% of Texas eighth graders meet grade-level proficiency in social studies, and only 16% achieve mastery. That is not simply an educational challenge. It is a civic one.
Texas law directed this board to include the Old and New Testaments, foundational American documents, and instruction in the dangers of communism. We met every one of those requirements.
Ronald Reagan said it best: &#8220;Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn&#8217;t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.&#8221;
The freedoms we enjoy today were secured by generations of Americans who came before us. I have seen that responsibility firsthand. I flew 120 combat missions as a C-130 pilot in the United States Air Force. Today, as a father of three and Chairman of the State Board of Education, I believe every Texas student should understand how our freedoms were earned and why they must be preserved.
As America marks its 250th year, these standards will help prepare the next generation of Texans not only to celebrate our nation&#8217;s history but to carry forward the principles of liberty and self-government that define it.
***
Aaron Kinsey is Chairman of the Texas State Board of Education and represents District 15.

Church And State Separation Examined

Texas Rethinks How History Is Taught

DW Opinion

K-12

Learning proficiency

social studies standards

TEKS

Texas public schools

Major League Baseball has officially warned San Francisco Giants players who counter-signaled or rejected the team&#8217;s LGBT &#8220;Pride Night.&#8221;
Starting pitcher <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/giants-pitcher-refuses-to-hide-christian-faith-during-pride-night">Landen Roupp</a> on Friday etched a Bible passage found in Genesis onto his Giants cap, right next to the LGBT-themed rainbow logo he was directed to wear. Other players, JT Brubaker and Ryan Walker, followed suit in standing up for their Christian faith, also adding Bible verses. And relief pitcher Sam Hentges refused to wear the rainbow cap altogether, stating, &#8220;I don&#8217;t morally support it.&#8221;
MLB’s chief communications officer Pat Courtney told The Athletic on Monday that these players have been &#8220;warned&#8221; about &#8220;future violations.&#8221; He said that writing on the team&#8217;s baseball caps &#8220;violates our rules.&#8221;
The Giants also addressed the Christian players. In a statement ironically about &#8220;inclusion,&#8221; the team apologized for its players apparently causing &#8220;pain and anger to many in the LGBTQ+ community.&#8221;
“The San Francisco Giants are proud to support Pride Night and the LGBTQ+ community,&#8221; the statement said. &#8220;Baseball should be a place where everyone feels welcome, respected, and valued.&#8221;
&#8220;We also respect that individuals may make personal choices about participating in team activations,&#8221; the team continued. &#8220;We understand that the choices by individual players have caused pain and anger to many in the LGBTQ+ community and we are sorry for that.&#8221;
&#8220;Those choices do not change our organization’s commitment to inclusion, belonging, and creating a welcoming environment for all,&#8221; the statement closed. &#8220;We remain grateful to our fans, partners, employees, players, and coaches who help make Pride Night a meaningful celebration.”
<div id="attachment_1116807" style="width: 833px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1116807" class="wp-image-1116807 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/GettyImages-2281423727-823x576.jpg" alt="" width="823" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/GettyImages-2281423727-823x576.jpg 823w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/GettyImages-2281423727-300x210.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/GettyImages-2281423727-768x538.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/GettyImages-2281423727.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 823px) 100vw, 823px" />Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images</div>
Turning Point USA spokesman Andrew Kolvet reacted to the MLB &#8220;warning&#8221; with his own warning — a sentiment widely expressed online.
&#8220;MLB should tread carefully,&#8221; he posted. &#8220;There’s a lot more us fans that agree with the pitchers than with the league when it comes to pride night propaganda. Let the MLB be warned, not the pitchers. Be careful, MLB.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
MLB should tread carefully. There’s a lot more us fans that agree with the pitchers than with the league when it comes to pride night propaganda.
Let the MLB be warned, not the pitchers.
Be careful, MLB. <a href="https://t.co/pCeHh009y5">https://t.co/pCeHh009y5</a>
— Andrew Kolvet (@AndrewKolvet) <a href="https://x.com/AndrewKolvet/status/2066740999737770208?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 16, 2026</a></blockquote>
Daily Wire culture reporter Megan Basham noted that the rainbow symbol is Christian based. &#8220;The LGBTQ movement appropriated the rainbow symbol from Christianity. Now Christians are taking it back. Deal with it,&#8221; she wrote.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The LGBTQ movement appropriated the rainbow symbol from Christianity. Now Christians are taking it back. Deal with it. <a href="https://t.co/i2XmwXeyQR">https://t.co/i2XmwXeyQR</a>
— Megan Basham (@megbasham) <a href="https://x.com/megbasham/status/2066754376543429037?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 16, 2026</a></blockquote>
Actor Rob Schneider called the MLB &#8220;anti-Christian&#8221; and said he&#8217;d &#8220;pay the fines for any [MLB] Christian player who wears a Bible verse on their uniform.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I will pay the fines for any <a href="https://x.com/MLB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MLB</a> Christian player who wears a Bible verse on their uniform.<a href="https://x.com/MLB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MLB</a> is ANTI-CHRISTIAN <a href="https://t.co/miAT89eXJu">https://t.co/miAT89eXJu</a>
— Rob Schneider 🇺🇸 (@RobSchneider) <a href="https://x.com/RobSchneider/status/2066796902021210190?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 16, 2026</a></blockquote>
As highlighted by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/giants-pitcher-refuses-to-hide-christian-faith-during-pride-night">The Daily Wire</a>, the Giants&#8217; &#8220;Pride Night&#8221; was held on Friday. The game was dedicated as a “celebration of Pride and the LGBTQIA+ community” and included “pregame festivities, in-game celebrations, and appearances,&#8221; <a href="https://www.mlb.com/giants/tickets/specials/pride-celebration">according</a> to the MLB. Same-sex couples renewed their marriage vows on the field in the presence of a drag queen, and the Giants celebrated the LGBT community <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/outkick-sports/san-francisco-giants-pitcher-writes-bible-verse-hat-defiance-pride-night">through rainbow-colored hats</a>, Fox News reported.
Roupp inscribed a Bible passage from Genesis 9 on his cap. The verses describe God’s promise to Noah and all future generations that he would never again destroy the earth with a flood, with the rainbow serving as the sign of that covenant:
<blockquote>And God said, &#8220;This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth, and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.&#8221; — Genesis 9:12-16</blockquote>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/giants-pitcher-refuses-to-hide-christian-faith-during-pride-night">Giants Pitcher Refuses To Hide Christian Faith During Pride Night</a>

