A devout Christian baker in California — harassed by the state for eight years over her refusal to create a wedding cake for a same-sex couple — is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to put an end to lower courts defying rulings that protect people of faith from being forced to violate their religious beliefs.
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Cathy Miller, a devout Christian baker, asked the Supreme Court to protect her right to create custom-designed wedding cakes aligned with her faith. After nearly a decade of California punishing Cathy’s religious beliefs about marriage, it’s time for the Supreme Court to let… <a href="https://t.co/HRrpNu7Gl8">pic.twitter.com/HRrpNu7Gl8</a>
&mdash; BECKET (@becketfund) <a href="https://twitter.com/becketfund/status/1960773247076852191?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 27, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Catherine Miller was sued by the California Civil Rights Department in 2017 for alleged violations of the state’s public accommodation laws after she refused to create a wedding cake for a same-sex couple. In the aftermath of her decision, her bakery, Tastries, was flooded with angry social media posts, death threats, and harassing emails and phone calls.
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After a week-long bench trial, the state trial court ruled in favor of Miller under the Free Speech Clause, but the state appeals court reversed the decision. The state’s Supreme Court then declined to review the case. Miller is represented by the Becket law firm.
The <a href="https://becketnewsite.s3.amazonaws.com/20250827094241/Tastries-Cathy-Miller-Cert-Petition.pdf">petition</a> explains:
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After Miller opened her bakery in 2013, she began receiving requests for custom projects that “were not in line with” her faith. These requests included “gory” cakes, “marijuana” cakes, “adult” cakes and cookies featuring genitalia, and a cake announcing a divorce that a husband was going to surprise his (then) wife with. Miller turned these requests down. She then consulted with her pastor to create Tastries’ Design Standards, which she uses to communicate her policies to both employees and customers.
The Design Standards refer to Miller’s mission to create “custom designs that are Creative, Uplifting, Inspirational and Affirming,” and that are “lovely, praiseworthy, or of good report.” Miller’s mission is rooted in the Bible. The Design Standards state that Tastries “do[es] not accept requests” for baked goods “portraying explicit sexual content,” “promoting marijuana or casual drug use,” “featuring alcohol products or drunkenness,” “depicting gore, witches, spirits, and satanic or demonic content,” or “that violate fundamental Christian princip[les].”    
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“California still wants to put Cathy Miller to the test,” the petition to the Supreme Court states. “If she does not agree to design and create cakes for same-sex wedding ceremonies despite her undisputedly sincere religious objections, California says she must give up her cake-design business altogether.”
The petition refers to “two well-established splits of authority among the lower courts. The first is a 3-3 split over whether compelled speech must be viewed as an endorsement by a reasonable observer in order to qualify for First Amendment protection, or whether all compelled speech triggers strict scrutiny. &#8230; The second split divides the lower courts 7-4 over whether, when determining general applicability under the Free Exercise Clause, courts must consider all secular exemptions to the relevant law.”
“Without this Court’s intervention, these splits will continue to vex lower courts and litigants alike,” the petition warns. “A litigant’s First Amendment rights will vary dramatically by location, even between state and federal courts within California. Failing to resolve the splits will not just needlessly prolong the national battle over accommodations for religious believers when it comes to same-sex wedding ceremonies—it will make those conflicts worse, because it will reward government officials for continuing rather than resolving these conflicts.”

Newlyweds cutting wedding cake

Christian Baker Persecuted By California For 8 Years Urges Supreme Court: Protect People Of Faith

