San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Landen Roupp stood up for his Christian faith by inscribing a Bible verse in silver next to the rainbow logo on his cap.
On Friday, the baseball team held &#8220;<a href="https://www.mlb.com/giants/tickets/specials/pride-celebration">Pride Night</a>,&#8221; dedicating the game to a “celebration of Pride and the LGBTQIA+ community” that included “pregame festivities, in-game celebrations, and appearances.” The event featured same-sex couples renewing their marriage vows on the field in the presence of a drag queen, and the team celebrated the LGBTQ community <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/outkick-sports/san-francisco-giants-pitcher-writes-bible-verse-hat-defiance-pride-night">through rainbow-colored hats</a>, according to FOX. 
A few players, however, took a stand — including Landen Roupp, who was raised in rural North Carolina and attended a <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/06/12/sports/giants-pitcher-landen-roupp-wears-pride-night-hat-with-bible-verse/">private Christian school</a>. Before heading to the mound, he inscribed the Bible passage from Genesis 9 on his cap.
The verses describe God’s promise to Noah and all future generations that he would never again destroy the earth with a flood, with the rainbow serving as the sign of that covenant.
&#8220;And God said, &#8216;This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth, and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.'&#8221; Genesis 9:12-16
An article from The Athletic <a href="https://x.com/nytimes/status/2066229208305594545?s=20">expressed outrage</a> over their decision, saying the Bible verses “missed the point”  during a night that was &#8220;supposed to be dedicated to support and belonging.&#8221; 
After the game, Roupp said his Biblical gesture reflected his moral convictions. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Why was it important to write that verse tonight?
ROUPP: &#8220;The rainbow is a symbol of God&#8217;s covenant to us, and us as believers stand firm in that&#8230; There&#8217;s no hate at all.&#8221;
What would say if somebody considered that derogatory toward them as a community?
ROUPP: &#8220;As a… <a href="https://t.co/jaEs3ikn4U">https://t.co/jaEs3ikn4U</a> <a href="https://t.co/yYOaJ0UvE7">pic.twitter.com/yYOaJ0UvE7</a>
— KNBR (@KNBR) <a href="https://x.com/KNBR/status/2065672807498015185?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 13, 2026</a></blockquote>
“The rainbow is a symbol of God’s covenant with us, and we as believers stand firm in that … There’s no hate at all,” he told reporters. “It’s just what I stand for and what I stand in, I believe in God.”
“What would you say if somebody considered that derogatory toward them as a community?” a reporter asked him.
“As a believer, I would push them to read the Bible. God has blessed me in so many ways, and I don’t think I’d be here right now if it wasn’t for Him.” 
Roupp was not alone. His reliever, Sam Hentges, refused to wear the hat at all, for a very similar reason. 
“I don’t morally support it,” <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/giants/article/sf-giants-sam-hentges-explains-decision-not-wear-22304312.php">he said.</a> 
<a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/710810/support-lgbtq-issues-remains-down-peak.aspx">A recent Gallup poll</a> showed that Roupp and Hentges are not alone, revealing declining support for LGBTQ+ issues across the board. 
The poll said same-sex marriage support dropped to 65%, which is down 6 points, and moral acceptance of gay/lesbian relations stood at 62% — the lowest since 2016. 
The decline in support was driven largely by Republicans, with only 35% approving of same-sex marriage, the lowest level since 2011. The percentage of Americans who view gender transitions as morally acceptable also fell to 38%.

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***
Most people who have heard of the fine-tuning argument think they know what it says: the universe is wildly improbable, so God must have designed it.
The basic idea is simple. The laws of physics contain fixed numbers, called the constants of nature, that determine things like the strength of gravity, the mass of the electron, and the expansion of the universe. If some of these numbers were even slightly different, the universe would not have formed atoms, planets, stars, galaxies, or life. That surprising discovery is called fine tuning.
From there, the argument is usually presented in one of two familiar ways. One version tries to eliminate every alternative to design. The other compares the probability of fine tuning with and without an intelligent cause.
These two familiar versions are important. But they can also get bogged down in technical debates about probability and alternate universes and even drift into the problem of evil.
There is a third version of the <a href="https://www.physicstogod.com/fine-tuning-argument-for-god" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.physicstogod.com/fine-tuning-argument-for-god&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1779393446910000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0i2RUtUSf5zF4Wzq2mcUaM">fine-tuning argument</a> that is simpler, clearer, and stronger. Most people have never heard it.
Before we get to that, we need to look briefly at the two familiar versions.
The first, associated with philosopher William Lane Craig, is the argument by elimination. Fine-tuning must be due to necessity, chance, or design. The constants either had to be what they are, happened by chance to be what they are, or were set that way by an intelligent cause. Since necessity and chance fail as satisfactory explanations, design is what remains.
It is a clean formulation. But it has a vulnerability: an argument by elimination depends on the list being complete and the alternatives being truly eliminated. A critic can always ask whether some unknown explanation has been left out, or whether necessity and chance have really been ruled out.
The second version is the probability argument, featured in Stephen Meyer’s recent documentary film, &#8220;The Story of Everything.&#8221; Fine-tuning is far more likely if there is an intelligent cause than if there isn’t one. If a purposeful creator wanted a universe with stars, planets, chemistry, and life, then it is no surprise that the constants would have values that allow for exactly that. Without intelligence behind the universe, those constants landing in precisely the right range look extraordinarily improbable.
This version is powerful, but it can get complicated quickly. Critics challenge the probability assumptions. What does “improbable” mean when we have only observed one universe? The argument can also drift into theological debates about the problem of evil and what God would or would not choose to create.
Both versions are valuable. Neither should be dismissed. But there is a third version that avoids many of these complications and cuts closer to the heart of the matter.
It begins with a mystery that physicists already had.
Physicists can measure the constants of nature with extraordinary precision. What they cannot do is explain them. Their values are measured, not derived. No deeper theory tells us why they have the values they do.
Richard Feynman, one of the greatest physicists of the 20th century, pointed directly at this puzzle. Discussing a number related to the strength of electromagnetism, roughly 1/137, Feynman noted that physicists knew its value with remarkable precision but had no idea where it came from. He called it one of the greatest mysteries of physics.
That is where the strongest version of the fine-tuning argument begins, not with probability or eliminating alternatives. It begins with a mystery already sitting at the heart of physics.
Only then does fine-tuning enter the picture.
Fine-tuning reveals something remarkable. The constants that first looked like arbitrary values sitting unexplained at the foundation of physics are not arbitrary in their effects. Their values are suited to a specific result: the emergence of a rich, ordered universe with atoms, stars, planets, galaxies, and life.
That is the crucial shift: fine-tuning is not the problem. Fine-tuning is the clue.
It tells us how to think about the mystery of the constants. They are not merely unexplained numbers. Their effects line up with the emergence of a rich, ordered universe. And that points to intelligence.
Intelligence, at its most basic level, is the ability to select one possibility from among many for the sake of achieving a goal. An author chooses precise words to express an idea. An engineer chooses the right materials and dimensions to build a structure. Intelligence selects the right means for an intended end.
The constants show that same pattern. From among the many values they could have had, they have the values needed for structure, order, and complexity to emerge. That indicates purposeful selection.
This is why the argument is not a “God of the gaps” claim. It is not based on what science has failed to explain. It is based on what science has discovered. Fine-tuning is positive knowledge about the constants. Their values appear to be coordinated toward the emergence of a structured universe.
The mystery of the constants was already sitting at the heart of physics. Fine-tuning did not create a new puzzle. It illuminated the one physicists already had.
The constants of nature appear to be set for a purpose. A cause that selects the right means to achieve a purpose is, by definition, intelligent. That is why the fine-tuning argument, properly understood, remains one of the strongest <a href="https://www.physicstogod.com/does-god-exist" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.physicstogod.com/does-god-exist&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1779393446910000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2fzoHkXcdcCy3ZFFeVq8vI">science-based arguments for God</a>.
***
Rabbi Elie Feder, Ph.D., and Rabbi Aaron Zimmer host the “Physics to God” podcast.