Giants Final

MLB Targets Christian Players Who Rejected LGBT ‘Pride Night’

MLB Targets Giants Players Who Rejected LGBT ‘Pride Night’ 

Christianity

LGBT

Pride Month

San Francisco Giants

Move over, refined sugar: there’s a popular new sweet treat in town, and it’s way healthier.
MAHA devotees and average folks just seeking out healthier alternatives are chomping down on an ancient snack that’s been enjoyed for thousands of years. The company Joolies California Superfruit noted that sales of dates in the United States were up 33% in 2025, per <a href="https://food52.com/story/28834-why-everyone-is-eating-dates-now">Food52</a>.
Native to the Middle East, dates are known for their rich, caramel-like flavor and high nutritional value. Based on these trends, that love for their natural sweetness is destined to continue. 
“It’s one of the oldest cultivated fruits,” Amanda Sains, vice president of marketing and founding team member at Joolies said. “It’s mentioned in the Quran, the Bible. It has this incredible history.”
Fox News reported that the market size for dates in America is projected to reach $1.6 billion by 2034.
Why the new obsession? It’s because of a general uptick in the use of natural, healthy sugars as Americans become more health-conscious and seek alternatives to processed foods and additives.
“While dates might be a newer trend for consumers, they&#8217;ve been the go-to ingredient among dietitians to sweeten smoothies and lower-sugar dessert foods for years,&#8221; registered dietitian Lisa Moskovitz told Fox News Digital.
&#8220;Not only are they super tasty and versatile, but they provide fiber, antioxidants, and other essential nutrients like magnesium and potassium,” she added.
Food52 reported that a big problem with selling dates in the past was the packaging and overall appearance, which could be a deterrent for some would-be customers. Companies have worked to upgrade packaging to make the sweet, chewy stone fruits more appealing. Also, dates are now being used in other foods, such as energy bars. It’s all working.
Another major reason for the newfound popularity is, predictably, TikTok. There are several trends circulating about how to cook tasty, healthy desserts with dates as the star ingredient.
“They’ve always been kind of misunderstood,” Sains told Food52. “They’re sweet, delicious, and so good for you, but they’ve been stuck in ugly packaging.”
The vice president also mentioned that dates are a lot more popular in other parts of the world. Now, the trend has hit the United States.
“When you travel to Morocco, Greece, the U.K., even Australia, you realize how much more normalized date consumption is,” Sains told the outlet. “You’ll see them at the checkout counter or in bowls at people’s homes. In the U.S., that just hasn’t been the case.”