Bakersfield

Bakery

California State University

Christianity

Courts

Politics

Supreme Court

Anyone who watched TV in the 1990s is familiar with the slow-motion “Baywatch” run meant to highlight the enviable physiques of the lifeguards at Malibu beach.
The most famous slow-motion jogger, of course, was Pamela Anderson, who went on to have a public profile laced with several high-profile rock romances, a blonde bombshell image, lots of makeup and tight clothing, and, predictably, a sex tape.
Her long-running sex symbol status is what makes Anderson’s newest iteration so extraordinary. Gone are the over-plucked eyebrows, glittery makeup looks, and skimpy outfits. And instead of simply toning down her look into a more polished yet styled version of the 90s version, the actress did a complete 180 and started walking around with a totally bare face that appears natural and shows signs of aging.
Anderson, 58, now looks more like a kindly grandmother at the grocery store than she does like the <a href="https://www.biography.com/actors/a65563161/playboy-pamela-anderson-against-porn" target="_blank" rel="noopener">record holder</a> for most times posing nude for Playboy (14, if you were wondering). She’s also enjoying what appears to be a later-in-life romance with Liam Neeson, which looks sweet enough to melt even the most cynical hearts.
Anderson has been discussing her change in appearance openly ever since it began. She described her over-styled &#8217;90s look as a “defense mechanism.”
Spurred in part by the death of her longtime makeup artist Alexis Vogel in 2019, the celeb said her decision to ditch the cosmetics was “freeing, and fun, and a little rebellious too.&#8221;
&#8220;Because I did notice that there were all these people doing big makeup looks, and it’s just like me to go against the grain and do the opposite of what everyone’s doing,” she <a href="https://www.elle.com/fashion/a44775298/pamela-anderson-interview-2023/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> Elle in 2023.
She also spoke about being confronted with her own reflection, saying, &#8220;I’m kind of laughing at myself when I look at the mirror. I go, ‘Wow, this is really&#8230;what’s happening to me?’ It’s a journey,&#8221; she told the magazine. &#8220;But I feel rooted for. I feel good. I’m in a good place.”
In a Vogue interview about going makeup-free at Paris Fashion Week, she explained that her transformation wasn’t a protest. It was personal.
“I just thought, ‘I’m doing this for all the girls out there.’… This is it.”
&#8220;You kind of have to challenge beauty sometimes,&#8221; she told the outlet. &#8220;You know, if we all chase youth, or we&#8217;re chasing our idea of what fashion magazines [want] and everything, we&#8217;re only gonna be disappointed or maybe a little bit sad. So I feel like this is it.&#8221;
Anderson also discussed her plan to forge a path for other women in her age bracket.
&#8220;I feel as a woman and a woman of my age, and a woman in the public eye&#8230;it&#8217;s also your job to be a model of everything,&#8221; she shared. &#8220;Just all sorts of choices. So I am just being me, kind of who I am, in all these great clothes running around Paris.&#8221;
Other celebrities celebrated the move, with Jamie Lee Curtis calling Anderson’s bare face “an act of courage and rebellion” and Scarlett Johansson saying it was a “powerful message for women to see other women rejecting standard beauty norms.”
It’s true that there’s something especially powerful about the unmasking of a star who once embraced the beauty industry to such an extreme. Anderson also seems to reject Hollywood’s relentless obsession with looking young, saying the pursuit is ultimately “futile.”
It stands in stark contrast to some of Anderson’s contemporaries, who are still dancing, dressing, and acting like they did in their 20s, often with mixed results (ahem, Madonna).
Followers are also rooting for Anderson’s relationship with Neeson, who was seemingly drawn to that same sincerity. Their relationship carries the same refreshing quality as Anderson’s beauty revolution.
That’s saying a lot, considering that Anderson has been married five times.
People started noticing the chemistry between Anderson and Neeson on the set of “The Naked Gun” reboot, where Neeson <a href="https://www.glamour.com/story/pamela-anderson-and-liam-neeson-are-dating-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">praised</a> Anderson by saying “I can’t compliment her enough, I’ll be honest with you. No huge ego. She just comes in to do the work. She’s funny and so easy to work with. She’s going to be terrific in the film.”
Anderson offered a glowing review of her own, calling her co-star “the perfect gentleman.”
Recently, the pair even pretended to make out on Today as rumors of their romance persisted. Neeson called their connection “lovely,” while Anderson <a href="https://people.com/pamela-anderson-and-liam-neeson-pretend-to-make-out-on-the-today-show-11780821" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> of their connection, &#8220;I think I have a friend forever in Liam. And we definitely have a connection that is very sincere, very loving, and he&#8217;s a good guy.&#8221; So far, the duo has brushed off any attempts to define their relationship, but it’s obvious just by looking at them that their connection is strong.
To be clear, this isn’t about Anderson becoming some sort of saint. She’s still contradictory. The celeb has been criticized for railing against pornography while insisting that posing nude in Playboy is acceptable because it’s “<a href="https://www.biography.com/actors/a65563161/playboy-pamela-anderson-against-porn" target="_blank" rel="noopener">highbrow</a>.” She was married to avid Trump supporter Kid Rock for a year, but she’s also a fervent supporter of PETA and an animal rights activist. And despite <a href="https://www.christianpost.com/news/pamela-anderson-says-she-once-wanted-to-be-a-nun.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">saying</a> she once considered becoming a nun and says prayers every morning, Anderson does not openly practice any specific faith.
To sum up, Anderson isn’t becoming a right-wing influencer anytime soon, but her transformation does point to a very Christian concept: redemption.
Pamela Anderson’s transformation from a sex symbol defined by tabloid headlines to an introspective, grounded woman who has openly reflected on her past mirrors, in many ways, the Christian concept of forgiveness of sin. In Christianity, forgiveness isn’t about erasing history, but about redemption: a cleansing that allows a person to step forward no longer bound by who they once were.
Anderson has spoken candidly about her mistakes and struggles, yet her new chapter embodies grace, renewal, and the reclaiming of dignity, which is very much like the believer who, after confessing and repenting, is restored to a new life in Christ.
Her story shows how a person can be fully known, flaws and all, and still be met with compassion, transformation, and a fresh start free from judgement. And that is a truly beautiful thing to behold.

