I believe that America’s core ideals are very much linked to its Christian faith. So as Easter has just passed, I thought this would be a good time to take a closer look at the state of the American church and then weep quietly and say it was a great country while it lasted.
Now, according to a Pew poll, 62% of Americans identify as Christian. This is a slight drop from the 1697 poll which showed 99.9% of Americans were Christian with one heretic hiding in the woods hoping some long-haired guy with a buckle on his hat wouldn’t blow his head off with a blunderbuss.
But today’s religious landscape looks different depending on political affiliation. For instance, on the political Left, 43% of those who identify as progressives say they have abandoned Christianity and become Episcopalians. Fourteen percent of progressives say they have renounced the corrupt beliefs of colonizing white men, have returned to the innocent and beautiful natural religion of indigenous peoples, and were preparing to sacrifice a virgin to the volcano God until they realized that by the time they were sure she was a virgin, she wasn’t a virgin anymore, and if they threw her into a volcano there’d be no one left who knew how to make breakfast.
Other progressives say they are sick of the sort of restrictive religions that ruined the 1950’s by making everything so great. Instead they have turned to more modern faiths with practices that reflect the moral progress of mankind. These practices include yogic meditation, ritual mindfulness, and tantric sex followed by butchering any unborn babies conceived during tantric sex, then celebrating the mass slaughter by dancing around a pole in a wild blood-drenched frenzy, getting a full body tattoo featuring goat-headed demi-gods with flaming eyes, then running naked through a forest while grunting inarticulately and listening to music that’s mostly composed of drumbeats and shrieking because classic rock is just the best.
<h3><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/show/the-andrew-klavan-show" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WATCH: The Andrew Klavan Show</a></h3>
Among Christians on the political Right, 17% say they believe in Christ so hard they’ll kill anyone who disagrees with them, 14% say their faith is so strong they might even be willing to go to church as long as porn is provided, and 8% say their worship mostly involves posting unspeakably cruel remarks on social media to people who aren’t as Christly as they are. Four percent of conservative Christians say they have abandoned their own egos for Christ’s sake and have thus elevated their souls into a state of suffering-yet-serene agape love, and are now hiding in the woods hoping some long-haired guy with a buckle on his hat won’t blow their heads off with a blunderbuss.
The remaining 57% of Right-wing Christians spend most of their time sobbing and whispering, “Oh God, I suck so bad, please, please, please have mercy on me and don’t send me to hell or California.”
As far as other American religions go, 94% of limousine drivers identify as Muslims, 16% of Christian women pretend they’re Buddhists, and 82% of Jews control 90% of everything except which parts of Ivy League campuses they’re allowed to walk on without one of their professors pointing at them and making that awful insect noise like Donald Sutherland at the end of “Invasion of the Body Snatchers.”
Approximately 29% of Americans have no religion whatsoever and they say that makes life much easier because they&#8217;re able to rotate their heads 360 degrees and spider walk across the ceiling, which comes in very handy when they’re trying to escape from the exorcist.
Around the world, the religious landscape is much more varied. For instance, in Great Britain, while 47% of the people identify as Christian, 70% of them say that Islam is also absolutely great, totally fine, really wonderful and not a problem at all, no, really, it’s fantastic, they’re not just saying that because they’d be arrested for telling the truth.
In France, 49% of the population were excited because they thought they belonged to a dark, obscure, mystery cult with elaborate secret rituals until they found out they were actually just Catholics.
And in China, 23% of high-ranking Communists identify their kidneys as Uiger.
* * *
This excerpt is taken from the opening satirical monologue of “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/show/the-andrew-klavan-show" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Andrew Klavan Show</a>.”
The views expressed in this satirical article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
Andrew Klavan is the host of “The Andrew Klavan Show” at The Daily Wire. Follow him on X: @andrewklavan
Klavan is the bestselling author of numerous books, including the Cameron Winter Mystery series. The fourth installment, “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1613165536?ref_=dbs_m_mng_rwt_calw_thcv_3&amp;storeType=ebooks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A Woman Underground.</a>” His most recent nonfiction release is “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Kingdom-Cain-Finding-Literature-Darkness/dp/0310368340/?_encoding=UTF8&amp;pd_rd_w=nMYjR&amp;content-id=amzn1.sym.bc3ba8d1-5076-4ab7-9ba8-a5c6211e002d&amp;pf_rd_p=bc3ba8d1-5076-4ab7-9ba8-a5c6211e002d&amp;pf_rd_r=133-8344803-2786917&amp;pd_rd_wg=7a8J3&amp;pd_rd_r=5791ea0f-6d96-4732-9d6a-3a4e6b348bb5&amp;ref_=aufs_ap_sc_dsk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Kingdom of Cain: Finding God in the Literature of Darkness.</a>” (May 2025, Zondervan/HarperCollins).