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The Mystery Physicists Can’t Explain Keeps Pointing To God

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***
Catholicism is having a moment, and now the church is getting even more good press.
On Saturday, beauty brand founder Scott-Vincent Borba, 52, will give up his former life of fame and fortune to begin life as an ordained Catholic priest in his hometown of Visalia, California. 
&#8220;I have never been happier in my life,&#8221; Borba <a href="https://abc7news.com/post/former-elf-beauty-founder-scott-vincent-borba-preparing-become-catholic-priest/19083729/">told</a> ABC 7 of his massive life change. &#8220;Once I started to reorient myself, recalibrate myself with God&#8217;s help to the focus to Him, the joy started coming.&#8221;
Borba co-founded the makeup brand e.l.f. Cosmetics (“eyes, lips, face”) in 2004 with Joseph Shamah. The brand became a huge success in the mid-2010s thanks to clever marketing campaigns and affordable prices. Per <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevedenning/2026/02/22/management-without-managers-elfs-influencer-driven-beauty-revolution/">Forbes</a>, it reached $100 million in sales in 2014, and Borba was living a lifestyle to match his newfound success.
&#8220;We ran around with the likes of Paris Hilton and partying with Kardashians and just doing up the Hollywood life,&#8221; the brand founder told ABC 7. &#8220;I was a poster boy for luxury living. I was not in any which way humble. I was very prideful,&#8221; he added.
&#8220;I was vapid. I had a perverse life,&#8221; Borba <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moo80FP9M_Q">told</a> CBS 47 during another interview. &#8220;I went to L.A., I got sucked into the Hollywood lifestyle — it was almost to a point where I was trying to sell my soul, right, for all of the riches of the world, which is not what we&#8217;re supposed to be … I was living for myself.&#8221;
Borba is currently living as a deacon and, because he’s becoming a priest so late in life, is in the minority. But what makes his story so remarkable is how he lived with such success and turned away after realizing the money never delivered true joy.
Instead of turning to sex, drugs, and alcohol or chasing more success, Borba gave away all his earthly possessions and tried something radically different. 
&#8220;I asked our Lord to help me be the man that he created me to be. And upon that instance, I had this massive flood of love and mercy that came into my life,” Borba told ABC. “It was a very mystical experience.”
&#8220;I live in a little tiny room with &#8230; it&#8217;s sparse, nothing in it,&#8221; Borba said of his current seminary life. &#8220;I have a few bits of clothes and a few pairs of shoes. And my life has been culled down to the bare minimum.&#8221;
The e.l.f. brand founder said he always felt called to become a priest but ignored it until a few years ago, which is when he finally discovered that the treasures of the world would never fill the void in his soul.
This story couldn’t come at a more critical moment for the Catholic Church. While there has been a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/more-americans-are-finding-faith-but-social-media-is-changing-what-that-looks-like">massive uptick in converts</a> to Catholicism, including among young adults who have a particular interest in the traditional Latin Mass, there is also a huge shortage of priests. Parishes are merging and closing even as the number of interested congregants continues to grow.
According to the Church’s statistical yearbook, the number of priests worldwide fell to 406,996 in 2023, representing a multi-year decline that doesn’t appear to be changing. Older priests are retiring or dying, and not enough young men are coming to replace them, despite the massive number of Catholic converts.
Dan Monastra, a seminarian for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, said he has a theory about this. 
&#8220;One reason is the overall lack of desire in our culture to commit oneself to something permanent, especially among younger generations. We see this not only with the priesthood but with marriage as well. Another reason is that the priesthood is antithetical to what modern culture offers: namely, comfort,&#8221; he told Fox Business during an <a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/revival-pews-crisis-altar-why-churches-closing-amid-catholic-comeback">interview</a> on the topic last month.
That explains why the global Catholic population has surpassed 1.4 billion, but there is still a critical shortage of men willing to step up and join the priesthood. People in Borba’s position are even rarer. According to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the average age for new priests is 33. Only 3% of current seminarians are over 50, according to Zach Flanagin, a professor of theology and religious studies at Saint Mary&#8217;s College of California.
&#8220;We are entering into a different time with new challenges. The world is constantly changing, and it is up to the Church to find ways to bear witness to Christ in the midst of these changes while still upholding the ancient faith,&#8221; Monastra said of the new reality.
With stories like Borba’s being reported, it could inspire more men who feel the call to change their lives to consider entering the priesthood, even if it’s a second act.
&#8220;I think that a story like his is a great opportunity to inspire people,&#8221; theology and religious studies professor Zach Flanagin told ABC 7 of Borba’s journey. &#8220;And certainly, his call, I hope it&#8217;s genuinely successful because if it is, then he will hopefully bring in people to know Christ.&#8221;

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***
She’s southern, stylish, and downright sensational. Ella Langley made history Sunday night, sweeping the 2026 Academy of Country Music Awards with a whopping seven pieces of hardware, marking a win in every category in which she was nominated.
The 27-year-old Alabama native is arguably the hottest name in country music right now. Her hit &#8220;Choosin&#8217; Texas,&#8221; which won song and single of the year, holds the record for the most weeks at No. 1 on the all-genre Hot 100 by a female country artist. She broke the record set by Taylor Swift’s &#8220;We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together&#8221; in 2012. The smash hit also crushed every country chart by being the only country song by a woman to hit No. 1 on the Hot 100, Hot Country, and Country Airplay charts all at the same time.
With records like that, it could be hard to be humble, but the one thing keeping Langley level-headed is her faith.
&#8220;All I gotta say is thank you God for putting me in a room with these three people right here,&#8221; Langley said after winning the award for Song of the Year with &#8220;Choosin’ Texas.&#8221; (The three people she was referring to are her co-writers on the song.)
She would return to the stage several times throughout the nearly three-hour award show for performances and more accolades, but when she took home the biggest honor of the night, she once again stopped to thank the man upstairs.
&#8220;Thank you, Jesus, for letting me do this for a living,&#8221; Langley said on stage after winning Female Artist of the Year.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="@ellalangleymusic Accepts the Award for ACM Female Artist of the Year [61st ACM Awards]" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oy0A337RAAE?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
In the same speech, she openly talked about her struggles the morning of the award show and how praying helped calm her.
&#8220;Today I was having a strange day,&#8221; she said. &#8220;I don&#8217;t know what it is about awards. I walked right into Lainey [Wilson]&#8217;s room, and I just got emotional, and she hugged me, wrapped me up, and started praying for me.&#8221;
In a world of award shows where faith is rarely mentioned, Langley&#8217;s language stood out. But her relationship with God is something she doesn’t shy away from in her speeches or her music.
In fact, on her sophomore album &#8220;Dandelion,&#8221; released last month, she sings explicitly about her faith. The track &#8220;Speaking Terms&#8221; is not about an on-again, off-again romantic relationship, but instead a relationship with God.
It eloquently depicts someone who doesn’t talk to God as much as she did as a child, opening up with the line, &#8220;I used to kneel beside my bed at night when I was small. It was easy as breathing, believing wasn&#8217;t hard at all. I knew that you were there close as my next prayer.&#8221;
The chorus focuses on reconnecting with God: &#8220;I&#8217;m waiting on a whisper, just something to confirm that you and me are still on speaking terms.&#8221;
Another song on Langley’s new album that has a faith focus is &#8220;Loving Life Again,&#8221; which the chart-topper wrote after spending some time reading her Bible back in Alabama last year.
&#8220;The last year of my life, 2025, is when it really got intense for me a little,&#8221; Langley told a concert crowd back in March of this year. &#8220;So I took a couple weeks off. I cancelled everything that I had … I got to spend two weeks sitting there with my mom and my daddy. I got to read my Bible and be next to my family in a way that I hadn’t gotten to do since I was 18 years old.&#8221;
Shortly after that message to fans at a show, Langley shared an Easter message to her nearly 4 million followers. On top of a video of her singing “Because He Lives” on her Instagram story, she wrote:
&#8220;Even though I’ve been a believer in Christ my whole life, my relationship with Him has changed drastically over the last year,&#8221; she said. &#8220;I started to have ‘faith.’ I started to view the days we have been given as a gift instead of a chore. I am so grateful for a God who leads with love and compassion. Thank you Jesus for giving me a way to spend eternity with you. I hope everyone had a great day. Happy Easter!&#8221;
While her faith was strengthened this last year, the &#8220;Dandelion&#8221; singer grew up in a small Baptist church just south of Montgomery, Alabama, where she sang before she knew how to read.
&#8220;I sang at church a lot. I learned how to read from singing hymnals,&#8221; she told Theo Von on the &#8220;This Past Weekend&#8221; podcast.
Her family recognized back then that Langley had a talent, and the practice she got in the pews every Sunday prepared her voice for a career in music. But her faith is what keeps her grounded as her skill and popularity grow.