Dates

America Has A New Favorite Snack, And It Goes Back Thousands Of Years

Food

News

Making faith a center point of his Senate campaign, James Talarico says he doesn’t want to “claim” Jesus for the Democratic Party. Yet the woke church that molded him uses Christ to justify support for abortion, transgender procedures on kids, and protesting immigration enforcement.
A review of Talarico’s Texas church and its activist pastor — who Talarico calls a “mentor” — shows how closely his political views have been shaped by a leftist conception of Christianity. These positions, such as the promotion of abortion and acceptance of transgenderism, put Talarico at odds with many of the Texas voters the media have suggested could be amenable to the Democrat’s religious pitch against Republican Ken Paxton. 
Talarico’s church, St. Andrew’s Presbyterian in Austin, has pushed leftist activism for years while undermining traditional Christian beliefs such as the historical resurrection of Jesus. The church’s theological and political positions face scrutiny as Talarico looks to become the first Democrat to win statewide office in Texas for decades on a platform of defeating Christian nationalism and removing faith from “partisan politics.” 
“I&#8217;ve been the chief opponent of Christian nationalism in the Texas legislature. I believe the separation of church and state is a sacred boundary that doesn&#8217;t just protect the state, but also protects the church,” Talarico told religious leaders during a podcast earlier this year. “I&#8217;m trying not to claim Jesus for the Democratic Party. I&#8217;m trying to wrestle away Jesus from partisan politics.”
From a review of the church&#8217;s website, one would hardly guess that Talarico is interested in a non-partisan Jesus. St. Andrew’s, whose webpage features a cross draped in an LGBTQ flag, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/this-book-is-gay-read-the-sexually-explicit-volumes-james-talaricos-church-gives-kids">maintains</a> a “banned books” library filled with sexually explicit material aimed at young people and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/james-talaricos-church-funds-abortions-trans-summer-camps">donates</a> part of its annual budget to abortion giant Planned Parenthood. 
<div id="attachment_1108063" style="width: 1076px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1108063" class="wp-image-1108063 size-full" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-02-at-8.24.33-AM.png" alt="" width="1066" height="810" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-02-at-8.24.33-AM.png 1066w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-02-at-8.24.33-AM-300x228.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-02-at-8.24.33-AM-758x576.png 758w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-02-at-8.24.33-AM-768x584.png 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 1066px) 100vw, 1066px" />St. Andrew&#8217;s Presbyterian</div>
In the name of <a href="https://www.staopen.org/inclusive-language">inclusivity</a>, Talarico’s church avoids referring to God as “Father” as Christians have done for thousands of years. Instead, the church recommends using “non-gendered” language for God. 
“Inclusive language, when used to refer to God, is non-gendered. Therefore, God is not referred to as ‘He’ or ‘Father’, nor as ‘She’ or ‘Mother,’” the church’s website says. 
This contradicts the Bible’s description of Jesus’ instructions to his disciples to refer to God as “our Father” when praying. In the biblical Gospels, Jesus refers to God as “Father” well over 100 times. 
The “Inclusive Bible” used by St. Andrew’s makes awkward gender revisions. The version changes the Lord’s Prayer, one of the most beloved and ancient Christian prayers, from “our Father who art in heaven” to “our Father-Mother in heaven.” 
Talarico appears to have adopted this belief during his time in the legislature, saying that “God is non-binary” while arguing against a Texas law keeping males out of female sports. 
In addition to not calling God &#8220;Father,&#8221; St. Andrew&#8217;s avoids referring to Jesus as “king,” as Christians have done for thousands of years. 
“When referring to God, we do not use the words ‘King’ and ‘Lord,’ because that would make God male,” the church says on its website. “When referring to Jesus, we do not use ‘king’ and ‘lord,’ because it hints at a hierarchy that we believe Jesus repudiated.”
&#8220;To say that our divine source is male is perhaps the most sexist comment a person can make,” the inclusive language guide says. “To equate the Almighty with masculinity might or might not hurt a particular victim of abuse, but it will definitely teach a view of life where our little girls will be more likely to be abused in the future.&#8221;
Many of the heterodox positions taken at St. Andrew&#8217;s come from Jim Rigby, Talarico’s “mentor” and a pastor at the church. In addition to his leftist political positions, he diverts from historic Christian belief that Jesus rose from the dead in a historic event called the resurrection. 
In a Christmas Day Facebook <a href="https://www.facebook.com/jim.rigby.12/posts/957972940944180">post</a> from 2015, Rigby suggested that resurrection could actually be understood as “a poem about the whole life process.”
“Apparently, because I don&#8217;t believe in a literal resurrection, I&#8217;m not really Christian. This unfortunately also means I won&#8217;t be going to heaven with many of you,” he said, adding that he was told by a Christian that “we have to LITERALLY believe Jesus&#8217; corpse got up. If you believe all the above you will get to be with God in heaven. Let&#8217;s just hope God has a handle on that anger problem by now.”
Talarico, who <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/01/us/politics/james-talarico-christian.html">told the</a> New York Times that he believes in a historical resurrection unlike his mentor, said his faith is a “biblical Christianity.” 
Despite this difference of opinion, Talarico greatly credits Rigby for his worldview and closely mirrors his political positions. 
“Our pastor, Dr. Jim Rigby, who I&#8217;ve known since I was 2 years old, he married my parents. He baptized me,” Talarico said during a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4832vfsmf4">podcast</a>. “He is still my pastor today. And he showed me what it means to act with courage from the pulpit.”
In 2023, Rigby and St. Andrew’s <a href="https://spectrumlocalnews.com/tx/south-texas-el-paso/news/2023/01/17/social-justice-sermons">worked</a> to oppose legislation supported by Texas Republicans to shield kids from transgender procedures. 
“Anyone who preaches hate in Jesus’ name and we remain silent, then we are complicit,” Rigby said during the time of his involvement in the campaign against a bill to protect kids from puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and gender surgeries. 
Talarico has taken a similar approach as a state lawmaker. He <a href="https://journals.house.texas.gov/HJRNL/88R/PDF/88RDAY63FINAL.PDF">voted against</a> the 2023 law that protected kids from transgender surgeries and cross-sex hormone procedures.
Talarico also <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CVD-Gi-FbWh/?hl=en&amp;img_index=3">attacked</a> Republicans for passing a bill in October 2021 keeping males out of female sports.
“Texas Republicans have passed their anti-trans bill. Over and over, Christians used scripture to justify bullying trans kids,” he said at the time. “I told them in my faith, God is non-binary.”
Abortion is another issue where Talarico closely follows Rigby. In 2016, Rigby cited the so-called &#8220;constitutional right to an abortion” in an <a href="https://www.houstonchronicle.com/opinion/outlook/article/Rigby-New-fetal-remains-rule-is-a-Trojan-Horse-10689637.php">op-ed</a> lamenting proposals requiring the dignified burial of fetal remains and ultrasounds before ending the life of their unborn child. 
“It is chilling to witness politicians overriding science and medicine to impose their own beliefs on women,” he wrote. “The real reason politicians are pushing this seems to be the belief that a soul enters the body at conception, therefore making the fertilized human egg the moral equivalent to a fully gestated human being.”
Unlike many Christians, Rigby said he disagreed with that position. 
“Where is the religious freedom for the millions of us who believe that women&#8217;s bodies are not community property simply because they get pregnant? Where is the religious freedom for those of us who respect the moral agency of women?” he wrote. 
St. Andrew’s is a “reproductive freedom congregation,” meaning that it <a href="https://justtx.org/rfc/">affirms</a> that abortion is a “blessing” and a “moral and social good.” 
Talarico, running on a platform of enshrining Roe v. Wade into federal law, argues that Christianity is silent on abortion and actually supports the life-ending procedure. He grounds his support for abortion in the biblical account of an angel visiting the Virgin Mary and telling her that she would miraculously conceive and give birth to Jesus Christ. 
“I say all this in the context of abortion, because before God comes over Mary, and we have the incarnation, God asks for Mary’s consent,” he said during an appearance on the Joe Rogan podcast. “You cannot force someone to create … so that’s how I come down on that side of the issue.”
In 2016, St. Andrew’s became part of a <a href="https://www.texasobserver.org/faith-leaders-pledge-offer-sanctuary-immigrants-facing-deportation/">movement</a> of woke churches offering to shelter illegal immigrants, and Rigby was <a href="https://www.fox7austin.com/news/pulpit-to-soapbox-austin-preacher-wants-immigration-reform">arrested</a> for trespassing inside the state capitol in 2017 while protesting a proposed law targeting sanctuary city policies. 
If elected, Talarico says he will go after ICE and ban them from shielding their identity while conducting operations. 
“We have to ban ICE agents from wearing masks, from kidnapping people off our streets without a warrant,” he said on a podcast. “We have to require them to identify themselves like any law enforcement official. And we have to end this policy of mass deportations that again is terrorizing our communities across Texas and across this country.”
Another issue that has plagued the Talarico campaign is the question of veganism. While he once boasted about having a meat-free campaign, he now says he proudly consumes Texas barbecue. His church <a href="https://www.staopen.org/earth-care">encourages</a> people to “eat a plant based diet for the planet’s health and yours.”