US-ENTERTAINMENT-FILM-FESTIVAL-CARTOON-COMICCON-RELIGION

Progressives Abandon Christianity, Become Episcopalian

Andrew Klavan

Bible

Christianity

Conservatives

Easter

Episcopal Church

Humor

Progressivism

Satire

Attorney General Pam Bondi opened up the first meeting of the Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias on Tuesday by hearing stories about how the Justice Department was weaponized by the Biden administration to go after Christians.
President Donald Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/eradicating-anti-christian-bias-trump-signs-executive-action-ending-targeting-of-christians" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signed an executive order</a> in February directing Bondi to convene a task force composed of top Trump admin officials with the goal of securing religious liberty. During the inaugural meeting, those in attendance shared examples of how the Biden administration &#8220;weaponized&#8221; government to go after Christian colleges and federal employees who refused the COVID vaccine for religious reasons.
“As shown by our victims’ stories today, Biden’s Department of Justice abused and targeted peaceful Christians while ignoring violent, anti-Christian offenses,” Bondi said. “Thanks to President Trump, we have ended those abuses, and we will continue to work closely with every member of this Task Force to protect every American’s right to speak and worship freely.”
In her opening remarks, Bondi added that protecting the First Amendment would be a high priority for the administration.
“The First Amendment isn&#8217;t just a line in the Constitution, it&#8217;s the cornerstone of our American liberty. It guarantees every citizen the right to speak freely, worship freely, and live according to their conscience without government interference,” she said. “Protecting Christians from bias is not favoritism, it&#8217;s upholding the rule of law and fulfilling the constitutional promise.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
🚨 BREAKING: First Meeting of the Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias. <a href="https://t.co/PRlqJO48MD">pic.twitter.com/PRlqJO48MD</a>
&mdash; Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) <a href="https://twitter.com/AGPamBondi/status/1914748203552932185?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 22, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Other admin officials who attended the meeting included FBI Director Kash Patel, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
During the meeting, the task force heard from lawyer Michael Farris, who is represented the Cornerstone Church as it was under investigation by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for an alleged Johnson Amendment violation. The Johnson Amendment is a decades old provision in federal law that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-north-carolina-republican-leads-effort-to-restore-free-speech-for-pastors-churches" target="_blank" rel="noopener">allows pastors</a> to be prosecuted for making political statements from the pulpit.
The panel also heard from Phil Mendes, a Navy Seal who was relieved of duty by the Department of Defense after it denied his request for a religious exemption to the COVID vaccine.
During his 2024 campaign, Trump pledged to reverse many of the actions taken by the Biden administration, including the aggressive prosecutions of peaceful Christian pro-life protesters outside of abortion facilities. Multiple pro-lifers were sent to federal prison for their participation in peaceful protests after trials that were <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-89-year-old-woman-convicted-faces-over-a-decade-in-prison-for-peaceful-pro-life-protest" target="_blank" rel="noopener">covered extensively</a> by The Daily Wire.
&#8220;Those convicted included a Catholic priest and 75-year-old grandmother, as well as an 87-year-old woman and a father of 11 children who were arrested 18 months after praying and singing hymns outside an abortion facility in Tennessee as a part of a politically motivated prosecution campaign by the Biden Administration,&#8221; Trump wrote in his executive order creating the task force earlier this month.
Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/they-should-not-have-been-prosecuted-trump-pardons-23-pro-lifers-targeted-by-biden-doj" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pardoned those pro-lifers</a> his first week in office, calling it a &#8220;great honor&#8221; to sign the pardons.

US-POLITICS-LAW-RELIGION-BONDI

Top Trump Officials Expose ‘Anti-Christian Bias’ Of Biden Admin

Biden Administration

Department of Justice

Donald Trump

Joe Biden

Pam Bondi

Trump Administration

The first photos of Pope Francis in his casket were released on Tuesday, as the Vatican announced the pontiff&#8217;s funeral for Saturday.
The images released by the Vatican show the pontiff lying in a wooden casket wearing traditional red vestments and his bishop&#8217;s miter, with Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/world/first-photos-released-pope-francis-his-casket-funeral-set-saturday">praying</a> over his body.
Francis was placed in the casket Monday night in the chapel of the Vatican&#8217;s Casa Santa Marta by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church, operating as the acting head of the church until a new pope is selected.
<div id="attachment_910751" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-910751" class="wp-image-910751 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-2211383735-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-2211383735-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-2211383735-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-2211383735-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-2211383735-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-2211383735-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-2211383735-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-2211383735-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Photo by Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty Images</div>
Catholics can <a href="https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2025/04/22/250422a.html">begin</a> paying their respects starting Wednesday, when the casket is brought into St. Peter&#8217;s Basilica.
Cardinals met on Tuesday to establish the next steps, <a href="https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2025/04/22/250422b.html">setting</a> the funeral for 10 a.m. Saturday in St. Peter&#8217;s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re. President Trump said he plans to attend the funeral with the first lady, as dozens of other world leaders have also confirmed their attendance.
Francis, who was 88, died Monday morning of a cerebral stroke followed by a coma and ultimately “irreversible cardiocirculatory collapse,” according to the Vatican.
The pope had been in and out of the hospital for two months prior to his death, battling various respiratory illnesses necessitating a constant flow of supplemental oxygen and at least one emergency blood transfusion, per the New York Post.
<div id="attachment_910757" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-910757" class="size-large wp-image-910757" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-2211382949-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-2211382949-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-2211382949-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-2211382949-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-2211382949-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-2211382949-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-2211382949-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-2211382949-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Photo by Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty Images</div>
In his final will, Francis wished to be buried at St. Mary Major Basilica, located outside the Vatican, breaking with the tradition of papal burials at St. Peter&#8217;s Basilica.
Pope Francis was the first pontiff from the Americas and the first Jesuit pope in the Church&#8217;s history, serving during a period of significant challenges for the Catholic Church.
His death marks the end of a controversial era and sets the stage for what many religious conservatives hope will be a return to more traditional Catholic leadership.
A conclave to elect the next pope must begin between 15 and 20 days after Francis&#8217;s death, according to Church law.
During this period, Cardinal Farrell will oversee the Vatican&#8217;s administration and the conclave of 135 cardinals under the age of 80 who are eligible to vote in the secretive process of selecting the 267th pontiff.
&#8220;He gave himself to the end,&#8221; said Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, head of the Italian bishops&#8217; conference and a possible candidate to be the next pope. &#8220;To go out to meet everyone, speak to everyone, teach us to speak to everyone, to bless everyone.&#8221;