Late Night with Seth Meyers – Season 12

Bombshell Redeemed? Pamela Anderson And The Power Of Grace

Feminism

Hollywod

Pamela Anderson

Women

In the most recent flashpoint in the culture war, American Eagle showcased actress Sydney Sweeney in an advertisement with the caption “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans.”
The ad is overtly sexual, with the camera highlighting sexual features more than the denim itself, with suggestive poses that frame Sweeney as an erotic object of desire.
“Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality and even eye color,” Sweeney says, back arched, while zipping up her pants. “My jeans are blue.”
The reaction to the ad was a Rorschach test. The Left, locked into a hermeneutic of suspicion with a reflex to read nefarious messaging into things that seem anodyne at a cursory glance, were outraged at the perceived fascist signaling of the ad (Sweeney is thin, blonde, and blue-eyed). Some on the Left interpreted it as a dog whistle for eugenics and white supremacy.
The Right, which often settles for cultural scraps, celebrated the ad as a win against “woke” culture for featuring an attractive, thin white woman after years of brands being influenced by the Left’s ideological fixations with inclusivity. One commentator <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/the-war-on-hot-women-why-the-woke-mob-hates-sydney-sweeney/ar-AA1Jz1Vf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claimed</a> the ad was a sign that “the American people are done with ‘woke,” and another said it meant that “woke is dead, and beauty is back.” The X account <a href="https://x.com/EndWokeness/status/1948383505974510061" target="_blank" rel="noopener">End Wokeness</a>, juxtaposing a picture of an American Eagle ad featuring a heavy-set black woman with a picture of Sweeney immodestly posing, commented, “woke is dead.”
For us social conservatives, much of the Right’s reaction was a bleak cultural bellwether. One can argue that the big-budget designers who created the ad knew exactly how the “great jeans” innuendo would be received, and that it was intended to create the media buzz it has. I personally don’t believe that American Eagle, which has a <a href="https://www.aeo-inc.com/inclusion-diversity/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pride flag on its website</a>, is engaged in Nazi dog-whistling.
The Right’s reaction, however, should alarm conservatives who are concerned with the erosion of family-friendly culture. The celebratory reaction to the ad demonstrates just how steeped in liberal paradigms and assumptions the American Right is today. The ad treats sexuality as public, performative, and consumable. It’s revealing and immodest, something I would try to shield my children from seeing at the mall. It’s not a rupture from “woke” in the slightest, rather an embrace of the liberal anthropology that detached sexuality from marriage and procreation during the 1960s sexual revolution.
Much of the contemporary Right now swims in these waters, too steeped in liberalism to even realize that by cheering the American Eagle ad as an “anti-woke” victory, they’re participating in and enabling a culture that the left created.
The ad demonstrated the triumph of liberalism and its assault on the religious right in particular, which, through different kinds of grassroots activist groups, has long campaigned against the kind of sexualized media that brands like American Eagle promote because of the harm it inflicts on families and children.
At the heart of Christianity is the belief that each person is made Imago Dei, in the image of God, and that the human body is not an object of consumption. Pope Saint John Paul II expresses this in “Theology of the Body,” a set of teachings he delivered between 1979 and 1984. He explained how sexual pathologies like pornography distort human dignity and invert the body’s purpose of self-giving love. When this fundamental truth is rejected, it comes as no surprise that the prevalence of sexualized media<a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00224499.2016.1142496?src=recsys&amp;journalCode=hjsr20" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> leads to</a> consequences like higher levels of body dissatisfaction, a greater tolerance of sexual violence toward women, and diminished views of women’s humanity.
For social conservatives who believe moral guardrails are necessary for human flourishing, mainstream culture is still hostile terrain, and the American Eagle Sydney Sweeney ad exposes the cultural captivity of much of the Right.
Being “anti-woke” is not enough, even if the campaign against wokeness generally aligns with the objectives of any socially conservative movement.  Anyone serious about making the public square welcoming to children and families must work to reclaim modesty as the standard cultural norm, and they must have the courage to oppose the liberal foundations of our sexualized marketplace itself.
Marlo Slayback is the Executive Director of the Collegiate Network for the Intercollegiate Studies Institute.
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The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
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Sydney Sweeney

Sex Sells, And The Right Bought It: The Hollow ‘Victory’ Of The Sydney Sweeney Ad

advertising

Conservatives

Liberalism

Wokeness

Several clips of actress Cynthia Erivo performing as Jesus Christ in the stage production “Jesus Christ Superstar” have been circulating online, with many viewers taking a negative view of that particular casting decision.
The “Wicked” actress played the role in the famous Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice 1971 rock opera — opposite “American Idol” contestant Adam Lambert, who played Judas Iscariot — for a three day showcase at the Hollywood Bowl.
Commenters also pointed out how once again Christianity was being openly mocked while other religions are almost never targeted in the same way.
“It’s no surprise she looks exactly like how demons have always been portrayed,” Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life of America and Students for Life Action, wrote in response to one of the clips on X. 
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Cynthia Erivo plays Jesus in the, Jesus Christ Superstar.
I want to know why does this feel evil? Why does her left hand feel as if it’s a demonic claw? <a href="https://t.co/goNoGcnpu2">pic.twitter.com/goNoGcnpu2</a>
— Mary 🤦🏼‍♀️🇺🇸 (@Mary_McMuffin) <a href="https://twitter.com/Mary_McMuffin/status/1952033414120644824?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 3, 2025</a></blockquote>
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“And let’s be real … if you dress like a demon, act like a demon, and mock God like a demon … don’t be shocked when people call it what it is,” she added. “This is intentional blasphemy from Hollywood.”
“Let’s do Muhammad Superstar next … Oh wait &#8230;,” another commenter <a href="https://x.com/SobrietyCM/status/1952683613251899761">replied</a>.
“Far closer to Nosferatu&#8217;s shadow than the divine light of Christ,” another person <a href="https://x.com/DigitalGal_X/status/1952331624256782737">replied</a>. “God will not be mocked.”
“They mock faith for applause. Cynthia Erivo plays Jesus, wears the crown, gets praised like it’s ‘progress.’ Try pulling that with any other religion &#8230; they’d burn Hollywood to the ground overnight,” echoed another.
Lambert addressed the backlash to Erivo’s casting, <a href="https://www.billboard.com/culture/pride/adam-lambert-jesus-christ-superstar-cynthia-erivo-1236034244/">telling</a> Billboard that “Jesus Christ Superstar” is meant to “provoke and challenge.” 
“I’m excited by the challenge of presenting the audience with a production led by a female, Black ‘Jesus’ and encourage the audience to expand their minds a bit,” Lambert told the outlet. “And shouldn’t the teachings of Jesus transcend gender?”
“You can’t please everyone,” Erivo <a href="https://www.billboard.com/music/features/cynthia-erivo-billboard-cover-story-1235985902/">told</a> Billboard during a June interview. “It is legitimately a three-day performance at the Hollywood Bowl where I get to sing my face off. So hopefully they will come and realize, ‘Oh, it’s a musical, the gayest place on Earth.’”
“Jesus Christ Superstar” has been controversial since its Broadway debut more than 50 years ago, with many Christians denouncing it as blasphemous.

Cynthia Erivo

‘Intentional Blasphemy’: Internet Reacts To Cynthia Erivo As Jesus In ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’

'Intentional Blasphemy': Internet Reacts To Cynthia Erivo As Jesus In 'Jesus Christ Superstar'

Entertainment

Jesus Christ

Theater

John Thomas Scopes On Trial

A Century Ago, The ‘Scopes Monkey Trial’ Shook The Nation. The Stakes Are Just As High Today.