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Thousands of believers gathered in the nation’s capital on Sunday for an all-day prayer and worship service honoring America’s Christian heritage ahead of the country&#8217;s 250th anniversary.
The event — <a href="https://freedom250.org/celebration/rededicate-250-a-national-jubilee-of-prayer-praise-and-thanksgiving">Rededicate 250</a>, part of the Trump administration’s Freedom 250 initiative — featured a host of political, Catholic, and evangelical leaders, including Speaker Mike Johnson, Secretary Pete Hegseth, Bishop Robert Barron, and Franklin Graham, who did not hold back in condemning what he described as America’s moral decline.
&#8220;People have become lovers of themselves rather than lovers of God,&#8221; Graham said, painting a dire picture of the country&#8217;s biblical literacy. &#8220;America has become morally rotten, completely sick with sin, transgenderism, same-sex marriage, opening women&#8217;s locker rooms to men are just the tip of the iceberg.&#8221;
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfyAL0e6ei0">In a recorded address,</a> Trump struck a similar tone, reading a passage from 2 Chronicles that calls for repentance and urges people to turn from their wicked ways.
Located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., thousands braved 80-degree heat and waited in hour-long lines that stretched for blocks to call on their fellow Americans to repent and join each other in prayer and worship. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Large crowd waiting in line for Rededication 250 event <a href="https://t.co/eJCZwAM5Ft">pic.twitter.com/eJCZwAM5Ft</a>
— Jacob Wheeler (@JWheelertv) <a href="https://twitter.com/JWheelertv/status/2056072888407507331?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 17, 2026</a></blockquote>
Grammy-winning Christian artist Chris Tomlin performed &#8220;Holy Forever&#8221; to the thousands on their feet.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
HOLY FOREVER
&#8220;Your name is the highest 
Your name is the greatest 
Your name stands above them all 
All thrones and dominions 
All powers and positions 
Your name stands above them all&#8221;<a href="https://twitter.com/christomlin?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@christomlin</a> <a href="https://t.co/7ie11Vtn9z">pic.twitter.com/7ie11Vtn9z</a>
— Real America&#8217;s Voice (RAV) (@RealAmVoice) <a href="https://twitter.com/RealAmVoice/status/2056139300798877984?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 17, 2026</a></blockquote>
In front of a crowd wearing Bible-themed shirts and waving Jesus-inspired flags, top Trump administration officials and Republican leaders offered historical and personal reflections.
&#8220;On this day, two and a half centuries ago, our forefathers gathered for the second time in as many years for a national day of fasting and prayer,&#8221; <a href="https://x.com/StateDept/status/2056011858201764095?s=20">Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a Roman Catholic, said.</a> &#8220;They knew that what they were trying to do had never been done before in human history, but with the dark storm clouds of war looming on the horizon, they did what Christians have always done across place and time for 2000 years. They turned their eyes to heaven and placed their faith in the hands of God.&#8221;
&#8220;This is who we are. It is who we have always been. America is still a young nation, measured against the record of history, and from the beginning, we have carried the belief that our country represents something new in the world, but the soul of our nation has always been rooted in an ancient faith,&#8221; Rubio added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
On this day 250 years ago, our forefathers gathered for a national day of fasting and prayer. Today, Americans will come together again as one Nation under God.
This is who we are and who we’ve always been. <a href="https://t.co/0r4QUsy1hY">pic.twitter.com/0r4QUsy1hY</a>
— Department of State (@StateDept) <a href="https://twitter.com/StateDept/status/2056011858201764095?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 17, 2026</a></blockquote>
Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) spoke about Christianity in personal terms.
&#8220;I stand before you as living proof that prayer, the power of prayer, changes lives,&#8221; <a href="https://x.com/Freedom250/status/2056090057812111708?s=20">Scott said.</a> &#8220;It&#8217;s prayer that inspires our nation. It&#8217;s prayer that transforms our world. There is no way to grasp the last 250 years of America without looking to the power of prayer.&#8221;
Actor Jonathan Roumie, best known for portraying Jesus Christ in “The Chosen,” urged Americans to recommit to the idea of being “one nation under God.”
&#8220;No matter who you are, or what you&#8217;ve done, or how long it&#8217;s been, or how bad things might all seem when you get stuck in the doom scroll of it all, simply stop and pray,&#8221; <a href="https://x.com/RSBNetwork/status/2056079289926259196?s=20">Roumie said.</a> &#8220;And if you still feel burdened, maybe it&#8217;s time to go to confession. There is power in repentance.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
FULL SPEECH: Actor Jonathan Roumie Provides Testimony and Reflects on Portraying Jesus &#8211; 05/17/26 <a href="https://t.co/8DFzOZSYZz">pic.twitter.com/8DFzOZSYZz</a>
— RSBN 🇺🇸 (@RSBNetwork) <a href="https://twitter.com/RSBNetwork/status/2056079289926259196?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 17, 2026</a></blockquote>
The nod to faith comes amid increasing signs of a religious revival in America, especially among young men.
About 42% of men aged 18 to 29 now say religion is “very important” in their lives, up from just 28% two years prior, according to a<a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/708410/young-men-religious-young-women.aspx"> new survey from Gallup</a>. The 14-point jump marks the steepest increase measured across any demographic group in the poll’s recent history and returns young men to levels of religiosity not seen since the early 2000s.
Vice President JD Vance said the trend is defying what the expert class had predicted.
&#8220;Defying predictions, the experts said that religion and faith were dying. Today, a wave of young Americans is returning to the pews, and we know that they&#8217;re looking for meaning, for authority, for direction, and of course, for closeness with God,&#8221; Vance said. &#8220;That should give all of us hope for our future together.&#8221; 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
WATCH: Vice President JD Vance&#8217;s Rededicate 250 message:
“I always ask people to pray for wisdom and for courage for their leadership. Pray for wisdom that we know the path God wants us to walk. Pray for courage that we have the ability to walk that path.” <a href="https://t.co/5hKNESi7hV">pic.twitter.com/5hKNESi7hV</a>
— Vice President JD Vance (@VP) <a href="https://twitter.com/VP/status/2056135528752234892?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 17, 2026</a></blockquote>
<a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2026/05/14/how-americans-feel-about-religions-influence-in-government-and-public-life/?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email">A Pew Research poll</a> this week showed 37% of U.S. adults believe religion is gaining influence in America, the highest share since 2002.
&#8220;No one saw this coming, and this is something that the world, I think, wasn&#8217;t really prepared for but is in awe of watching,&#8221; <a href="https://x.com/foxandfriends/status/2055993621027905540?s=20">The Daily Wire host Isabel Brown</a> said of<a href="https://www.wsj.com/business/media/bible-sales-surged-following-killing-of-charlie-kirk-7da17aec"> rising Bible sales</a> and <a href="https://www.barna.com/research/young-adults-lead-resurgence-in-church-attendance/">Gen Z leading a resurgence in church attendance.</a> &#8220;I think because of the secularism and the moral relativism we&#8217;re living through every single day in our secular culture. We&#8217;re finding the answers in God.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
REDEDICATE 250 🇺🇸 <a href="https://twitter.com/theisabelb?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@theisabelb</a> joins <a href="https://twitter.com/RCamposDuffy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RCamposDuffy</a> at the event to discuss the Gen Z revival in attending church! <a href="https://t.co/rNs4YidI4y">pic.twitter.com/rNs4YidI4y</a>
— FOX &amp; Friends (@foxandfriends) <a href="https://twitter.com/foxandfriends/status/2055993621027905540?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 17, 2026</a></blockquote>