Screenshot 2026-06-03 at 11.14.56 AM

At James Talarico’s Church, Its Offensive To Respect God’s Pronouns — But Abortion’s OK.

Abortion

James Talarico

Senate

Texas

U.S. Politics

More than 20 years after Hollywood elites mocked “The Passion of the Christ,” Mel Gibson is officially returning to the story that the entertainment industry never quite understood — and the first glimpse of the sequel already has Christians and conservative audiences fired up.
Gibson unveiled the first look at “The Resurrection of the Christ” as production officially wrapped in Italy after more than four months of filming across Rome, Matera, Bari, and several other historic locations.
And based on everything we know so far, this thing sounds absolutely enormous.
The project has now expanded into a two-part biblical epic, with “Part One” scheduled for release on May 6, 2027, and “Part Two” arriving the following year on May 25, 2028. Both films are set to debut on Ascension Day, the Christian holiday commemorating Jesus Christ’s ascension into heaven.
The newly released image shows Finnish actor Jaakko Ohtonen stepping into the role of Jesus, replacing original “Passion” star Jim Caviezel. Actress Mariela Garriga will portray Mary Magdalene, taking over the role previously played by Monica Bellucci.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
First look at Mel Gibson’s Resurrection of the Christ: Part One, set to be released in May 2027.
&#8220;This is far more than a film to me. It’s a mission I’ve carried for over twenty years to tell what I believe is the most important story in human history.&#8221; – Mel Gibson <a href="https://t.co/8TIt7lI5ix">pic.twitter.com/8TIt7lI5ix</a>
— CatholicVote (@CatholicVote) <a href="https://twitter.com/CatholicVote/status/2057834962116559024?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 22, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Gibson described the film as something far bigger than a normal Hollywood production in an official statement.
“This film represents a major part of my life’s work,” Gibson said. “It’s far more than a film to me.”
And if Gibson’s earlier comments are any indication, audiences are not getting another sanitized, watered-down biblical adaptation designed to keep modern studio executives comfortable.
Last year during an interview with Joe Rogan, Gibson described the scripts as “an acid trip” unlike anything he had ever read.
Apparently, the story stretches far beyond the resurrection itself and dives into spiritual warfare, the fall of angels, hell, and massive cosmic battles between good and evil.
&#8220;I think in order to really tell the story properly you have to really start with the fall of the angels, which is you&#8217;re in another place, you&#8217;re in another realm,&#8221; he said. &#8220;You need to go hell. You need to go to Sheol.&#8221;
In other words, Gibson appears to be making the kind of unapologetically massive Christian epic Hollywood almost never touches anymore.
And honestly, that’s probably part of why audiences are already paying attention.
Back in 2004, much of Hollywood and the Left media openly sneered at “The Passion of the Christ” before release.
Then the movie exploded, earning more than $600 million globally and becoming one of the most successful independent films ever made.
For many Christians and conservatives, the movie also became something bigger: proof that audiences were starving for stories Hollywood elites kept insisting nobody wanted.
Now Gibson is returning with an even bigger vision involving heaven, hell, resurrection, angels, and spiritual warfare — and early reactions online suggest millions of Americans are more than ready for it.