Academia

ACLU

American History

Bible

Charles Darwin

Education

Religion

Science

Tennessee

More than 40 Christians in the Democratic Republic of the Congo were killed by Islamic militants early Sunday morning, according to reports from multiple Christian organizations and the United Nations.
The victims, including at least nine children, were holding a prayer vigil as part of a summer holiday session in the early morning hours in the city of Komanda when they were attacked by the Allied Democratic Forces, a radical Islamic rebel group with ties to the Islamic State, <a href="https://www.churchinneed.org/dozens-killed-in-another-church-massacre-in-dr-congo/">according</a> to Aid to the Church in Need.
&#8220;The attack occurred at around 1 o’clock in the morning. The rebels entered the church and murdered a large number of children, both inside the church building and in the compound,&#8221; said Fr. Marcelo Oliveira, a longtime missionary in the Congo.
Islamic militants set fire to homes and shops in Komanda before fleeing. The terrorists were gone by the time the government forces arrived. According to the United Nations peacekeeping mission, 43 people were killed in the attack, including 19 women and nine children, the BBC <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3ezjg34lw4o">reported</a>. The Congolese military said that the insurgents used machetes in their attack, adding, &#8220;These terrorists have decided to take revenge on defenseless peaceful populations to spread terror.&#8221;
The attack is yet another example of the extreme persecution faced by Christians at the hands of Islamic extremists in the Congo and other African nations. In February, 70 Christians were found <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/70-christians-beheaded-in-congo-church?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=70+Christians+Beheaded+In+Congo+Church">beheaded</a> in a church after they were attacked by militants with the Allied Democratic Forces. Last month, around 200 Christians in Nigeria were <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/terrible-massacre-hundreds-of-christians-killed-by-jihadists?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=%E2%80%98Terrible+Massacre%E2%80%99%3A+Hundreds+Of+Christians+Killed+By+Jihadists">killed</a> by jihadists who stormed a predominantly Catholic farming community and set fire to homes.
Christian persecution in Africa receives little to no <a href="https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=a19e3038bac685ef&amp;rlz=1C5GCCM_en&amp;q=congo+christians+killed&amp;tbm=nws&amp;source=lnms&amp;fbs=AIIjpHxU7SXXniUZfeShr2fp4giZrjP_Cx0LI1Ytb_FGcOviEiTm5uW1q0uNfK7KsnoL8hUyUYUJLZ_b-p0lT09DIkR7RtNt-9R1f9Pbq4mdMMyxSelEHHADgzBCNx7-1ORi0KJWiwbiRKhaJlqpDHUl2dNr8G5XPk2ywt6RaMo8S7jdrN1-wsMK-NpRx3wHhwRUuCDXYdA01GXeONWxb0oGcT8AZCQ6oA&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjq1cau0-KOAxXnk2oFHV7JBBkQ0pQJegQIFRAB&amp;biw=1440&amp;bih=778&amp;dpr=2">coverage</a> in the legacy news media despite the constant threats and violence faced by people of faith. According to the Christian group <a href="https://www.opendoorsuk.org/news/latest-news/drc-attack-church/">Open Doors</a>, 355 Christians in the Congo were killed in 2024, an increase from 261 in 2023.
The Congo remains a completely volatile political landscape with factions and rebel groups fighting for control of multiple regions. The fighting has resulted in more than 100,000 Congolese people getting <a href="https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/02/1160006">displaced</a>, the United Nations reported in February.