Pope Francis Dies At Easter

Vatican Releases First Photos Of Pope Francis In Casket

Catholic Church

Pope Francis

Religion

The Vatican

World

On Sunday, President Donald Trump marked Easter with a Truth Social post that paired festive greetings with his signature irreverent tone.
The <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114370361342759621" target="_blank" rel="noopener">missive</a> featured references to illegal immigration, judicial <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bondi-says-the-real-constitutional-crisis-is-judicial-lawfare-not-trump-exec-actions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lawfare</a>, the 2020 election, and former President Joe Biden&#8217;s controversial use of an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-pardons-signed-autopen-on-vacation-watchdog-finds" target="_blank" rel="noopener">autopen</a> to sign official documents.
&#8220;Happy Easter to all, including the Radical Left Lunatics who are fighting and scheming so hard to bring Murderers, Drug Lords, Dangerous Prisoners, the Mentally Insane, and well known MS-13 Gang Members and Wife Beaters, back into our Country,&#8221; Trump said.
&#8220;Happy Easter also to the WEAK and INEFFECTIVE Judges and Law Enforcement Officials who are allowing this sinister attack on our Nation to continue, an attack so violent that it will never be forgotten! Sleepy Joe Biden purposefully allowed Millions of CRIMINALS to enter our Country, totally unvetted and unchecked, through an Open Borders Policy that will go down in history as the single most calamitous act ever perpetrated upon America,&#8221; Trump continued.
Trump added, &#8220;He was, by far, our WORST and most Incompetent President, a man who had absolutely no idea what he was doing &#8212; But to him, and to the person that ran and manipulated the Auto Pen (perhaps our REAL President!), and to all of the people who CHEATED in the 2020 Presidential Election in order to get this highly destructive Moron Elected, I wish you, with great love, sincerity, and affection, a very Happy Easter!!!&#8221;
In an earlier post, Trump delivered a message from himself and the First Lady, Melania, to mark the holiday.
&#8220;Melania and I would like to wish everyone a very Happy Easter! Whether you are heading out to Church or, watching Service from home, may this day be full of Peace and Joy for all who celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. HE IS RISEN!!&#8221; Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114370333902322250" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
Vice President JD Vance spent part of Easter Sunday <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jd-vance-pays-brief-visit-to-pope-francis-on-easter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">meeting</a> Pope Francis at the Vatican.
&#8220;The Vice President expressed his gratitude to Pope Francis for inviting him to meet on Easter Sunday and for the hospitality the Vatican has extended to his family,&#8221; the White House said in a statement.
Vance <a href="https://x.com/VP/status/1913977824739729459" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on X, &#8220;Today I met with the Holy Father Pope Francis. I am grateful for his invitation to meet, and I pray for his good health. Happy Easter!&#8221;

President Donald Trump

Trump Blends Easter Greetings With Barbs For ‘Radical Left Lunatics,’ Judges, And ‘Sleepy Joe Biden’

Executive

Holiday

U.S.

White House

An American missionary in South Africa who was kidnapped during a church service last week was rescued by authorities following a deadly shootout on Tuesday.
After searching for Josh Sullivan, 45, for five days, police received a tip that the missionary was being held in a safe house in KwaMagxaki, Gqeberha, which is around 20 minutes away from Sullivan&#8217;s church. When authorities approached the house on Tuesday, they saw multiple suspects inside a vehicle who opened fire on police, according to a <a href="https://www.saps.gov.za/newsroom/selnewsdetails.php?nid=60329" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> from the South African Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (HAWKS).
&#8220;The officers responded with tactical precision, leading to a high-intensity shootout in which three unidentified suspects were fatally wounded,&#8221; the statement added.
Following the deadly shootout, Sullivan was found inside the vehicle &#8220;miraculously unharmed,&#8221; according to authorities. He was later assessed by medics and is in &#8220;excellent condition.&#8221;
While the South African authorities did not share the name of Sullivan in their statement, Pastor Tom Hatley, who oversees Fellowship Baptist Church in Maryville, Tennessee, where the Sullivans were previously members, shared the news of the missionary&#8217;s rescue.
&#8220;Josh has been released. I just got &#8216;the go ahead to let it be known,'&#8221; Hatley wrote on Facebook, adding, &#8220;Thank you for your support and prayers. Please do not stop praying for The Sullivans. Praise the Lord Jesus Christ!&#8221;
Sullivan, a husband and father of six children, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/american-missionary-kidnapped-at-gunpoint-during-church-service" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was taken at gunpoint</a> by armed men while he was preaching a sermon at Fellowship Baptist Church in Motherwell, just outside the city of Gqeberha, last Thursday. Around 30 people, including Sullivan&#8217;s family, were at the church service when Sullivan was kidnapped, but no one was harmed.
The captors reportedly knew Sullivan&#8217;s name when they entered the church, and Fellowship Baptist Church was the target of threats last year, according to human rights group International Christian Concern, sparking concern that Sullivan was taken because of his faith. However, Reverend Jeremy Hall, who also pastors in the Gqeberha area, said the kidnapping was likely “financially related.”
South Africa has experienced a massive spike in kidnappings over the past decade, jumping 264%. From 2023 to 2024 alone, there were more than 17,000 kidnappings in the country.