IMG_2579

America’s Spiritual Revival Just Sent A Powerful Message

America 250

Trump Administration

Agriculture Department employees sued USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins on Wednesday, alleging she subjected workers to “government-sponsored religious coercion” by promoting an Easter message.
<a href="https://www.au.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/1-NFFE-v-USDA.pdf">The lawsuit, filed by a union representing 19,000 USDA employees,</a> centers on an Easter message Rollins shared, celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ and other faith-based holiday messages.
On Easter Sunday, Rollins shared a memo with the roughly 100,000 USDA employees, saying, “Happy Easter — He is risen indeed!”
&#8220;From the foot of the Cross on Good Friday to the stone rolled away from the now empty tomb, sin has been destroyed. Jesus has been raised from the dead. And God has granted each of us victory and new life. And where there is life — risen life — there is hope,&#8221; Rollins wrote, <a href="https://www.au.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Happy-Easter.pdf">according to Politico</a>.
That message, according to the lawsuit, violated the First Amendment&#8217;s Establishment Clause and the Administrative Procedure Act.
&#8220;Secretary Rollins’s practice and policy of subjecting agency employees to proselytizing messages conveys the expectation that USDA employees share in the Secretary’s religious beliefs, even when doing so would betray an employee’s own beliefs,&#8221; the lawsuit reads. &#8220;It is exactly the sort of government-sponsored religious coercion, religious sermonizing, and denominational preference that the Establishment Clause prohibits.&#8221;
For nonreligious USDA employees, the Christian message amounted to religious indoctrination.
&#8220;Secretary Rollins’s Easter Sermon draws heavily on biblical references that promote a particular religion — Christianity — which the Secretary’s message evangelizes as fact. The denominational favoritism conveyed in Secretary Rollins’s communications indoctrinates USDA employees and has caused them to feel coerced, unwelcome, excluded, and like outsiders to the agency,&#8221; the lawsuit said. 
The organization Americans United for Separation of Church and State and the progressive legal advocacy group Democracy Forward also joined the case.
In a striking request, the plaintiffs ask the court to block Rollins and any other USDA official from issuing “such religious communications” and to declare the secretary’s religious messages unlawful.
“While we do not comment on pending litigation, we will keep the plaintiffs in our prayers during this process,” a USDA spokesperson said in a statement to The Daily Wire. 
A vocal Christian, Rollins regularly speaks about her faith and has said she holds a Bible study with other members of the Trump Cabinet.
&#8220;We are very deep into studying service and being servants of God and servant leaders, but also being able to resist the temptation that comes with power — staying humble and serving God in these positions,&#8221; <a href="https://billygraham.org/decision-magazine/articles/fighting-for-the-soul-of-america">she said in June 2025</a>.