First Look At Mel Gibson’s Long-Awaited Biblical Jesus Sequel Revealed

Jesus

Mel Gibson

This piece is adapted from the latest episode of Matt Fradd All Access. You can watch the full episode <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/matt-fradd-monologue-joseph-smith?elementPosition=3&amp;row=5&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+Episodes&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel">here</a>.
***
This is a controversial topic, so let’s dive right in: Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism, was a false prophet.
A couple of disclaimers, right off the bat: entire books have been written on this subject, so we’re only going to scratch the surface. And to my Mormon friends, I understand that some of this may be difficult to hear. And I just want you to know that this isn’t meant to be some kind of attack. I love you guys, but we have to get to the truth. I encourage you to hear what I have to say, look into it for yourself, and let me know what you think.
Here we go.
<h3>Reason #1: False Prophecies That Didn’t Come True </h3>
Let’s start with one of the easiest ways to test a prophet: are their prophecies actually true? Deuteronomy 18:20-22 lays it out clearly: if what a prophet says doesn’t come true, then they’re not speaking for God.
Joseph Smith gave numerous revelations that are flat-out false.
For example, in 1842 Joseph Smith published a supposedly prophetic translation of real Egyptian documents he owned, which he called The Book of Abraham. He claimed, as a prophet, to translate specific Egyptian writings and drawings, and to know their meaning. Important to note, at the time, scholars couldn’t translate Egyptian. But now they can, and we know that his translations are simply wrong. In one drawing, Smith claimed one figure was “King Pharaoh, whose name is given in the characters above his head,” but it turns out this figure is the goddess Isis, and the characters above the head read, “Isis the great, the god’s mother.” He falsely claims the god Osiris is Abraham, and that the god Anubis is a slave. A prophet’s words have to match reality, and in Smith’s case, they just don’t.
<h3>Reason #2: Contradicting Revelations</h3>
Another red flag with Joseph Smith is his contradicting revelations. For example, the Book of Mormon says, “Is there more than one God? And he answered, No.” But in a later revelation, he says that “the Gods organized and formed the heavens and the earth,” and that righteous Mormons “shall be gods,” “from everlasting to everlasting,” with “all power.” Smith even claimed that God was once a man who became divine.
This is a huge change in foundational beliefs! If someone is truly a prophet of God, their message should be consistent, especially when it comes to who God is. Yet with Smith, we see clear contradictions that raise serious doubts about his claims to divine revelation.
<h3>Reason #3: The Book of Mormon’s Historical Problems </h3>
Next, let’s talk about the Book of Mormon itself. Joseph Smith claimed it tells the history of ancient American civilizations, including the Nephites and Lamanites, who came from Jerusalem. But here’s the problem: there’s zero archaeological evidence for these civilizations. No cities, no artifacts, nothing.
Now, some might argue, “There’s little archaeological evidence for the Exodus, and Christians believe that.” But while evidence for the Exodus may be debated, there is some support — such as Egyptian records mentioning Semitic peoples and archaeological findings in the Sinai suggesting nomadic groups. Scholars continue to explore these possibilities.
With the Book of Mormon, however, we’re talking about entire civilizations that supposedly existed for thousands of years but did not leave behind a single trace. If these civilizations were real, we’d expect something — but we find nothing. That’s a major problem.
<h3>Reason #4: Fabrication &amp; Plagiarism </h3>
There’s also strong evidence that the Book of Mormon simply mirrors Joseph Smith’s time and place. Many books at this time, and in Smith’s area, theorized that the American Indians had come from Israel. And Smith lifted entire sections from the King James Bible, even copying translation errors from the King James Version into his “ancient” text. This isn’t the behavior of a divinely inspired prophet; it’s the behavior of someone fabricating a religious document.
<h3>Reason #5: Joseph Smith’s Dubious Character </h3>
We can’t ignore the moral inconsistencies in Joseph Smith’s life. He secretly practiced polygamy and even married — and slept with — teenage girls, claiming he was divinely commanded to do so.
This is someone who violated the Christian principles of marriage and morality. A true prophet should be held to a high standard of holiness and integrity, but Smith’s life was filled with moral failures. It’s hard to reconcile that with someone who claims to be God’s chosen messenger.
But isn’t there polygamy in the Bible? Yes. But it’s important to note that polygamy in the Old Testament is descriptive, not prescriptive. And the New Testament makes it very clear that monogamy is the only expected and permitted form of marriage.
<h3>Reason #6: Contradictions in the First Vision Accounts </h3>
Smith’s famous &#8220;First Vision,&#8221; where he claims to have seen God the Father and Jesus Christ, is foundational to Mormonism. But did you know there are multiple versions of this event that contradict each other?
In the earliest version, Smith says he saw only one figure, “the Lord,” but later versions claim he saw God the Father and Jesus as separate beings. If this vision were a true, divine encounter, it wouldn’t make sense for there to be conflicting stories about such a pivotal moment. The discrepancies suggest that Smith may have fabricated or embellished his experience over time.
<h3>Reason #7: The Problem of Polytheism </h3>
Finally, Joseph Smith taught that God was once a man who became God, that humans can become gods in the same way, and that there are many gods in existence. That’s not just a different emphasis. It’s a different view of God altogether.
In the King Follett Discourse, Smith said that God “was once as we are now” and that we must learn how to become gods ourselves. In other words, God is not the eternal, uncreated Creator, but a being who progressed to divinity.
This is directly opposed to biblical monotheism. Isaiah 44:6 says, &#8220;I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God.&#8221;
The Bible is clear: there is one God. Smith’s teaching of an eternal progression to godhood is not just unbiblical, it’s a complete departure from the Christian understanding of God’s nature. Any prophet who teaches something so fundamentally opposed to Scripture can’t be a true prophet of God.
Whether it’s his failed prophecies, shifting doctrines, or contradictions in his story, the evidence is compelling: Joseph Smith was a false prophet.
***
If you’d like to learn more, see my interview with Joe Heschmeyer, <a href="https://youtu.be/5cvXRlMHMzI?si=U5IBDJNO8Q2qwFSb" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Incoherence of Mormonism</a>.

The church of Jesus Christ of latter-day saints sign, Thetford, Norfolk, England, UK