Christians in Congo

Islamic Militants Slaughter Dozens Of Christians During Prayer Vigil

Africa

Christians

Congo

Crime

Persecution

Radical Islamic Terror

World

Picture this: a Muslim-only city governed by Sharia law, beyond the reach of democratically elected officials. We’d expect this in the Middle East or North Africa. But it’s happening in Texas, and its founders call it EPIC City.
The East Plano Islamic Center (EPIC) is the largest mosque in Texas and one of the largest in the United States. Last year, several members of the mosque formed Community Capital Partners LP (CCP) and <a href="https://www.latintimes.com/abbott-says-texas-halted-construction-muslim-residential-project-developers-say-it-hasnt-started-582871">announced</a> the formation of EPIC City, a master-planned Islamic development project that “caters to the evolving needs of families [in] the Muslim community.”
After EPIC City’s plans went viral earlier this spring, Texas Governor Greg Abbott and other top officials acted swiftly. “Sharia law is not allowed in Texas,” Abbott said. “Nor are Sharia cities. Nor are ‘no go zones’ which [the EPIC City] project seems to imply.”
The Texas Funeral Service Commission sent a cease-and-desist letter to EPIC for operating as an unlicensed funeral home. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality <a href="https://senate.texas.gov/cmtes/89/c540/c540_InterimReport_2024.pdf">told them</a> that “any construction or development…is in violation of state law and should be halted immediately.” The Texas Attorney General, State Securities Board, Workforce Commission, and Rangers each launched their own investigations. The Justice Department initiated its own federal inquiry, too.
All this unfolded in the span of about a month. But now the issue has largely faded from headlines. The Justice Department closed its short-lived investigation, <a href="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/06/f5/520b8fd84c9181e2f1e864d8fddd/2025-06-13-letter-from-doj-to-epic.pdf">noting</a> that EPIC City was “still in the planning stage.” And this week, as the Texas Legislature convenes for a Special Session, nothing on the agenda appears to address the nascent EPIC City.
So, is it over? Nothing to see here? Was this just a flare-up fueled by online activists fear mongering about a coming caliphate in Texas?
Hardly. In fact, I believe it’s just beginning. EPIC City reflects a deeper civilizational conflict unfolding in Texas. The silence now surrounding it doesn’t show a lack of evidence of wrongdoing; rather, it shows a lack of an intellectual framework to publicly discuss a domestic culture clash.
While officials search for technical violations, ordinary Texans see something deeply wrong. Even if EPIC City survives scrutiny from a dozen government agencies, they sense something isn’t right.
Concerned Texans look to major cities in Europe where large, concentrated Muslim populations have transformed neighborhoods into Islamist ghettos.
They see similar trends in Dearborn, Michigan; Paterson, New Jersey; and Minneapolis, Minnesota.
They listen to Muslim politicians like Reps. Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, who represent heavily Islamic districts, and hear an endless stream of anti-American vitriol.
They see groups like the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) publicly supporting EPIC City and recall CAIR’s connections with the Muslim Brotherhood, the Free Palestine and Boycott-Divest-Sanction movements, and other anti-Israel and antisemitic causes. They worry EPIC City could become a breeding ground for radicalism.
Globally, they see Muslim-majority countries plagued by dysfunction, repression, and a stifling lack of freedom. So, when EPIC’s resident scholar <a href="https://www.dallasnews.com/news/faith/2025/02/24/they-dream-of-building-muslim-centric-neighborhoods-near-dallas-will-it-work">Yasir Qadhi says</a> “we’re going to be showing what it means to be a Muslim neighborhood,” they reasonably expect such a neighborhood to become a similarly disordered microcosm.
They see EPIC City already shifting its messaging under scrutiny, replacing <a href="https://www.dallasobserver.com/news/a-timeline-of-the-muslim-epic-city-controversy-22295318">original advertising</a> — “we will limit sales to only persons we believe will contribute to the overall makeup of our community” — with <a href="https://epicccp.com">sanitized corporate language</a> promising “vibrant, multigenerational and inclusive master planned community.”
They look at EPIC City’s geographic isolation and all-in-one amenities and see a project intentionally designed to avoid integrating into broader American society.
They know Sharia law is illegal in America and that American law — rooted in the Western Christian tradition and Anglo common law — need not embrace every Islamic practice.
They remember the cultural upheaval following the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, which opened the floodgates to mass immigration after nearly a century of restricted entry and successful assimilation. The Muslim population in America was virtually nonexistent before the mid-1960s. It has since swelled to around 4 million. Texans have felt the destabilizing effects of mass migration and want less of it.
They understand that America is fundamentally a Christian nation — a nation that faithfully protects religious minorities under the First Amendment, but that remains deeply Christian in character. When Texans see their state’s largest mosque planning fully integrated, self-contained Muslim communities, they reasonably feel it doesn’t belong here.
I don’t believe these concerns stem from bigotry or hate. Texans love our neighbors and respect religious freedom. But this is different. Even if EPIC City passes every legal and regulatory test, do we really remain defenseless to protect our civilization from Islamization? I don’t think so.
So, what’s next?
First, state executive-branch agencies should remain vigilant in their investigations to stop EPIC’s plans before they take root. Remember: most sophisticated organized crime rings aren’t taken down for murder, trafficking, or the like, but for tax evasion or other process crimes.
Second, the Texas legislature should strengthen the recently-passed <a href="https://www.keranews.org/government/2025-06-26/texas-property-law-epic-city-abbott">HB 4211</a>, designed to “ensure developments like EPIC City are unable to impose Sharia law in Texas” and grant the attorney general stronger enforcement powers.
Lastly, Texans should speak out: We don’t want EPIC City or any Sharia enclaves here. We welcome assimilable, Western-aligned patriots of all faiths to live peacefully in our country. But we cannot abide the vision that EPIC City represents. We will not — and will never — replace Old Glory with the Crescent Moon.
Aaron Reitz is an attorney and was formerly the head of the Justice Department&#8217;s Office of Legal Policy. He is currently running for Texas Attorney General.
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US-POLITICS-ISLAM-JUSTICE-DISCRIMINATION-RELIGION

EPIC City: Replacing Old Glory With The Crescent Moon?

Immigration

Islamists

Mosques

Texas

Later this month, I will travel to Armenia as part of a delegation of American Christian leaders. By historical consensus, Armenia is the world’s first Christian nation, having adopted Christianity in AD 301, more than a decade before Constantine&#8217;s Edict of Milan that granted religious liberty to Christians and others across the realm.
Over the centuries, Armenia has preserved its Christian faith through hostile enemy invasions, forced conversions, and even genocide. Despite being surrounded by autocratic regimes and militant ideologies that directly contest its survival, it has maintained its original faith.
In 2023, the world witnessed the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/they-hate-us-so-much-worlds-oldest-christian-nation-faces-ethnic-cleansing-as-emboldened-azerbaijan-wages-a-silent-war">forced displacement</a> of over 120,000 Christian Armenians from their ancestral homeland of Artsakh (widely known as Nagorno-Karabakh), which had long been a self-governing democratic entity within the international borders of Azerbaijan.
The removal of these Christians was the result of a brutal blockade, military assault, and systematic campaign of ethnic cleansing by despotic Azerbaijan, backed by authoritarian Turkey. Sadly, the world’s response to this attack on freedom, religious liberty, self-government, and the right of political self-determination was largely silence.
As Scripture reminds us, “If one member suffers, all suffer together” <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/verse/en/1%20Corinthians%2012%3A26">(1 Corinthians 12:26</a>). Armenia’s suffering must be our concern, not only because of our shared faith but because Armenia’s fate determines whether ancient Christian civilizations will be allowed to survive in an increasingly hostile neighborhood.
Azerbaijan currently holds dozens of Armenian political prisoners, including former political and religious leaders and journalists. It has demolished centuries-old churches, bulldozed cemeteries, and attempted to erase every vestige of the region’s indigenous Christian heritage. What it cannot destroy is often defaced, and border communities in southern Armenia live in constant fear of violence.
Our trip is organized by <a href="https://www.savearmenia.us/">Save Armenia</a>, a U.S.-based coalition of Christian and Jewish leaders. We draw global attention to these current threats and offer meaningful solidarity to Christians and Jews living in a perilous region. In the aftermath of recent ethnic cleansings, Save Armenia has mobilized support to protect Armenia’s sovereignty, advocate for justice, and raise awareness among American faith communities and policymakers alike.
Our itinerary is both spiritual and strategic.
We will visit displaced families who have lost everything yet remain deeply rooted in faith, and we will hear the voices of a people who have suffered for their faith yet never abandoned it.
We will walk through villages near hostile frontiers, speak with the provincial governor, and meet with high-ranking officials from Armenia’s Foreign Ministry and Security Council.
We will stand in monasteries older than most nations, praying in the 9th-century monastery of Tatev, perched high above a gorge in Armenia’s south. And we will stand in the ancient 3rd-century monastery where Saint Gregory the Illuminator was once imprisoned, and where the story of Christian Armenia began.
We believe Christians everywhere have a moral responsibility to help their persecuted brethren. We speak up for persecuted Christians in the Middle East and Africa, and we must not ignore what is occurring in Armenia. Religious freedom cannot be a selective principle.
Armenia has had a rocky path since regaining its independence after the collapse of the Soviet Union. It is now a pluralistic and scrappy democracy striving for peace and justice under immense pressure.
It does not enjoy the protections of NATO, the backing of global oil wealth, or the security of a powerful military. What it does enjoy is a legacy of faith, a thirst for freedom, and a history that dates back to the earliest days of the Church. Armenia must continue to exist as a free nation.
We urge our fellow Christians to learn more about our brethren there and help raise awareness about its dangerous situation.
Inform your church, and pray for our brothers and sisters there.
Also, let the federal Congressmen and Senators from your state know what is happening in and to Armenia. Knowledge is power, and once they know, they can take effective action.
Specifically…
<ol>
<li>Let them know about the recent ethnic cleansings at the hands of Azerbaijan.</li>
<li>Urge them to seek the release of all Armenian political prisoners.</li>
<li>Likewise, urge the defense of Armenia’s Christian heritage — demand that Azerbaijan preserve intact, without desecration or destruction, the ancient Armenian cultural and religious sites it controls.</li>
<li>Insist on the preservation of Armenia’s borders against it neighbors who want to seize and control that land area.</li>
</ol>
Collectively, we must support the Trump Administration’s efforts to help Armenia, but we must also encourage our federal legislators to do the same. Urge their specific engagement on the above matters.
It’s easy to despair in today’s world, but Armenia offers a different lesson: that faith, even when bruised, can endure —that Christian identity, even when threatened, will inspire — and that moral solidarity can still change the course of history.
Let us not stand idly by when there is so much we can easily do to help our brethren.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/48949/sunday-special-ep-57-david-barton">David Barton</a> is the Founder of WallBuilders and the author of numerous best-selling books. 
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The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
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Armenia