Vice President JD Vance Speaks At A Manufacturing Facility In Des Moines, Iowa

‘He Is Risen’ Message Sparks Meltdown Against Top Trump Official

brooke rollins

This article is part of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/introducing-upstream-a-lifestyle-and-culture-section-of-the-daily-wire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Upstream,</a> The Daily Wire’s new home for culture and lifestyle. Real human insight and human stories — from our featured writers to you.
***
Something seems to be changing in American culture. Some have described it as a “<a href="https://a.co/d/07YhPOKQ">vibe shift</a>,” like a tangible sensation of spiritual change in the air, perhaps not all that different from the way a sailor might sense when the winds are about to turn. But last month, new data came out that give a specific shape to one key dimension of this shift. The polls point to an unprecedented spiritual reversal happening with young men in America, and one that has turned very suddenly.
Gallup <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/708410/rise-young-men-religiosity-realigns-gender-gaps.aspx">released numbers</a> in April showing that the share of American men ages 18 to 29 who say religion is “very important to them” jumped from 28% to 42% between 2023 and 2025. That&#8217;s a 14-point swing in two years — a 50% proportional increase, and the single largest shift in our lifetime on how young men relate to religion. This vibe shift erased a nearly 25-year decline in religious interest in just two years.
While the change is statistically unprecedented, if you have been watching the culture rather than the polls, none of this should surprise you. The polls are just catching up.
The statistical decline of traditional religious participation and the rise of those who claim to believe in “nothing at all” began in the mid-1990s. The New Atheist decade that followed made a specific wager: Strip away “superstitious” beliefs of our bygone religious past, and civilization will march onward in an unfettered path of progress. But by the 2010s, as we moved into an era of intense cultural tumult dubbed the “Great Awokening,” it was obvious we were not getting that promised utopian outcome from our anti-religious experiment.
What we got instead was a “meaning crisis” and a generation of young men who grew up feeling the weight of hopelessness. They watched as deaths of despair skyrocketed, institutional trust declined, and civilization slowly descended into ruin as Marxist and postmodern ideologies rushed to fill the religious vacuum.
They were handed a world stripped of the timeless guiding stories upon which everything good in American culture had been built, and they were told that all guiding stories — including the stories of scripture — were just propaganda power plays or backwards superstitions. The colloquial phrase for the result was simply “the young men are not okay.”
What the data now suggest is that a critical mass of young men have decided this anti-God experiment has run long enough. Young men are tired of not being okay.
The early signals were everywhere. Jordan Peterson sold out theaters lecturing on Bible stories with millions more watching on YouTube, hungry for someone to show them a story that could give their lives meaningful direction. Tom Holland’s &#8220;Dominion&#8221; became the book that thoughtful young men discussed in dorm rooms, with its thesis that the moral foundations of the modern West — human dignity, universal rights, concern for the downtrodden — is Christianity all the way down, whether we remember it or not. Justin Brierley, who spent 15 years hosting debates between Christians and the New Atheists, began to notice that young men weren’t listening to the New Atheists anymore. He covered the precipitous decline of New Atheism’s influence in &#8220;The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God.&#8221;
If anyone has been paying attention to the most popular podcaster on the planet, they’d notice a similar religious arc happening with Joe Rogan. Not that long ago, Rogan sounded like the average red-blooded American male of the old cultural moment: bemused by traditional religion and comfortable with the assumption that faith was something smart people had outgrown. In the last several years, his posture has shifted so visibly it has become a running theme of his show. Guest after guest, from biblical scholars such as Wesley Huff to Christ-curious comedians, get invited to wrestle seriously with the question of God rather than brush it aside. In 2025, Rogan himself started attending church, something <a href="https://x.com/paulanleitner/status/1874246583820157084?s=61&amp;t=GEWkhsehIN24AI-EHnUXaQ">I predicted</a> would happen in 2024. 
There were other signs in pop culture that, in strange ways, hinted at a coming spiritual turn. In late 2023, young men started playing old Creed songs again without an ounce of cynical irony — songs drenched in a sincere, hungry religiosity the 2000s had trained everyone to mock. In 2024, Creed had its highest-grossing year as a band, propelled primarily by young men who were too young to listen to the band&#8217;s religiously tinged albums when they first came out.
The popular stories that filled our screens began to reflect the ache men had for a positive vision of male heroism rooted in sacrificial love and the pursuit of something bigger than oneself. They made &#8220;Top Gun: Maverick&#8221; and &#8220;F1&#8243; enormous hits — films that refuse the postmodern move of telling you the male hero is an oppressive force of the patriarchy. More recently, they embraced &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hollywood-makes-a-story-where-doing-the-right-thing-still-matters">A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms</a>,&#8221; a story about an earnest young man who wants, with his whole heart, to be genuinely good in a franchise famous for insisting that wanting to be good is how you get killed. They cheered for &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ryan-gosling-breathes-new-life-into-a-tired-genre-with-project-hail-mary">Project Hail Mary</a>,&#8221; whose “hopecore” message is built on a man named Grace laying down his life for the sake of the world.
None of these pop culture signposts are as explicitly “religious” as a Sunday school lesson, but what do they all have in common? They show that young men are hungry for hope, meaning, and purpose in their lives. They reflect a shift from the spiritual “closedness” of the last two decades to a fresh spiritual openness, and a growing appetite for timeless religious themes of virtue, sacrifice, and the quest for a higher purpose.
Is this a full-blown religious revival? Revival probably isn’t the best word to describe what’s happened. Young men’s interest in traditional religion has spiked, and some have started to fill the church pews. I suspect more will follow. What it does point to should be encouraging for anyone who cares about the future of America.
Young men are increasingly willing, in numbers now measurable, to entertain the possibility that the religious wisdom we had discarded was something we needed, but did not see the need for until we tried to live without it.
For 25 years, the trend line pointed in one direction, and even some of the most devoted church-going observers assumed it would keep tailing downward. It did not. It broke. In the span of a few short years, a generation of young men looked around at the trajectory of an anti-God culture and, with something like collective intuition, decided they had had enough.
***
Paul Anleitner is a cultural theologian whose work focuses on the role of culture and story in our quest for meaning. He is the author of “Based on a True Story: Vibe Shifts, the End of Deconstruction, and the Reboot of Meaning.”

Worshipper praying on a church

Young Men Are Finding Their Way Back To Something The Culture Tried To Replace

Religion

This article is part of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/introducing-upstream-a-lifestyle-and-culture-section-of-the-daily-wire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Upstream,</a> The Daily Wire’s new home for culture and lifestyle. Real human insight and human stories — from our featured writers to you.
***
I’ll never forget the night Johnny Manziel was drafted into the NFL. He walked on stage doing his famous “money” gesture — hands raised, fingers counting an invisible stack of cash — with a big grin on his face. For him, it was a choice to celebrate what came with this moment. This past Thursday night provided a redo, as many young men chose to promote what they brought to the moment.
Three hundred and twenty thousand people in attendance. Another 12 million people are watching the broadcast on some of the world’s biggest networks, including ESPN, ABC, and the NFL Network, using 55 cameras and eight production trucks. For 32 young men, the biggest moment of their lives was about to be on display for all. The NFL draft is the ultimate spectacle in celebrity. 
And yet, the number one pick didn’t show up. And when his time to speak came, he honored God. When asked how the last few months have changed his life — which included an NCAA national championship, a Heisman Trophy, and now being selected as the first pick in the NFL draft — Fernando Mendoza said, “The last five months have been such a blessing by God, and I can’t thank him enough.” Mendoza gave this interview from his parents’ home as he made the decision to be with his mother, who suffers from multiple sclerosis, and he didn’t want to burden her with traveling to Pittsburgh.
And he wasn’t alone. Two picks later, Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love emphasized that his success was in God&#8217;s plan. After being selected eighth overall by the New Orleans Saints, Jordyn Tyson said, “The Lord’s doing work on me.” He went on to say, “The Lord said it’s going to be hard. Life is hard.” Spoken like a true contrarian member of Gen Z. And later, the eleventh overall selection, Caleb Downs, gave “all glory to Jesus Christ.”
In fact, this became the theme on Thursday night, when fame appeared to take a back seat to faith and family. At least a dozen first-round picks explicitly invoked God, the Lord, or Jesus during draft night. In a moment manufactured to glorify them, these men deflected. And like Mendoza, more than half (18 of 32) prospects decided not to be in attendance and instead celebrate the biggest moment of their lives with family. 
Faith in sports isn’t new. We all remember Tim Tebow’s famous kneeling-in-prayer celebration. And many players cross their hearts and point to the sky after big plays. What’s different is the context. In our new social media environment, there is so much pressure to brand oneself personally. And on the night when it mattered most, many took the focus off themselves.
I hope Gen Z football fans were observing their peers. After all, they are the “anxious generation,” with six in 10 reporting <a href="https://www.youthmentalhealthcoalition.org/gen-z">feeling overwhelmed</a> by news and events. Amplified by the fact that one in three <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2024/12/12/teens-social-media-and-technology-2024/">say they are on social media</a> “almost constantly.” Surveys are great, but sometimes we need to taste the real thing to create countercultural pressure. And draft night delivered a full serving of faith, discipline, responsibility, and meaning on the biggest stage. 
What we also can’t ignore is the connection between these players’ mindsets and the brutality of their profession. While Gen Z’s unemployment rate sits at <a href="https://econofact.org/factbrief/fact-check-is-unemployment-for-young-us-workers-the-highest-since-the-pandemic">twice the national average</a>, these men are entering perhaps the hardest profession to make it in, the NFL, where only a tiny percentage succeed, and careers are short. Add to that the constant and extreme levels of physical and mental pressure. While some in our culture are teaching young people to avoid hardship and redefine standards, these men are proving and promoting that hardship is part of the deal.
To re-quote Jordyn Tyson, “Life is hard.” He followed that up with, “You have to persevere; life is not easy.” Translated for Gen Z: Hard is the norm. You prepare to deal with it. You don’t negotiate your way out of it. 
We keep hearing that young men are lost, but maybe we’re looking in the wrong places. While not all, many men who pursue an NFL career come from the socioeconomic backgrounds that researchers typically blame for bad life outcomes: poverty, fatherless homes, and crime-ridden neighborhoods. Hardship is their common denominator. The NFL doesn’t select for comfort; it selects for resilience. Maybe all of Gen Z isn’t lost. Some are just stuck in a comfort crisis.
This year’s draft was a metaphorical contrast for the lives of many young Americans. On one side, the stage. On the other, the living room. On one side, entitlement; on the other, hardship and gratitude. For many young men entering the NFL this week, the latter choice prevailed in each scenario and, along the way, provided waypoints on the map of meaning: where to look for hope, what moments really define a life, and who to bring with you on the journey.
Johnny Manziel wasn’t counting money for long. He played two seasons and exited the NFL stage almost as quickly as he crossed it on draft night. 
But this year, the prospects waited to count their money. Instead, we saw young men select mom over the moment and God over the glitz and glamor. The only thing more ordered than the draft selections was the prospects’ priorities.
***
Gates Garcia is the host of the YouTube show and podcast We The People with Gates Garcia. Follow him on X and Instagram @GatesGarciaFL.