7 Reasons Joseph Smith Was A False Prophet 

Matt Fradd

Mormonism

secret lives of mormon wives

A federal appeals court on Tuesday allowed Texas to enforce a law requiring public schools to display posters of the Ten Commandments in classrooms. 
In a 9–8 vote, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled that S.B. 10 does not violate the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause, marking a significant victory for conservatives who support a greater role for religion in public schools.
“S.B. 10 looks nothing like a historical religious establishment,” <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.ca5.226084/gov.uscourts.ca5.226084.507945887.1.pdf">the 5th Circuit’s opinion said.</a> “It does not tell churches or synagogues or mosques what to believe or how to worship or whom to employ as priests, rabbis, or imams. It punishes no one who rejects the Ten Commandments, no matter the reason. It levies no taxes to support any clergy. It does not co-opt churches to perform civic functions. These are the kinds of things “establishments of religion” did at the founding. S.B. 10 does none of them.” 
In June 2025, Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) signed <a href="https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/89R/billtext/pdf/SB00010I.pdf">Senate Bill 10</a>, which requires public elementary and secondary schools to display in each classroom a &#8220;durable poster or framed copy of the Ten Commandments.&#8221; In December 2025, a coalition of parents filed suit and obtained preliminary injunctions blocking the law in certain parts of the state. 
Challengers of the law argued that they didn’t want their children to “be forced to observe and venerate a state-mandated version of the Ten Commandments” every day at school, <a href="https://www.aclutx.org/press-releases/judge-orders-texas-school-districts-remove-ten-commandments-displays-response-second/">according to the ACLU.  </a>
Judges on the conservative-leaning Fifth Circuit disagreed, arguing the law does not mandate any religious exercise. 
&#8220;Students are neither catechized on the Commandments nor taught to adopt them. Nor are teachers commanded to proselytize students who ask about the displays or contradict students who disagree with them,” <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.ca5.226084/gov.uscourts.ca5.226084.507945887.1.pdf">the opinion said.</a> “It puts a poster on a classroom wall. Yes, Plaintiffs have sincere religious disagreements with its content. But that does not transform the poster into a summons to prayer.&#8221;
Republican Gov. Gregg Abbott hailed the ruling as a “HUGE WIN.” 
“The foundation of Western law &amp; morality belongs in our classrooms. Texas stands for faith, freedom, and the values that founded our great state,” he said on social media. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
HUGE WIN
The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the Ten Commandments can remain in Texas public school classrooms.
The foundation of Western law &amp; morality belongs in our classrooms. Texas stands for faith, freedom, and the values that founded our great state.…
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) <a href="https://twitter.com/GregAbbott_TX/status/2046758634986590304?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 22, 2026</a></blockquote>
Attorney General Ken Paxton (R-TX), who faces a contentious May 26 runoff with Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), also took a victory lap. 
“This is a major victory for Texas and our moral values,” Paxton said. “My office was proud to defend SB 10 and successfully ensure that the Ten Commandments will be displayed in classrooms across Texas. The Ten Commandments have had a profound impact on our nation, and it’s important that students learn from them every single day.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨WIN: This is a major victory for Texas and our moral values. My office was proud to defend SB 10 and successfully ensure that the Ten Commandments will be displayed in classrooms across Texas.
The Ten Commandments have had a profound impact on our nation, and it’s important… <a href="https://t.co/6sh3uLnFpI">https://t.co/6sh3uLnFpI</a>
— Attorney General Ken Paxton (@KenPaxtonTX) <a href="https://twitter.com/KenPaxtonTX/status/2046718781964378358?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 21, 2026</a></blockquote>
The ACLU expressed &#8220;disappointment&#8221; with the court’s ruling and vowed to take the case to the U.S. Supreme Court. 
“The Court’s ruling goes against fundamental First Amendment principles and binding U.S. Supreme Court authority,” <a href="https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/fifth-circuit-upholds-law-requiring-display-of-ten-commandments-in-public-school-classrooms">the ACLU said.</a> “This decision tramples those rights. We anticipate asking the Supreme Court to reverse this decision and uphold the religious-freedom rights of children and parents.”
Louisiana, Arkansas, and Alabama have passed laws requiring Ten Commandments posters in public schools, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/19/us/ten-commandments-schools-states.html">according to the New York Times</a>, with several other conservative-led states debating similar legislation.

Ten Commandments Display in Texas

Court Hands Massive Win For Judeo-Christian Values in Public Schools

ACLU

Free Speech

Politics

Step aside, Thomas Aquinas. Make room, St. Augustine. There is a new Bible scholar in town, and she didn’t find her calling in a cathedral — she found it in a Reno lounge act and a Disney-funded wardrobe department.
Whoopi Goldberg, a woman whose theological training apparently consists of wearing a polyester habit in two &#8220;Sister Act&#8221; films, has decided that she is the preeminent authority on the &#8220;Bible-Bible.&#8221; Speaking on &#8220;The View&#8221; on Thursday, Goldberg donned her invisible miter to lecture the masses on why the U.S. shouldn&#8217;t deal with Iran, wielding Scripture with the surgical precision of a blindfolded butcher.
Citing the Beatitudes and the command to &#8220;turn the other cheek,&#8221; Goldberg lamented that her own cheeks are &#8220;getting tired&#8221; from all the slapping.
It’s a touching sentiment, truly. One can almost hear the angels weeping — or perhaps that’s just the sound of anyone who has actually read Romans 13 hitting the floor in a dead faint.
Whoopi, ever the humble scholar, warned her audience that they only have a &#8220;half a quote&#8221; and need to &#8220;get into the Bible-Bible&#8221; to truly understand that being a &#8220;peacemaker&#8221; apparently means letting a theocratic regime develop ICBMs.
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Despite Joy Behar&#39;s refusal to apologize for calling Jesus a &quot;narcissist&quot; for saying he was the Messiah, earlier in the week, Whoopi wants to lecture the faithful on the right about the Bible and war. She says you need to learn about &quot;The Bible-Bible&quot;:
GOLDBERG: But Jesus said,… <a href="https://t.co/YmrDUIsqm4">pic.twitter.com/YmrDUIsqm4</a>
&mdash; Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) <a href="https://twitter.com/NickFondacaro/status/2044803372809675171?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 16, 2026</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;
It’s a bold move for a woman who <a href="https://church4everychild.org/2015/10/20/if-we-value-life-we-dont-get-to-choose-which-lives-we-value/#:~:text=During%20one%20such%20discussion%20on,be%20reading%20the%20same%20Bible.">previously informed</a> the world that &#8220;there’s nothing in the Book that says anything about abortion.&#8221; Apparently, in Whoopi’s version of the &#8220;Bible-Bible,&#8221; God’s intricate knitting together of an unborn child in the womb mentioned in Psalm 139 was just a suggestion, and the &#8220;sword&#8221; the state bears in Romans 13 is actually a pool noodle used for rhythmic gymnastics.
But Goldberg’s expertise doesn’t stop at foreign policy. She’s also been there to fix the Catholic Church’s administrative issues. When Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone dared to enforce Canon 915 by denying Communion to Nancy Pelosi, Whoopi was there to <a href="https://www.thewrap.com/the-view-whoopi-goldberg-nancy-pelosi-communion-video/">set him straight</a>: &#8220;This is not your job, dude!&#8221;
According to the Gospel of Goldberg, the Eucharist isn’t a sacrament requiring a state of grace; it’s a participation trophy for anyone with a &#8220;View&#8221; microphone.
She’s &#8220;schooling&#8221; us, folks. We just don&#8217;t understand the &#8220;Bible-Bible&#8221; like she does. After all, she played a nun twice.
That’s basically two-thirds of a Trinity.