Why Christians Must Stand With Armenia

Armenians

Turkey

New York Yankees all-star Aaron Judge this week discussed his faith in God, when asked about money and fame.
Judge was <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DMG2BgGg2QU/">asked</a> on Monday by a CBN Sports reporter, &#8220;What would you say to someone who thinks fame and fortune is the answer to all their problems?&#8221;
Judge responded by pointing his fans to Jesus. &#8220;Our Lord and savior, Jesus Christ. He’s given me this platform, this ability,&#8221; Judge said. &#8220;The fame, getting the chance to do this is great and all, but it’s not fulfilling as much as the relationship I have with Him.&#8221;
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During the MLB All-Star Game on Monday, Judge showcased a bat that featured his daughter’s name, Nora, and a Bible verse reference.
&#8220;For we live by faith, not by sight,&#8221; the verse, 2 Corinthians 5:7, reads. Judge&#8217;s bat says, &#8220;Faith, not sight.&#8221;
<div id="attachment_948589" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-948589" class="wp-image-948589 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/GettyImages-2224529063-864x576.jpg" alt="The bat of Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees before the Workout during MLB All-Star Week at Truist Park on July 14, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia." width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/GettyImages-2224529063-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/GettyImages-2224529063-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/GettyImages-2224529063-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/GettyImages-2224529063.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />New York Yankees/Getty Images</div>
Judge has been open about his Christian faith his whole career. The ball player&#8217;s social media <a href="https://x.com/thejudge44?lang=en">bio</a> reads in part, &#8220;Christian. Faith, Family, then Baseball.&#8221;
The athlete has spoken specifically about his adoptive parents and how their love informs his faith, as well.
&#8220;The position I was in, being adopted by my parents &#8212; for them to pick me, choose me, to put me in their lives, it&#8217;s incredible,&#8221; Judge, who was adopted when he was a one-year-old, <a href="https://sportsspectrum.com/sport/baseball/2025/05/01/yankees-aaron-judge-blistering-start-faith-foundation/">said</a> last year. &#8220;Having His blessings, keeping the faith through good times and bad times, knowing He&#8217;s always with me, that&#8217;s definitely helped me get to this position.&#8221;
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Judge learned he was adopted at age ten. “I knew I didn’t look like them,” he <a href="https://www.northjersey.com/story/sports/columnists/bob-klapisch/2017/06/23/klapisch-aaron-judge-never-forgot-his-roots/420872001/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> NorthJersey.com in 2024. “I finally said, ‘Okay, what’s going on?’ And that’s when they told me.&#8221;
&#8220;I was fine with that, they were the only parents I ever knew,&#8221; he added. &#8220;It actually wasn’t a big deal.”
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dodgers-ace-clayton-kershaw-adds-bible-reference-to-rainbow-hat-for-pride-night">Dodgers Ace Clayton Kershaw Adds Bible Reference To Rainbow Hat For Pride Night</a>
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Aaron Judge

Yankees All-Star Aaron Judge Asked About Fortune And Fame, Directs Fans To Jesus

Major League Baseball

New York Yankees

Sports

U.S.