Josh Sullivan

‘Miraculously Unharmed’: American Missionary Rescued In Deadly Shootout After Gunpoint Kidnapping

Church

Rescue

South Africa

An American serving as a missionary in South Africa was kidnapped at gunpoint by a group of men during a church service in Motherwell, just outside the city of Gqeberha, on Thursday.
Josh Sullivan, a Tennessee native, was preaching a sermon at Fellowship Baptist Church when four masked men armed with firearms stormed into the church, robbed people of their cell phones, and abducted the 45-year-old missionary, according to police, The Straits Times <a href="https://www.straitstimes.com/world/us-pastor-abducted-at-gunpoint-during-sermon-in-south-africa" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. Around 30 people were at the church service, including Sullivan&#8217;s wife and six children, when the kidnappers entered the building. No one else was harmed, and only Sullivan was taken captive.
The captors reportedly sped away with Sullivan in his silver Toyota Forerunner. The missionary&#8217;s vehicle was later found abandoned. The U.S. State Department told the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5y6xq4ex1ro" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BBC</a> on Friday that it is aware of Sullivan&#8217;s kidnapping and added that there is no &#8220;greater priority than the safety and security of US citizens abroad.&#8221;
Reverend Jeremy Hall, who also pastors in the Gqeberha area, said the kidnapping was likely &#8220;financially related,&#8221; but there is some concern that Sullivan was targeted for his faith. The kidnappers reportedly knew Sullivan&#8217;s name when they entered the church, and Fellowship Baptist Church was the target of threats last year, according to human rights group International Christian Concern.
Sullivan and his family moved to South Africa in 2018 and planted Fellowship Baptist Church in Motherwell in 2021. The church is a sister church of Fellowship Baptist in Maryville, Tennessee, where the Sullivans were members before going to the mission field. In the Sullivans&#8217; most recent prayer letter <a href="https://sullivansinsouthafrica.weebly.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">update</a>, which was published on March 3, the missionaries said they had just visited fellow missionaries in Mozambique, adding that the &#8220;trip was a wonderful opportunity to see another African country and grow our burden for the African people.&#8221;
Kidnappings have spiked in South Africa over the past decade, jumping 264%, according to the BBC. In 2023-2024, there were more than 17,000 kidnappings in the country. Just two days before Sullivan was taken by armed men, a Chinese national was kidnapped in Gqeberha, according to police.

Church Steeple

American Missionary Kidnapped At Gunpoint During Church Service

Crime

On Wednesday, former Arkansas GOP governor and staunch Evangelical Christian Mike Huckabee was confirmed as the U.S. Ambassador to Israel in a 53-46 vote mostly along party lines in the Senate, with Pennsylvania Democrat Senator John Fetterman being the lone Democrat to vote for him.
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Confirmed, 53-46: Confirmation of Executive Calendar #67 Mike Huckabee to be Ambassador to the State of Israel.
&mdash; Senate Cloakroom (@SenateCloakroom) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenateCloakroom/status/1910015728457318844?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 9, 2025</a></blockquote>
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“Mike has been a lifelong friend of Israel and an ardent supporter and defender of Israel’s right to exist,” Arkansas GOP senator Tom Cotton <a href="https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/speeches/cotton-supports-mike-huckabees-confirmation-as-ambassador-to-israel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stated</a> in championing the nomination. “ In 1973, Mike made his first trip to Israel as a recent high school graduate. The experience of visiting the Biblical sites at the center of history had such a profound impact on the 17-year-old Mike Huckabee that he would go on to lead tens of thousands of people on similarly life-changing visits.”
In 2017, Huckabee made it clear that he believed that the Biblical lands of Judea and Samaria — where virtually all the events recorded in the Bible took place — were part of the Jewish homeland, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2017/01/03/politics/huckabee-west-bank-settlements/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">saying</a>, “I think Israel has title deed to Judea and Samaria. There are certain words I refuse to use. There is no such thing as a West Bank. It’s Judea and Samaria. There’s no such thing as a settlement. They’re communities; they’re neighborhoods; they’re cities. There’s no such thing as an occupation.”
Even before President Trump moved the American embassy to Jerusalem in his first term, Huckabee said, “The only people who have ever had Yerushalayim (Jerusalem) as a capital have been the Jews. Nobody else has ever made this city a capital, ever. So it shouldn’t even be controversial. Now it will be, but it shouldn’t be.”
In 2015, Huckabee <a href="https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/andrewkaczynski/huckabee-two-state-solution-is-irrational-unworkable-plenty" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> bluntly, “I think it&#8217;s time for us to quit playing this pretentious game that there&#8217;s gonna be a two-state solution where both sides share the same country and real estate and streets &#8217;cause they&#8217;re not. One of the sides, the Palestinians, continue to say that Israel doesn&#8217;t have a right to exist. You can&#8217;t forge an alliance with that.”
“We never can accept the notion that Israel will be divided,” he continued, saying the boundaries of Israel were given “not by the United Nations but by almighty God.”