Las Vegas Raiders Introduce Fernando Mendoza

The NFL Draft Just Delivered A Lesson Gen Z Desperately Needed

Life doesn’t come with a handbook, and neither does death.
Why do we keep it hidden away? Why do we try so desperately to cheat it? I suppose we’ve come a long way since Walt Disney froze his head (fact check: <a href="https://www.biography.com/movies-tv/walt-disney-frozen-after-death-myth">false</a>), but forever-young <a href="https://time.com/6315607/bryan-johnsons-quest-for-immortality/">Bryan Johnson</a> isn’t any closer to living forever, and, judging by his thawed-over looks and massive supplement regimen, I’m not sure most people would find that route appealing anyway. But <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/04/03/silicon-valleys-quest-to-live-forever">Silicon Valley</a> pushes ahead with its plan to play God ­— or at least outwit Him. Spoiler alert, not a good plan with <a href="https://www.bibleanalysis.org/saul-the-rise-and-fall-of-israels-first-king/">Him</a> or the <a href="https://www.caltaxadviser.com/top-10-worst-celebrity-tax-cheats-in-history/">IRS</a>.
But when someone like Ben Sasse comes along, it’s hard to look away. In fact, we must look and look with wonder and awe.
The former senator from Nebraska was diagnosed with inoperable stage 4 pancreatic cancer in December 2025. He was the guest on New York Times columnist Ross Douthat’s “<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/09/opinion/ben-sasse-death-pancreatic-cancer.html">Interesting Times</a>” podcast on April 9, where he called the diagnosis “a death sentence.”
Days later, Sasse went viral. It wasn’t because of his appearance on the podcast, per se, but because of a <a href="https://x.com/AlexGoldenNBA/status/2042407968528880070?s=20">clip</a> of a young couple sitting courtside at an Indiana Pacers game engaged in a conversation. It was later revealed to be about Sasse’s thoughts on the state of liberal arts colleges and America’s higher education system, as discussed with Douthat.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Pacers TV had these fans on the broadcast, and she is NOT having it 😂
After he finally stops yapping, she says, “that’s you…what the f*** are you talking about?” <a href="https://t.co/XdXMC6xhE9">pic.twitter.com/XdXMC6xhE9</a>
— Alex Golden (@AlexGoldenNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlexGoldenNBA/status/2042407968528880070?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 10, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Source: @AlexGoldenNBA/X.com
So here we have a made-for-meme moment starring two Pacers fans breathing fresh life into a man not just dying before our eyes but leaning into it so far that Sheryl Sandberg is taking notes. Now we can’t look away.
The good news and bad news are the same: you are going to die. We are all going to die. Fear not! There is no commitment on your end — other than the fate of your eternal soul. The trick to seeing both ways is to pause and consider what this means in life.
Americans are a dynamic, forward-thinking, happy-go-lucky crew who have too much going on at any given moment to stop and think about when things will stop forever. That mentality has had its benefits. We boldly ventured into the great Western frontier, stormed European beaches not once, but twice, to bail out our Old-World brethren from tangles of their own making. We rule the seas and explore the skies.
But all that moving and world-shaking leaves us wholly unprepared for the end. So yes, we’re all going to die. Death and taxes, as the saying goes. Except taxes can be managed, depending on who wields the political levers of power, or if you have an accountant whose address is a P.O. box and insists you pay in cash. Death has no workaround, comes with no instructions, and looks different for every person on the planet. But the good news is that being reminded of our mortality crystallizes the urgency and preciousness of life, and that life isn’t lived out on our timeline, no matter what technological advances the tech wunderkinds promise, and there are no one-size-fits-all guidelines.
In Tim Burton’s 1988 film “Beetlejuice,” married couple Barbara and Adam Maitland (played by Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin) die in a car accident and find themselves stuck in the afterlife with nothing but the “Handbook for the Recently Deceased” to guide them. It contains tips and quips: “Live people ignore the strange and unusual,” and “The living usually won&#8217;t see the dead.” But Burton’s film is a fictional tale with a fictional book, devoid of faith, and it spares us the actual dying part.
Ben Sasse doesn’t have a handbook on death or dying, yet here he is publicly facing his mortality in the most painful and gruesome way. Sasse is turning Beetlejuice’s “Handbook” on its head, doling out valuable insight and wisdom to the living, and we treat it like a spectator sport, except this Pacers fan boyfriend, who is trying to impart a piece of that wisdom to his girlfriend. “What the f*ck are you talking about?” she responds. Keep trying, buddy; a nation is cheering for you, and for Ben Sasse.
Douthat asked Sasse if he felt “ready to die.” He replied that although he didn’t feel ready, he had hope, due to his Christian faith, that he would be with God, “I know that that’s what I need,” he said.
We can plan for the afterlife: I want Elvis singing over the loudspeakers and free cigarettes at the funeral cash bar. But mostly, I want people to reflect on how they’re spending their limited time among the living — because even a one-day crash course on death could have repercussions in life. And that is exactly what Ben Sasse did and is doing: offering his death so we might reflect on our lives.
That’s not something we can find in any handbook.