West Virginia Congressman Riley Moore and Missouri Senator Josh Hawley called Thursday for the Trump administration to use diplomatic means to protect Christians in Islamic nations from persecution.
Moore introduced a <a href="https://rileymoore.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/rileymoore.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/final-moorwv_021_xml.pdf">resolution</a> in the House urging lawmakers to condemn the persecution of Christians in Muslim-majority countries and asks the Trump administration to prioritize the protection of Christians during peacekeeping efforts throughout the Middle East. Hawley introduced the same resolution in the Senate. 
“Around the world, our brothers and sisters in Christ face rampant persecution for simply acknowledging the name of Jesus. That is unacceptable,” Moore told The Daily Wire. “We as lawmakers cannot continue to sit idly by.”
The resolution includes a list of over a dozen countries, predominantly in Africa and the Middle East, where Christians face intense persecution. A copy of the resolution viewed by The Daily Wire “encourages the President to prioritize the protection of persecuted Christians in U.S. foreign policy, including in the President’s diplomatic engagement with Muslim-majority countries and his efforts to stabilize the Middle East.”
The resolution also asks to use diplomatic tools like trade and national security discussions to advance the protection of Christians abroad. 
Examples of persecution included killings, forced marriages, kidnappings of girls, and the prohibition of holding worship services or discussing the Gospel. For example, it says that in Algeria &#8220;nearly all evangelical churches have been shut down for years and pastors are regularly arrested and charged for their evangelism&#8221; and that in Egypt &#8220;Christian girls are regularly kidnapped and forcefully converted with impunity.&#8221;
Other countries called out for their treatment of Christians include Nigeria, Libya, Sudan, Somalia, Yemen, Turkey, Gaza, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Indonesia, and others.
“Our country was founded on religious liberty. We cannot sit on the sidelines as Christians around the world are being persecuted for declaring Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior,&#8221; Hawley told The Daily Wire. &#8220;We must condemn these heinous crimes.&#8221;
&#8220;Year after year, the number of Christians murdered by extremists in Nigeria has numbered in the thousands. Millions more have been displaced. We cannot allow this to continue,&#8221; he added. &#8220;I urge my colleagues to join me in condemning the persecution of Christians around the world by supporting this resolution.&#8221;
Moore pointed to two specific areas where Christians have been attacked. 
“In Nigeria alone, more than 50,000 Christians have been martyred and more than 5 million have been displaced simply for professing their faith. During a Divine Liturgy in Damascus last month, an islamic jihadist opened fire on worshippers and detonated an explosive device — killing at least 30 and wounding dozens more,” he said. “These examples illustrate the violence and death Christians face on a daily basis.”
Last month, jihadists <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/terrible-massacre-hundreds-of-christians-killed-by-jihadists">massacred</a> around 200 Christians in Nigeria’s Benue State after a group of militants screaming “Allahu Akbar&#8221; attacked a group who had previously been displaced by Fulani Jihadist attacks.
Moore also said previous American “foreign policy blunders” had made the situation worse for Christians, saying that the failure to stabilize Iraq after the 2003 invasion led to the ethnic cleansing of the Christian population. 
The resolution was endorsed by a number of advocacy groups including Alliance Defending Freedom International, In Defense of Christians, Global Christian Relief, CatholicVote, Advancing American Freedom, The Center for Urban Renewal and Education, Family Policy Alliance, Christians Engaged, and Save the Persecuted Christians.

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EXCLUSIVE: Republicans Say America Cannot ‘Sit Idly By’ As Islamic Terrorists Massacre Christians

Josh Hawley

Radical Islam

Riley Moore

West Virginia

In 2020, as state authorities across the country were closing down churches and dictating worship practices — No singing! No more than fifty people! — my editor at a Christian magazine offered me an assignment. Would I interview renowned preacher John MacArthur, who at that time was making national headlines for opposing California Governor Gavin Newsom’s shutdown orders?
I could not have said &#8220;yes&#8221; faster.
My editor was unaware, but from the time I became a Christian some 20 years earlier, no public figure’s work had meant more to my life. No ministry had shaped me in greater ways than his international radio and podcast ministry, Grace to You. Like millions of other Christians around the world, his daily teachings had been the backdrop of mundane domestic tasks, long car rides, and sleepless nights. His books were the first resources I turned to when dealing with a crisis or trial. When I received a Stage 3 colon cancer diagnosis, his messages on suffering and prayer played through the wee hours, comforting me until I could catch a few hours of rest. When he sent me a message of personal encouragement, I told him that someday, it would be like showing my grandchildren a note I’d received from Charles Spurgeon. I laughed as I said it, but I wasn’t really joking.
They say you should never meet your heroes, the idea being that it will lead to inevitable disillusionment. I had the opposite experience with John MacArthur.
As we continued to correspond, my estimation of him grew deeper and richer. The man I spoke to privately was the same man whose public ministry I had followed so closely for so many years. His concern was always for faithful application of Scripture to any situation. And for souls. After I took a job with a conservative media company, every call I had with him included his urging me on to love and good works, especially to act as a Christian witness to any unbelieving coworkers and friends around me.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/a-tribute-to-john-macarthur-a-lion-who-was-my-friend?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Ben+Shapiro&amp;category=Opinion&amp;elementPosition=4&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=A+Tribute+To+John+MacArthur%2C+A+Lion+Who+Was+My+Friend">BEN SHAPIRO: A Tribute To John MacArthur, A Lion Who Was My Friend</a>
Whether in debates on The Larry King Show or preaching from his pulpit, he never watered down the truth of Scripture to appeal to a general audience. His adherence to sound doctrine never wavered, and he never showed an ounce of reticence to preach the Word, clearly and plainly. Even in the bright glare of the secular media, he never equivocated on issues that are biblically true, but culturally unpopular.
So his staunch opposition to a government that thought it could claim jurisdiction over the practices of the church was no surprise. Nor was the open letter he wrote to Newsom, calling him to repentance.
Now, at his death at age 86, I cannot help but feel we have seen the last of the great lions pass out of the world. But I know, as Pastor John would’ve taught me, that the Lord does not leave himself without a witness. And He will raise up more teachers like Johnny Mac, as his dear friend, the great theologian R.C. Sproul, another of the great lions, used to call him.
On that note, I smile now to imagine the two of them reunited, their races now complete.
I thank the Lord for MacArthur’s legacy and that he now has the full joy of his salvation. And I live in the reassurance that, due in large part to his ministry, I will one day hear the words he is surely hearing now: well done, good and faithful servant.