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Holds Nomination Hearing For Mike Huckabee To Be Ambassador To Israel

Fierce Israel Supporter Mike Huckabee Confirmed As Ambassador To Israel

Evangelicals

Mike Huckabee

Pro-Israel

A Muslim man who hated America and Christianity was convicted of targeting multiple churches with fake bomb threats while collecting bomb-making materials, the Justice Department announced.
The DOJ <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/arizona-man-convicted-crimes-arising-out-plot-targeting-christian-churches" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Friday that 45-year-old Zimnako Salah was convicted of targeting four churches across Arizona, California, and Colorado with fake bomb threats. At the same time, the FBI said it found evidence that Salah was constructing an actual bomb in a storage crate he was renting, according to a criminal complaint.
Salah was convicted last week of making a bomb threat hoax, obstructing the free exercise of religion, threatening the use of a dangerous weapon or explosive, and targeting Christians because of their religion.
“This Department of Justice has no tolerance for anyone who targets religious Americans for their faith,” Attorney General Pamela Bondi said. “The perpetrator of this abhorrent hate crime against Christians will face severe punishment.”
At one church in Roseville, California, in November 2023, Salah tied a backpack to a toilet in the men’s restroom before leaving with the intent to scare congregants into thinking they may be the victims of a bombing, the DOJ said. One woman who handled the backpack believed that she &#8220;might meet Jesus today&#8221; because of the package.
“Planting a hoax bomb at the Roseville church was not an isolated incident or a prank for this defendant,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith for the Eastern District of California. “His actions were designed to threaten and intimidate the congregation because he disagreed with their religious beliefs.”
In another incident, Salah left a backpack in the sanctuary of a Christian church in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Salah attempted to conduct a similar hoax at two other churches — one in Greenwood Village, Colorado, and the other in La Mesa, California — but was questioned by church security.
According to the criminal complaint filed against him, Salah is a Northern Iraqi who has lived in Arizona for about 20 years. 
In his interactions with others, the FBI found that he expressed his hate for America, telling people, “F*** this country. I hate America. This country went to Iraq and killed a lot of people.&#8221;
And at the same time he was carrying out the bombing hoaxes, the FBI discovered that Salah was renting a storage unit near Greenwood Village where he had materials like duct tape with nails, red and white wires attached to a battery, nails and bolts, a box of ignition coils, and multiple propane tanks.
<div id="attachment_904293" style="width: 1179px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-904293" class="size-full wp-image-904293" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Screen-Shot-2025-04-07-at-2.39.00-PM.png" alt="" width="1169" height="700" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Screen-Shot-2025-04-07-at-2.39.00-PM.png 1169w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Screen-Shot-2025-04-07-at-2.39.00-PM-300x180.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Screen-Shot-2025-04-07-at-2.39.00-PM-962x576.png 962w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Screen-Shot-2025-04-07-at-2.39.00-PM-768x460.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1169px) 100vw, 1169px" />FBI criminal complaint.</div>
At the time, the FBI said in its criminal complaint that the evidence indicated that the materials were “possibly being used to attempt to make a viable explosive device.” The DOJ later determined that Salah had “been building a bomb capable of fitting in a backpack.”
On the wall of the storage unit were spray-painted words in Arabic derogatory toward Jewish people and about Muhammed. Video records showed that Salah had searched for videos of “Infidels dying” and watched videos of ISIS murdering Christians, according to the DOJ.
<div id="attachment_904295" style="width: 1214px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-904295" class="size-full wp-image-904295" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Screen-Shot-2025-04-07-at-2.38.37-PM.png" alt="" width="1204" height="728" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Screen-Shot-2025-04-07-at-2.38.37-PM.png 1204w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Screen-Shot-2025-04-07-at-2.38.37-PM-300x181.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Screen-Shot-2025-04-07-at-2.38.37-PM-953x576.png 953w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Screen-Shot-2025-04-07-at-2.38.37-PM-768x464.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1204px) 100vw, 1204px" />Salah&#8217;s Storage unit: FBI criminal complaint.</div>
Salah could face up to six years in prison and a $250,000 fine if sentenced to the maximum penalty.
President Donald Trump has made targeting anti-Christian bias a major priority for his administration. He signed an executive order in February to create a task force aimed at protecting Christians and religious liberty.

MixCollage-07-Apr-2025-03-05-PM-1154

‘Hate Crime Against Christians’: Iraqi Man Convicted Over Bomb Threats Targeting Churches