Whoopi Goldberg

Our Lady Of The Perpetual Habit: Whoopi Goldberg ‘Schools’ Us On The ‘Bible-Bible’ And War

Catholic Church

Iran war

As the world marks Holocaust Remembrance Day, the Jewish community stands at a poignant crossroads of memory and resilience.
<a href="https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/article-892865">New data</a> from Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics reveals a staggering truth: eight decades after the Nazi regime attempted to extinguish the Jewish flame, the global Jewish population has climbed to 15.8 million. While this remains just shy of the 16.6 million recorded in 1939, the trajectory represents a defiant rebound from the 11.5 million left in the wake of the Shoah.
This recovery is nothing short of miraculous when viewed through the lens of a history defined by systematic attempts at annihilation. The Jewish story did not begin with the gas chambers; it has been a millennia-long gauntlet of survival. From the dawn of history, the Jewish people faced the Egyptian Oppression and the military campaigns of Merneptah, who boasted of laying Israel to waste. The iron fist of Mesopotamia followed, with the Assyrian Conquest of 722 BCE and the Babylonian Siege of 586 BCE, which saw the First Temple reduced to ash.
Even when the Jews fought back, as they did against the Hellenizing forces of Antiochus IV during the Maccabean Revolt, the reprieve was often brief. The Roman era brought a new level of carnage: the First Jewish-Roman War and the Kitos War left hundreds of thousands dead, culminating in the Bar Kokhba Revolt, where half a million Jews perished under Hadrian’s legions.
The Middle Ages and the Early Modern period offered no sanctuary. The Rhineland Massacres of the First Crusade, the horrific Strasbourg Massacre during the Black Death, the state-sanctioned fires of the Spanish Inquisition, and the blood-soaked Khmelnytsky Uprising all served to suppress Jewish numbers through sheer brutality. By the 19th and early 20th centuries, the &#8220;pogrom&#8221; became a staple of Eastern European life, from the 1881–1884 riots to the Kishinev Pogrom to the post-WWI slaughter in Ukraine.
Then came the Holocaust—an industrialized nightmare where Babi Yar, Operation Reinhard, and Auschwitz-Birkenau became synonyms for the abyss. Yet, as we look at the 111,000 survivors still living in Israel today, we see the living embodiment of &#8220;Never Again.&#8221;
Despite the constant threat from the Arab world, which has been at war with the Jewish state since its inception, today, 45% of the world&#8217;s Jews—7.2 million—call Israel home, a radical shift from the 3% who lived there in 1939. While threats persist, evidenced by the horrific October 7 massacre, the data tell a story of an indestructible people. Despite a history of massacres designed to erase them, the Jewish community has clawed its way back from the brink, nearing a return to its pre-war strength and a vibrant, growing, and eternal presence.

Someone lighting the last candle of a Menorah

The Indestructible Flame: On Holocaust Remembrance Day, Jews Have Returned To Pre-Holocaust Numbers

General

Holocaust

Jews

World

The Supreme Court of Finland held that Päivi Räsänen, a longtime member of the Finnish Parliament, was guilty of the “hate crime” of “insulting” a group based on sexual orientation for publishing a church pamphlet over twenty years ago. A Lutheran bishop, Juhana Pohjola, was similarly convicted for publishing the pamphlet for the church.
Chillingly, Räsänen and Pohjola are now criminals for peacefully expressing their views in the public square.
The details that led up to this outrageous conviction are truly Orwellian.
Räsänen published her pamphlet, “Male and Female He Created Them,” in 2004, when Finland, like much of the world, was debating same-sex marriage. The pamphlet was meant to help others navigate those debates.
Years later, Finland amended its “War Crimes” statute, expanding the scope of criminal “hate speech” laws to include many new protected categories, resulting in this verdict where the court ruled it is illegal to publish “insulting” content.
Räsänen is a member of the Finnish Lutheran Church. In 2019, her church announced it would join the Helsinki Pride Parade. Räsänen gained international attention with a now-famous X post in which she criticized her church’s involvement in the pride parade and shared an image of a Bible verse.
<div id="attachment_652929" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-652929" class="size-large wp-image-652929" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/11/Screen-Shot-2023-11-14-at-7.01.23-AM-1024x573.png" alt="Päivi Räsänen" width="1024" height="573" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/11/Screen-Shot-2023-11-14-at-7.01.23-AM-1024x573.png 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/11/Screen-Shot-2023-11-14-at-7.01.23-AM-300x168.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/11/Screen-Shot-2023-11-14-at-7.01.23-AM-768x430.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/11/Screen-Shot-2023-11-14-at-7.01.23-AM-1536x859.png 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/11/Screen-Shot-2023-11-14-at-7.01.23-AM.png 1573w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Credit: Alliance Defending Freedom International</div>
A progressive prosecutor in Helsinki could not stand such an “affront” and commenced what would become an almost seven-year legal battle. She immediately launched and announced an investigation into Räsänen for criminal “hate speech.” During that investigation, she seemingly reviewed every statement that Räsänen had made on the subject of sexuality and dredged up the 15-year-old 20-page pamphlet, along with a single radio interview. She later charged Räsänen and Bishop Pohjola with hate crimes based on the Bible tweet, the pamphlet, and the interview.
Räsänen defended herself publicly by sharing links to the allegedly “offensive” material so people could see for themselves what, exactly, she was on trial for.
A Finnish lower court unanimously acquitted Räsänen and Pohjola on all counts, finding that posting Bible verses was not a crime. The case should have ended there. In the United States, if the prosecution loses, the case is closed. But in Finland, the prosecutors can keep appealing even a clear loss, which they did. The Court of Appeals again fully and unanimously acquitted Räsänen and Pohjola.
The prosecutors took one more shot, appealing to the Supreme Court. And now, in a split 3-2 decision, the Supreme Court has found Räsänen and Pohjola guilty of “insult” under the “War Crimes and Crimes against Humanity” section of Finland’s criminal code.
The logic of the decision is mind-bending. The Court, thankfully, upheld the acquittal for the Bible tweet, finding it did not meet the threshold for incitement. That’s good. But how the Court found Räsänen guilty for publishing the pamphlet is straight out of George Orwell&#8217;s 1984.
The Court argued that simply because the prosecution started an investigation in 2019 — about a tweet that the Court itself says is allowed — Räsänen should have known that her early-2000s pamphlet might now be seen as “insulting&#8221; under a law enacted years later. The Court concluded that Räsänen should have removed the allegedly insulting statements before reposting a link to them — even before any charges were filed.
So it was the very fact that she was being publicly investigated and sought to defend herself that made her a criminal and her statements ipso facto illegal.
This is not justice. This is Year Zero thinking, where an official accusation can turn someone into a thought-criminal, and any defense is used against them. It is the upside-down world.
The Court, doubling down on Orwellian reasoning, has demanded that Räsänen and Pohjola remove and “destroy” the “offending” statements from the pamphlet. This is simply the mandatory erasure of history and thought.
How many books, articles, and posts available online “might be” considered “insulting” to a group? Must publishers and authors scour their online libraries and remove anything others might find offensive? Does a mere accusation of offense now mandate people pull their beliefs and statements offline? The Court’s twisted logic points toward all these dystopian outcomes.
Päivi Räsänen has shown immense Christlike grace throughout this whole ordeal, and I pray that she receives justice soon, through an appeal or otherwise.
But the decision in her case goes far beyond just one individual. How many people will refuse to speak up if there is even the hint of controversy in their views, religious or otherwise, especially if the powers-that-be clearly disfavor those views?
Is this how Europe will use mechanisms like the Digital Services Act to silence alleged “hate speech” and export censorship online and globally?
The Finnish Supreme Court’s decision against Räsänen is an outrage against her and against the most fundamental principles of free speech. It is more obvious than ever that &#8220;hate speech&#8221; laws are inherently abusive and must be repealed. This decision should be widely condemned by people worldwide who value freedom.
***
Sean Nelson is an international human rights lawyer serving as Senior Counsel for Global Religious Freedom with ADF International.