John MacArthur

The Great Lion Enters Into His Rest

Church

COVID

​​I want to offer condolences to the family and all of the followers of John MacArthur, the Southern California preacher, who died on Monday at the age of 86. He was someone I would venture to say was my friend.
John MacArthur was an amazing human being. He had millions and millions of followers in the Christian community.
In its obituary, Christianity Today <a href="https://www.christianitytoday.com/2025/07/died-john-macarthur-study-bible-expository-preaching-controversy/">wrote</a>:
<blockquote>MacArthur said the most important mark of his ministry was that he explained the Bible with the Bible, not cluttering up sermons with personal stories, commentary on current events, or appeals to emotion, but teaching timeless truth. The longtime pastor of Grace Community Church said a good sermon should still be good 50 years after it is preached. “It isn’t time-stamped by any kind of cultural events or personal events,” MacArthur said. “It’s not about me. And it transcends not only time, but it transcends culture.”
He published the MacArthur Study Bible in 1997, with 20,000 notes on specific verses, as well as an index of important doctrines, introductions to each book of the Bible, and suggested Bible-reading plans. It sold 2 million copies in 22 years. His New Testament commentary—a series that Moody Publishers put out in 34 volumes over 31 years—also sold more than 1 million copies.</blockquote>
Of all the people I have known in this sphere — and I have known quite a few — MacArthur was absolutely staunch in his defense of the Bible. He never shied away from the messages of the New Testament, and that made him controversial. 
And that was a good thing. 
In the first interview I did with him, a lengthy interview, he spent 30 minutes of the interview talking to me about why I ought to convert to Christianity.
As a Jew, not only was that not insulting, it was absolutely useful.
Why?
Because he was saying what he believed, and I think that was a good thing. 
<h3><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-2238-democrats-abandon-barack-obama?elementPosition=1&amp;row=2&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+Episodes&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel">WATCH: The Ben Shapiro Show</a></h3>
The reason I considered him a friend is because he&#8217;s somebody who cared about my eternal life.
We could have disagreements on what would happen with regard to heaven or hell, or whether the New Testament was true or not, depending on whether you&#8217;re a Christian or a Jew. 
But I was never upset by the fact that he believed I ought to convert to Christianity, because, of course, many Christians believe that I ought to convert to Christianity. That is not an insult, because it shows they care about my spiritual welfare. 
We may disagree about how to attain that spiritual welfare, but it&#8217;s because he was able to say hard truths as he saw them to people like me that he was also able to say hard truths to everybody about Biblical values.
And that meant he was never shy about Biblical values, which is absolutely useful in a time when moral relativism runs rampant. 
Last year, he was on the show, and he said:
<blockquote>I would just say this in a general sense: Read the Bible. Just read the Bible. It has the ring of truth. It defends itself. It&#8217;s like a lion. You don&#8217;t defend it. You don&#8217;t defend a lion. You open the cage and let it out. That&#8217;ll be okay. And the Scripture is like that. &#8230; Even morally, there&#8217;s something in the heart of people that resonates with biblical morality. Obviously, their sinfulness fights it.
But the law of God is written in every human heart. That&#8217;s part of being created in the image of God. And you can fight that law. You can resist that law. You can violate that law. But that law is there. That is part of being created in God&#8217;s image. And I think if your heart is open to the truth, you go to the Word of God. And I&#8217;ve seen this now for all these years I&#8217;ve been in ministry. The ring of Biblical truth is so powerful to a person who honestly reads the Scripture.</blockquote>
I think that message is deeply necessary. In a time when so many have fallen into moral relativism, have fallen down a bunch of rabbit holes looking to fill the God-shaped hole in their heart.
I think that his work is going to be read for generations.
The nice thing about the Jewish view of the afterlife is that in Judaism, if you&#8217;re not Jewish and you fulfill seven basic rules, the Noachide laws, which include items such as no blasphemy, no adultery, and no murder, among other things, you have a spot in heaven.
So it doesn&#8217;t conflict at all with my faith to say that John MacArthur is with God right now. That is something he always longed for.
His uncompromising fealty to Biblical values as he saw them meant that he was also able to walk into political frays without fear.
Way back when, he shellacked a young San Francisco mayor named Gavin Newsom regarding same-sex marriage <a href="https://x.com/JCRyle/status/1879524136218992685">on CNN</a>. Gavin Newsom was playing at being a pastor, saying loftily, “I&#8217;m a practicing Catholic. I got married in the church two-plus years. I don&#8217;t see what we&#8217;re doing in terms of advancing the bond of love and monogamy and extending that to families, families of same sex, in any way, shape or form takes away anything from the church or the sanctity of the union that my wife and I have.”
MacArthur replied. “I would just like to ask the mayor: As a practical, practicing Catholic, do you believe the Bible is the Word of God?”
“Yeah,” Newsom answered. “Look, pastor, I&#8217;m not going to get in a theological debate with you.”
“It&#8217;s not a theological debate,” MacArthur said. “That&#8217;s just a straight question. Do you believe the Bible is the authoritative word of God?”
“Yeah, I, I, with respect, I guess I do,” Newsom answered.
“The Bible says when God created man, he said, ‘One man, one woman, cleave together for life.’ That&#8217;s a family,” MacArthur said bluntly.
MacArthur had that kind of clarity.
(You could see Gavin Newsom smirking, blustering, “I&#8217;m a practicing Catholic and I&#8217;ve been married for two years,” to lead off that particular clip. He was at that point married to Kimberly Guilfoyle, whom he would later cheat on.)
When you have a moral grounding in Biblical values, which John MacArthur did, it gives you the courage to walk in like a lion.
That is something John MacArthur did his entire life.

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A Tribute To John MacArthur, A Lion Who Was My Friend

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