Bombings

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Daily Wire host Matt Walsh blasted mainstream churches for their &#8220;milquetoast&#8221; and &#8220;lukewarm&#8221; response to transgender ideology at a Wednesday TPUSA panel with Charlie Kirk, declaring that some have essentially become &#8220;LGBT cult&#8221; institutions rather than Christian houses of worship.
During the panel, Walsh expressed that mainstream churches&#8217; failure to oppose transgender ideology wasn&#8217;t just an oversight, but &#8220;a deliberate choice&#8221; and &#8220;a deliberate surrender,&#8221; despite the Church&#8217;s role as &#8220;the vanguard against this kind of evil.&#8221;
&#8220;I wish &#8230; that I could say we were asleep at the wheel because if you fall asleep at the wheel, it&#8217;s not necessarily your fault. That&#8217;s something that happens accidentally,&#8221; Walsh said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Matt Walsh tells how the biggest problem about transgenderism is that the church is milquetoast and lukewarm about the subject, right up to the pastor. Some even can be considered an LGBT cult.<a href="https://twitter.com/MattWalshShow?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@mattwalshshow</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/MattWalshBlog?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@mattwalshblog</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/charliekirk11?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Charliekirk11</a> <a href="https://t.co/6ixm5tKZlV">pic.twitter.com/6ixm5tKZlV</a>
&mdash; Real America&#39;s Voice (RAV) (@RealAmVoice) <a href="https://twitter.com/RealAmVoice/status/1902556963692790053?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 20, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Walsh recounted his experiences fighting transgender ideology from 2016 through 2021, noting the absence of religious leaders alongside him. &#8220;I was more likely to look over to my side and see a liberal feminist standing with me on this issue than a Christian pastor,&#8221; he said.
When pastors did address him, Walsh noted it was often to &#8220;condemn me for being too rude, for being too mean.&#8221; His response: &#8220;You don&#8217;t like my approach, what&#8217;s your alternative? Because your approach is nothing.&#8221;
Walsh blasted &#8220;woke churches&#8221; displaying rainbow flags, &#8220;If you have a rainbow in your church, it better be a part of some art display that references Noah&#8217;s Ark, because the rainbow flag is anathema, it is heresy.&#8221;
Still, the more significant problem than &#8220;woke churches,&#8221; according to Walsh, is the &#8220;milquetoast, lukewarm&#8221; churches that avoid addressing transgender ideology. These establishments might not say anything necessarily &#8220;wrong,&#8221; in Walsh&#8217;s view, but &#8220;it&#8217;s what&#8217;s not being said&#8221; that is of bigger concern.
The panel was hosted in Atlanta by Real America&#8217;s Voice and <a href="https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-real-americas-voice-232242864/episode/turning-point-tonight-with-jobob--270590352/">streamed</a> on TPUSA&#8217;s platforms.

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Matt Walsh Slams Churches for ‘Deliberate Surrender’ On Trans Issues At TPUSA Panel

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Matt Walsh

Social Issues

TPUSA

Transgender

A transgender-identifying punk rocker performing at a recent Bernie Sanders rally in Wisconsin brought cheers from the crowd while jeering at God with obscene lyrics.
Laura Jane Grace, Thomas James Gabel, of the punk band Against Me! sang a song titled “Your God (God&#8217;s D***).” In it, Grace chortled the following lyrics: “Does your God have a big fat d***? Cause it feels like he&#8217;s f***ing me. Are his b***s filled with lightning do they dangle like heaven’s keys?”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Bernie Sanders had transgender singer Laura Jane Grace perform at his rally singing “Does your God have a big fat d***” <a href="https://t.co/Lc0jEIVBFK">pic.twitter.com/Lc0jEIVBFK</a>
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) <a href="https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok/status/1898895797837549607?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 10, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The Daily Mail <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14480485/Trans-punk-rocker-Laure-Jane-Grace-ungodly-lyrics-Bernie-Sanders-rally.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> the singer followed with these anti-God lyrics: “Does he shoot wads of honey and c** twice on Easter Sunday? Can he c** a shotgun blast and shoot salvation up your a**? Does he chew c*** like bubblegum and give b******* like a vacuum?”
Sanders, who is a non-religious Jew, has been a foe of the Jewish state of Israel as well as a foe of religious Christianity.
In October 2019, speaking at the national conference of the notoriously anti-Israel J Street organization and interviewed by former Obama officials Ben Rhodes and Tommy Vietor, both of whom supported the Iran nuclear deal that represented an existential threat to Israel, Sanders curried favor by suggesting that Israel did not respect human rights, snapping, “I would use the leverage of $3.8 billion. It is a lot of money, and we cannot give it carte blanche to the Israeli government, or for that matter to any government at all. We have a right to demand respect for human rights and democracy.” He threatened, “My solution is, to Israel, if you want military aid you’re going to have to fundamentally change your relationship to the people of Gaza. I would say that some of the $3.8 billion should go right now to humanitarian aid in Gaza.”
<a href="https://mosaicmagazine.com/picks/israel-zionism/2019/04/catering-to-the-democratic-fringe-bernie-sanders-defames-israel-again/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mosaic Magazine</a> noted:
<blockquote>
When Sanders wanted to win the Democratic nomination in 2016, he claimed that Israel had killed over 10,000 innocent Palestinians, launched indiscriminate attacks in the Gaza Strip, and shelled hospitals in Gaza during Operation Protective Edge in 2014. The senator not only inflated the numbers by several orders of magnitude, he even outdid the Hamas spokespersons in creating a false narrative that the IDF was intentionally attacking the civilian population.
</blockquote>
In 2017, Sanders <a href="https://erlc.com/press/russell-moore-criticizes-senator-bernie-sanders-comments-calling-them-a-religious-test-for-office/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">badgered</a> Russell Vought, President Donald Trump’s nominee for deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget, about his evangelical Christian beliefs at a Senate confirmation hearing.  Russell Moore of the Southern Baptist Convention stated, “Even if one were to excuse Senator Sanders for not realizing that all Christians of every age have insisted that faith in Jesus Christ is the only pathway to salvation, it is inconceivable that Senator Sanders would cite religious beliefs as disqualifying an individual for public office.”