Germany: nationwide demonstrations against NSA spying and in solidarity with Edward Snowden

The Finnish Supreme Court’s ‘1984’ Playbook

The Finnish Supreme Court's '1984' Playbook

Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF)

Finland

Religious Freedom

Social Media Censorship

Western Civilization

The good news: Bible reading is up across every demographic in America in 2025. The bad news: certain politicians and activists are using those hallowed words as partisan narrative building to launder radical ideology into the language of faith.
They aren’t coming to the Word. They’re mining it.
James Talarico is the most prominent current offender. The Democrat nominee for Texas Senate — think “pick me” Pastor Pete — has made a habit of weaponizing the Lord&#8217;s Divine Writ to sanctify progressive politics. On Joe Rogan’s podcast, he even used the Annunciation to justify abortion.
“I say all of this in the context of abortion. Before God comes over Mary and we have the incarnation, God asks for Mary’s consent … Go back and read this in Luke.”
Okay — I did.
In Luke 1, the angel Gabriel appears to Mary and announces: &#8220;You will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus &#8230; The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.&#8221; Mary responds: &#8220;Here I am, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.&#8221;
Mary’s humble, faithful acceptance of a unique divine calling — the Incarnation of God Himself — is not a theological permission slip for abortion on demand. The exegetical gymnastics required to arrive at this conclusion are impressive, to say the least. But Talarico isn’t doing theology. He’s doing politics.
And Talarico is not unique in his weaponization of scripture. Progressives have swarmed any comment section touching immigration, social policy, or religious liberty, and you’ll find the same three or four Bible verses deployed like rhetorical grenades (they think they’re so creative). &#8220;What happened to love thy neighbor?&#8221; &#8220;Jesus was an immigrant.&#8221; &#8220;There isn&#8217;t a single Christian who&#8217;s actually read the whole Bible.&#8221;
The angry agnostics thought they had us there! Their words are meant to sting. They’re also increasingly incorrect.
I am on day 198 of the Bible in a Year with Father Mike Schmitz. Every morning, I sit with passages and prophets most material heretics never touch — astonished at the sheer magnitude of wisdom and meaning within those pages. And I can tell you: what’s being weaponized in op-eds and cable hits is a fraction of a fraction of what’s actually there.
Today, it was Isaiah that stopped me cold. Isaiah’s taunt against the king of kings of Babylon — and by extension Lucifer himself — reads:
“How the oppressor has ceased! How his insolence has ceased! The Lord has broken the staff of the wicked, the scepter of rulers, that struck down the peoples in wrath with unceasing blows, that ruled the nations in anger with unrelenting persecution … Sheol beneath is stirred up to meet you when you come … &#8216;You too have become as weak as we! You have become like us!&#8217; Your pomp is brought down to Sheol, and the sound of your harps; maggots are the bed beneath you, and worms are your covering. How you have fallen from heaven!”
It is visceral, sweeping, and devastating. It is the story of what happens when a being given every gift and capability turns those gifts towards pride and domination; when free will is used for evil.
There is a reason we don’t hear that passage quoted by the activists cherry-picking Scripture for social media. It doesn’t fit the narrative. It never does.
What I’ve found, page by page, is that the Bible is far stranger, far harder, and far more demanding than the domesticated version, either Nationalist or Progressive, being peddled by its political appropriators. It doesn’t bend easily to any agenda — it’s harsh. It can also drastically improve your life if you let it. But it resists those who approach it not as the living Word of God, but as a rhetorical arsenal.
Reading it completely — and understanding it — is its own form of resistance. It’s how you know when you’re being lied to. It’s how you develop the intellectual grounding to defend the faith, not just feel it. And in an era when leaders and loudmouths are increasingly mocking Christianity, that groundedness isn’t optional; to me, it’s essential.
For myself, reading the Bible has been transformative. Father Mike doesn’t just read the text &#8211; he explains the scripture, makes it digestible, and allows me to apply these teachings to my life in a way that has made each day lighter.
It’s changed how I think, how I argue, how I deal with shortcomings, and frankly, how I respond when someone online tells me I’ve never opened a Bible.
I have. I’d recommend you do the same.

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