Capitol Hill Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson

Ben Sasse Is Going To Die — And So Are You

Ben Sasse

Death

DW Opinion

This article is part of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/introducing-upstream-a-lifestyle-and-culture-section-of-the-daily-wire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Upstream,</a> The Daily Wire’s new home for culture and lifestyle. Real human insight and human stories — from our featured writers to you.
***
Artemis II pilot Victor Glover went a long way — 252,756 miles, to be exact — to make an impression, and boy, did he ever make one. A devout Christian, Glover praised God from the heavens as he and his compatriots completed their lunar mission — and his faith resonated in shockwaves back on Earth.
While many are accustomed to watching celebrities or sports figures answer victory — and sometimes defeat — with prayer and a call to glorify God in all things, those words are more striking when they come from scientists because so often culture teaches us that science and faith must be at odds with each other.
But Glover says otherwise, loudly and boldly — and when he&#8217;s given a microphone, even hundreds of thousands of miles from Earth, he says it again.
The naval test pilot holds three master&#8217;s degrees in flight and engineering fields, and he explained in a 2023 <a href="https://www.christianpost.com/news/christian-artemis-ii-pilot-victor-glover-reframes-race-question.html">interview</a> that his faith feeds his academic and career pursuits.
&#8220;My career is fed by my faith. Anytime I do something that’s pretty risky, I pray. Before I fly, every time I fly. Definitely when you go sit on top of a rocket ship,&#8221; he said. &#8220;In the military, there’s a saying that there are no atheists in foxholes. There aren’t any on top of rockets, either.&#8221;
Throughout Artemis II&#8217;s mission, Glover took every opportunity to share his faith — particularly in the context of God&#8217;s creation, to which he&#8217;d just been given a front-row seat.
On Easter Sunday, he gave an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/artemis-ii-pilot-pauses-during-lunar-mission-to-deliver-powerful-easter-message">impromptu speech</a> from aboard the Orion capsule.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨 JUST IN: Artemis II pilot Victor Glover just gave this BEAUTIFUL Easter message
&#8220;So far from Earth, looking at the BEAUTY of creation.&#8221;
“When I read the Bible and I look at all of the amazing things that were done for us&#8230;this amazing place.&#8221; ❤️🙏🏻<a href="https://t.co/cjZscnGz2A">pic.twitter.com/cjZscnGz2A</a>
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) <a href="https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/2040566651788157186?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 4, 2026</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;You know, when I read the Bible and I look at all of the amazing things that were done for us, who were created, it’s — you have this amazing place, this spaceship, you guys are talking to us because we’re in a spaceship really far from Earth,&#8221; Glover said, adding, &#8220;You’re on a spaceship called Earth that was created to give us a place to live in the universe, in the cosmos. Maybe the distance we are from you makes you think what we’re doing is special, but we’re the same distance from you, and I’m trying to tell you, just trust me, you are special.&#8221;
&#8220;In all of this emptiness, this is a whole bunch of nothing, this thing we call the universe, you have this oasis, this beautiful place that we get to exist together,&#8221; he said.
Just before they circled around the moon and lost contact with Mission Control, Glover once again took the microphone and brought the conversation back to his faith: &#8220;Christ said in response to what was the greatest command, that it was to love God with all that you are &#8230; He said the second &#8230; that is to love your neighbor as yourself.&#8221;
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JUST IN: Astronaut Victor Glover shares the Gospel from Artemis II before losing communication.
&#8220;Christ said in response to what was the greatest command, that it was to love God with all that you are.&#8221;
&#8220;He said the second &#8230; that is to love your neighbor as yourself.&#8221;
The… <a href="https://t.co/9xErKPxmQU">pic.twitter.com/9xErKPxmQU</a>
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) <a href="https://twitter.com/CollinRugg/status/2041296734312423857?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 6, 2026</a></blockquote>
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When the crew finally splashed down in the Pacific Ocean, marking the end of their lunar mission, Glover&#8217;s first public comments were once again rooted in his faith: &#8220;I wanted to thank God in public, and I want to thank God again, because even bigger than my challenge trying to describe what we went through, the gratitude of seeing what we saw, doing what we did, and being with who I was with — it&#8217;s too big to just be in one body.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨 WOW! Artemis II pilot Victor Glover spreads the gospel after a safe return home from space
This dude is a MASTERCLASS!
&#8220;I wanted to thank God in public, and I want to thank God again, because even bigger than my challenge trying to describe what we went through, the… <a href="https://t.co/VnCljIxdqX">pic.twitter.com/VnCljIxdqX</a>
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) <a href="https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/2043079388887953721?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 11, 2026</a></blockquote>
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When Glover was granted a hero&#8217;s welcome at home, his thoughts remained on shining the light outward. &#8220;Some of us have never met before. And you know whose fault that is? Ours. So let&#8217;s choose to do this. Let&#8217;s be this more. Let&#8217;s be neighbors,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I don&#8217;t know if you heard me say it, but God told us to love Him with all that we are and love our neighbors as ourselves.&#8221;
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NEW: Astronaut Victor Glover shares the gospel to a crowd who welcomed him back home to Houston, Texas.
People were seen lining the streets to welcome Glover back home.
“Some of us have never met before. And you know whose fault that is? Ours. So let&#8217;s choose to do this. Let&#8217;s… <a href="https://t.co/xMLozkJtLr">pic.twitter.com/xMLozkJtLr</a>
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) <a href="https://twitter.com/CollinRugg/status/2043704154120724796?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 13, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The response was overwhelming: People everywhere heard him, and they loved what they heard.
&#8220;Loves Jesus. Loves his wife. Loves his daughters. Literally new fav astronaut,&#8221; commentator and Daily Wire contributor Elisha Krauss <a href="https://x.com/ElishaKrauss/status/2043513849769574698">posted</a>.
&#8220;It&#8217;s really beautiful to see someone in the government, in the military, and most definitely in the public eye giving glory to God for a mighty achievement. Our society needs so much more of this,&#8221; another <a href="https://x.com/CynicalPublius/status/2043396363002765561">responded</a>.
&#8220;Victor Glover is currently my favorite American,&#8221; journalist Olivia Rondeau <a href="https://x.com/rondeaulivia/status/2043405151730643408">added</a>.
&#8220;No need to send poets to the Moon, we have NASA Astronaut Victor Glover,&#8221; someone else <a href="https://x.com/OwenSparks/status/2041273387801030964">observed</a>.
But Glover himself said it best: &#8220;We need Jesus — whether on Earth or circling the moon.&#8221;

US-SPACE-ARTEMIS II-NASA

Artemis II Pilot Gets A Front-Row Seat To The Universe And Then Points Straight To God

Artemis II

NASA

Space

victor glover

This article is part of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/introducing-upstream-a-lifestyle-and-culture-section-of-the-daily-wire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Upstream,</a> The Daily Wire’s new home for culture and lifestyle. Real human insight and human stories — from our featured writers to you.
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I’m a Catholic convert. We <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-catholic-convert-boom-is-real-but-a-troubling-pattern-is-emerging">hear about that</a> a lot lately. Some of the most prominent podcasters, online influencers, and elected officials are announcing their conversions. Rosaries are becoming more prominent, and the Latin Mass is back in vogue.  
Conversion is good, and these conversions align with a positive trend in the Catholic Church. After a 20-year decline in conversions, the Catholic Church has experienced a surge in new members since 2020. Converts in 2025 more than <a href="https://www.osvnews.com/trending-a-young-revival-in-the-faith/">doubled</a> those in 2020. Even Los Angeles <a href="https://www.ncregister.com/news/easter-2025-new-catholics-by-the-numbers?utm_source=chatgpt.com">experienced a 44% year-over-year growth in 2025</a>. The word “Gospel” comes from the Greek “euangelion,” which means “good news.” This is the good news.
But it comes with some tension. Some of the largest converts leverage their massive online followings and media audiences to proclaim their conversions to the world. Algorithms reward visibility, announcement, and identity signaling. This actually fits perfectly into conversion, which is declarative, shareable, and witnessed by an audience.
But this contrasts sharply with Holy Week, which is quiet, uncomfortable, and non-performative in its nature. This week is about ensuring we don’t skip the part of our faith that actually defines it. Today’s culture emphasizes performance, but Holy Week emphasizes discernment. Rather than partaking in passive activities such as sitting and scrolling, Catholics are taught to participate in Holy Week. Mass attendees take part in the full reading of the Passion on Palm Sunday, and we fast, abstain, and worship on Good Friday.
So, I’m urging my fellow Catholics — and specifically, my fellow converts — not to squander this week but to embrace the elements of our faith that actually define it. To bridge the gap between “becoming a Catholic” and what the faith actually asks of you.
I’ll never forget my first Holy Week. I was confused about what could be “good” about the Friday on which Christ was crucified, not knowing that good means “holy” and this was the day his suffering delivered redemption and his death gave us life. In my early years of conversion, Holy Week was something I observed, but over time, it has become something I live.
Easter aligns with cultural preferences for joy, victory, and public celebrations. This fits into our modern instincts of resolution, progress, and clean endings. While social media favors identity over transformation and announcement over discipline, there are very few hashtags for silence, repentance, and interior change. You can “like” Easter. You can post Easter.
But Easter without Good Friday is incomplete. Good Friday requires a specific tone that would be punished in any online algorithm. Two days before the culmination of Lent, we emphasize silence and a reflective slowness. There is no spectacle or performative payoff. You spend a day sitting with the heavy responsibility of carrying the faith forward. For me, my first Good Friday was quite dark. The kids were off from school, but this was no vacation. Good Friday is a day to log spiritual hours.
My fellow Catholic and friend Arthur Brooks has made a career out of proving that <a href="https://www.thefp.com/p/arthur-brooks-why-your-perfect-life-feels-so-empty">“meaning” is a key ingredient to a happy life.</a> Holy Week gives meaning to our Catholic faith, and we should use this week to help accelerate the positive conversion trends in our church. It’s good that people are coming in, but it can’t stop at one’s announcement. Interest must lead to commitment. The internet can celebrate conversion, but only real life can sustain it. Jesus Christ’s faith doesn’t fit neatly into our algorithms today. If that’s where your faith is performing best, you may have skipped the part that actually changes you.
Pope John Paul II often discussed the divided life. He cautioned against separating spiritual values from one’s daily actions and promoted a unified life fixed in God’s eternal love. This is a message I hope my fellow converts will heed — especially those who lead <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/im-a-social-media-influencer-but-my-real-audience-isnt-the-internet">very public lives</a>, reaching audiences far larger than any single congregation or diocese. I pray they are participating in all of the activities of Holy Week, not just outwardly, but internally. Like prayer, Holy Week is an external sign of inward grace. And our culture is craving grace right now.
I’ll let Jesus in Matthew 16:24-25 have the last word: “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it.”
***
Gates Garcia is the host of the YouTube show and podcast We The People with Gates Garcia. Follow him on X and Instagram @GatesGarciaFL.