Sen. Bernie Sanders Speaks In Wisconsin On His “Fighting Oligarchy Tour”

Trans-Identifying Singer Jeers At God With Obscene Lyrics, Brings Cheers At Bernie Sanders Rally

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The new animated Disney series “Win or Lose” is making headlines again, only this time it’s for featuring an openly Christian character.
The company has avoided Christian references for years, but that changed with the debut of the show “Win or Lose,” which is described as “[featuring] the intertwined stories of eight different characters as they each prepare for their big championship softball game — the insecure kids, their helicopter parents, even a lovesick umpire.”
This new animated series includes a character named Laurie who is feeling self-doubt, so she turns to God in prayer for help. There is also a cutout of an angel inside Laurie’s bedroom.
“Dear Heavenly Father, please give me strength,” Laurie prays. “I have faith, but sometimes the doubt creeps in.”
Industry publication WDW News Today <a href="https://wdwnt.com/2025/03/win-or-lose-introduces-first-openly-christian-disney-character-after-almost-20-years/">noted</a> that this is the first time in two decades that any Disney show has made such a reference. They said the last time was in the 2007 film “Bridge to Terabithia,” which had children Jesse and Leslie attend church together and discussing religion on their way home.
This inclusion is also significant because Disney opted to cut a transgender storyline that was previously included in the same show. The character remained, but all mention of gender identity questioning was removed.
“When it comes to animated content for a younger audience, we recognize that many parents would prefer to discuss certain subjects with their children on their own terms and timeline,” a rep for the company said at the time.
Chanel Stewart, the trans-identified actor who gave voice to the character, <a href="https://deadline.com/2024/12/win-or-lose-transgender-actress-speaks-after-disney-cuts-storyline-1236209109/">complained</a> about the edits while speaking with Deadline in December. 
“I was very disheartened,” Stewart said. “From the moment I got the script, I was excited to share my journey to help empower other trans youth. I knew this would be a very important conversation. Trans stories matter, and they deserve to be heard.”
“Win or Lose” co-creators Carrie Hobson and Michael Yates previously discussed their aim for the show.
“We knew from the beginning we wanted to have all the hallmarks of a Pixar film — humor, heart, and creativity,” they <a href="https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/pixar-win-or-lose/">said</a> in a press release. “We came to the table also knowing we wanted to tell the types of stories we couldn’t tell in a film format. Which included multi-protagonists, nonlinear storytelling, and really just pushing the tone to be more outside of the box.”

Disney

Disney Animated Series Has Openly Christian Character For First Time In Almost Two Decades

Animation

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This is the second part of an edited <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/michael-knowles-live-at-yaf-ordo-amoris-the-hierarchy-of-political-love" target="_blank" rel="noopener">speech</a>, titled “‘Ordo Amoris’: The Hierarchy of Political Love,” delivered by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/show/the-michael-knowles-show" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Michael Knowles</a> at the YAF Freedom Conference in San Diego, California.
* * *
Saint Thomas’ reasoning is, as always, clear and persuasive in his discussions of the order of charity. In the “Summa Theologiae,” Secunda Secundae, Question 26, he writes, “There must needs be some order in things loved out of charity, which order is in reference to the first principle of that love, which is God.” This expression alone proves editor of The Yale Review James Surowiecki had no idea what he was talking about when he <a href="https://x.com/JamesSurowiecki/status/1885302779058557080" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claimed</a> that the ordo amoris is not in the Gospels.
Not only is the ordo amoris in the Gospels, but it is also the principle articulated in the most famous line of the Gospels, <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2022%3A37-39&amp;version=ESV" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Matthew 22:37-39</a>: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
There is, in other words, an order of charity — a hierarchy of love — and this order is the very foundation of Christian morality. We must love God first, and only then and upon that basis do we love everything else. And this order does not just comprise two categories. It isn’t just “God” and “everyone else.”
We find further scriptural evidence of the order of charity in <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Timothy%205%3A8&amp;version=RSV" target="_blank" rel="noopener">1 Timothy 5:8</a>: “If any one does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his own family, he has disowned the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” A man does not necessarily disown the faith — he is not necessarily worse than an unbeliever — if he does not care for some random guy on the other side of the world. We have greater obligations to those who are closest to us.
This moral insight is attested to both by philosophy and religion — reason and revelation — and yet many liberals deny it. And we know they deny, not just because of their snarky tweets about JD Vance, but also from social science. Shortly after the ordo amoris debate kicked off, a graph went viral on social media.
<div id="attachment_886629" style="width: 678px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-886629" class="wp-image-886629 size-full" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/41467_2019_12227_Fig5_HTML.jpg" alt="Heatmaps indicating highest moral allocation by ideology, Study 3a. Source data are provided as a Source Data file. Note. The highest value on the heatmap scale is 20 units for liberals, and 12 units for conservatives. Moral circle rings, from inner to outer, are described as follows: (1) all of your immediate family, (2) all of your extended family, (3) all of your closest friends, (4) all of your friends (including distant ones), (5) all of your acquaintances, (6) all people you have ever met, (7) all people in your country, (8) all people on your continent, (9) all people on all continents, (10) all mammals, (11) all amphibians, reptiles, mammals, fish, and birds, (12) all animals on earth including paramecia and amoebae, (13) all animals in the universe, including alien lifeforms, (14) all living things in the universe including plants and trees, (15) all natural things in the universe including inert entities such as rocks, (16) all things in existence. SOURCE: “Ideological differences in the expanse of the moral circle.” Adam Waytz, Ravi Iyer, Liane Young, Jonathan Haidt, Jesse Graham. National Center for Biotechnology Information. National Library of Medicine. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31558713/" width="668" height="281" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/41467_2019_12227_Fig5_HTML.jpg 668w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/41467_2019_12227_Fig5_HTML-300x126.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 668px) 100vw, 668px" />SOURCE: “Ideological differences in the expanse of the moral circle.” Adam Waytz, Ravi Iyer, Liane Young, Jonathan Haidt, Jesse Graham. National Center for Biotechnology Information. National Library of Medicine.</div>
It’s from a 2019 <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31558713/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">study</a> titled, “Ideological Differences in the Expanse of the Moral Circle.” The graph depicts heat maps “indicating highest moral allocation by ideology.” The “moral circle rings” extend from the center outward. Care for “your immediate family” is in the center, followed by “all of your extended family,” then “all of your closest friends,” then “all of your friends (including distant ones),” then your acquaintances, people you’ve ever met, your countrymen, people on your continent, all people, all mammals, all other animals, all living creatures (including amoebae), all potential life in the universe (including aliens), all living things (including plants and trees), all non-living things (including rocks), and finally all things in existence.
The study found that conservatives, being normal, tend to care more about the things closest to them; they tend to care more about their immediate families than they care about rocks. Liberals, being the sort of people who hug trees and hate their dads, tend not to care more about things closer to them. The study found that “the more liberal people were, the more they allocated equally to humans and non-humans.” A distinguishing feature of Right-wingers is that they are more likely “to morally prioritize humans over nonhumans.”
Some libs have attempted to argue that conservatives simply misunderstand the study. They argue the study shows that conservatives don’t care more about their families than liberals do; it’s just that liberals care more generally. Now, even if that were true — and it’s a perfectly plausible hypothesis given liberals’ frequent inability to control their emotions — it would still be extremely disordered to care more about strangers than about one’s own parents. Even if they cared more overall — which, it turns out, they don’t.
Liberals really do care more about rocks and trees than they do about their own families. We don’t need a chart or study to show us that. Just ask a liberal about climate change and abortion. Liberals will rend their garments over environmental threats to the coral reef, but they’ll dance in the streets to celebrate the murder of their own children through abortion.
And, it turns out, the study shows as much. Because the study “constrained the number of units that participants could assign to each group, forcing participants to distribute moral concern in a zero-sum fashion” (i.e., the more concern they allocate to one circle, the less they can allocate to another circle). And the researchers did this because research suggests that’s how people really do distribute “empathy and moral concern.” Of course: It’s a finite world. We only have so many hours to worry. We only have so many tears to shed.
But just to prove how deep this moral perversion runs on the political Left, the researchers conducted another study to test what would happen if they did not constrain people to zero-sum moral thinking. And what they discovered was that “even when participants’ allocations were not constrained, the same pattern replicated.” Conservatives, the researchers showed, exhibit “greater concern and preference for family relative to friends, the nation relative to the world … and humans relative to non-humans.”
<h3><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/show/the-michael-knowles-show" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WATCH: The Michael Knowles Show</a></h3>
So what conclusion are we to draw from this? Is it just a matter of preference? “Conservatives love their family and friends; liberals love trees and rocks” — de gustibus non disputandum est! No accounting for taste! I don’t think so. Any reasonable person knows that one should care more for his children than for rocks and trees. If liberals do not, it is because they have made a moral error.
And the liberals didn’t even necessarily fall into this moral error because they’re wicked. More likely, I think, they fall into it because they’re trying (and failing) to be good. I suspect most of the time it actually comes from a place of love. But that love is misplaced. It’s out of order. And disordered love tends to evil, just as the road to Hell is paved with good intentions.
G.K. Chesterton explains the phenomenon with regard to his friend, the socialist atheist George Bernard Shaw.
“Bernard Shaw,” Chesterton <a href="https://www3.nd.edu/~afreddos/courses/439/orthodoxy2-3.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">writes</a>, “has a heroically large and generous heart; but not a heart in the right place. And this is so of the typical society of our time. The modern world is not evil; in some ways the modern world is far too good. It is full of wild and wasted virtues.”
“When a religious scheme is shattered,” he concludes, “it is not merely the vices that are let loose. The vices are, indeed, let loose, and they wander and do damage. But the virtues are let loose also; and the virtues wander more wildly, and the virtues do more terrible damage. The modern world is full of the old Christian virtues gone mad.”
Our nation’s — our whole civilization’s — religious scheme has obviously been shattered. The vice president invoked Thomas Aquinas, and our political elites were left drooling and scratching their heads.
The scheme has been shattered, the virtues have wandered, and these wandering virtues — these errant loves — have caused our present political ills. The only remedy is to restore order — not just to our streets and our communities but to our loves — if for no other reason than that without order, without caring for ourselves and our own, we can’t properly care for anyone else either.

MixCollage-04-Mar-2025-09-54-AM-7123

Restoring The Order Of Love: The Remedy To Political Ills

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