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More Americans Are Finding Faith, But Social Media Is Changing What That Looks Like

Catholic Church

Social Media

This article is part of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/introducing-upstream-a-lifestyle-and-culture-section-of-the-daily-wire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Upstream,</a> The Daily Wire’s new home for culture and lifestyle. Real human insight and human stories — from our featured writers to you.
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In recent years, accusations of “white Christian nationalism” have become a staple of Democratic attacks on Republicans. At the same time, a growing number of progressive politicians are openly invoking Christianity to defend their own policy positions, a trend that has received comparatively little scrutiny from mainstream media.
CNN’s March 8 series premiere <a href="https://cnnpressroom.blogs.cnn.com/2026/02/17/cnns-pamela-brown-reports-in-the-rise-of-christian-nationalism-for-the-whole-story-with-anderson-cooper/">on Christian nationalism</a> reflects this imbalance, focusing almost entirely on right-leaning politicians and leaders while giving little attention to progressive figures who similarly frame their policy agendas in religious terms.
Consider Texas state representative and U.S. Senate hopeful James Talarico, a Democrat who frequently presents progressive politics as the natural expression of Christianity. Through speeches, interviews, and social media posts, Talarico argues that his policy views on immigration, economic justice, and social issues flow from his faith.
<a href="https://youtu.be/_jOGPvMftb8?si=YwtH1XcKEt1869ra">A clip from Talarico’s appearance</a> on Joe Rogan’s podcast went viral after he cited Genesis 2:7 — which says God “breathed into his nostrils the breath of life” — to defend his support for abortion.
When Republicans cite Scripture to justify their opposition to abortion, they are often accused of blurring the line between separation of church and state. No such accusations followed Talarico’s remarks, even though <a href="https://thedailytexan.com/2025/09/22/u-s-senate-candidate-delivers-sermon-at-local-church/">he delivered a sermon</a> last year declaring that “Christianity is both spiritual and political because politics is just another word for how we treat our neighbors.”
He’s not the only one. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear recently <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/02/11/media/ky-gov-andy-beshear-blasted-for-citing-the-bible-to-defend-transgender-treatments-for-kids/">said on &#8220;The View&#8221;</a> that he supports transgender treatments for minors because his faith tells him that “all children are children of God.” Earlier this year, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/01/war-empathy-hillary-clinton/685809/">wrote in the Atlantic</a>, referencing Matthew 25 in an effort to criticize conservative figures who warn against what they call “toxic empathy.”
Taken together, these examples point to a broader shift in American politics: Religious language is increasingly being deployed as a political tool across the ideological spectrum. Religion has always played a role in American political life, but the modern Left has only recently begun invoking it with the same frequency and explicitness that Republicans have long employed.
There’s a good reason this religious strategy is reemerging specifically on the Left. Secular moral language alone ultimately fails because it lacks a deeper foundation beyond shifting cultural mores. Appeals to concepts such as equity, fairness, or social justice can persuade, but they rarely command the same instinctive authority that religious language still holds. Appealing to Jesus or Scripture places political arguments within a moral framework that many Americans, even those who are not particularly religious, still recognize and respect.
Democrats, however, rarely receive the same criticism for doing so. For example, when Talarico says Christians have a duty to take their faith “from the sanctuary to the streets” to love their neighbors well, he is applauded. But when Christian Republicans such as former Vice President <a href="https://www.americamagazine.org/politics-society/2016/10/04/kaine-and-pence-talk-faith-final-moments-vice-presidential-debate/">Mike Pence say</a> faith “shapes my vision of the world and my vision of public policy,” they’re pegged as pushing Christian nationalism. 
For decades, Republican politicians have appealed to Christianity to frame issues such as abortion, marriage, and religious liberty as moral imperatives rather than policy preferences. What’s different today is that both sides are doing it — some genuinely, some in a way that&#8217;s politically calculated to tap into a particular demographic of voters. 
For example, when the Trump administration’s Department of Homeland Security placed Bible verses over flashy social media posts about pursuing illegal immigrants, the move appeared like a deliberate attempt to provoke political opponents. Likewise, Talarico sparked controversy in another Rogan segment by suggesting that Mary, the mother of Jesus, could have aborted Jesus had she not consented when the angel Gabriel appeared to her, a claim many viewed as less theological and more political. 
The reason the “religion tool” works is not difficult to see. As American politics becomes increasingly — yet subjectively — moralized, religious language is a powerful shortcut to sway hearts and minds. 
When a policy position is framed as a Biblical mandate, disagreement can be portrayed not merely as political dissent but as a failure of moral character or disobedience to a soul-level imperative. Even in an increasingly secular culture, the moral authority of religion still carries weight, especially when it’s convenient for one’s political ends.
The dynamics of social media amplify it all. Progressively-coded viral posts portray Jesus as a “brown Palestinian illegal immigrant,” implying that modern immigration enforcement stands in direct opposition to Christianity itself. In some small corners of the pro-Trump internet, followers push quasi-religious suggestions with memes portraying the president as a divinely chosen defender of America. 
In both examples, complex policy debates are distilled into false moral narratives absent serious discussion of law, history, or public policy. When Scripture is reduced to a collection of slogans, cherry-picked verses, or partial narratives in service of partisan agendas, there’s a problem.
Faith has always shaped American public life, and it is natural for citizens to want their moral convictions reflected in public policy, whether those convictions are religious or secular. That is not Christian nationalism, regardless of which side it is on. But people of faith should be willing to call out leaders who twist or selectively deploy Scripture for political ends, whether Democratic or Republican. 
***
Ericka Andersen is the author of &#8220;<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Freely-Sober-Rethinking-Alcohol-Through/dp/1514013363/">Freely Sober: Rethinking Alcohol Through the Lens of Faith</a>&#8221; (InterVarsity Press, 2026)
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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