A roundup of news and commentary from around the interwebs.
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While America is still a very religious nation, we’re about to see a steep drop-off in the years ahead. Check out these numbers:
In 2018 – “I know God really exists and I have no doubts about it.” Silent: 70% Boomers: 59% Gen X: 62% But, look at this huge gap between Gen X and Millennials. Millennials: 44% Gen Z: 33% The decline for Gen Z is staggering, too. 49% in 2014 39% in 2016 33% in 2018.
This is just the latest data indicating the approach of the first post-Christian generation—which will have profound political and social implications for the United States.
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I have an article in First Things this week featuring an interview with Dr. George Vella, the president of Malta. Vella has stated publicly that he will not sign an bill decriminalizing abortion, and will resign if one lands on his desk.
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Science News has published a fascinating piece titled “Embryos appear to reverse their biological clock early in development,” with more insights into the extraordinary process of early human development.
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I have an interview at The American Conservative with Jack Phillips, the Christian baker who has been hounded through the courts and to the U.S. Supreme Court over his refusal to bake a same-sex wedding cake—and who has recently been fined for declining to bake a cake celebrating a gender transition.
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As I noted last month, progressives are now attempting a queering of J.R.R. Tolkien with a lineup of LGBT speeches from the Tolkien Society. Now, The Guardian is on the game with a nauseating editorial titled “Future Lord of the Rings films should acknowledge the book’s queer leanings.” The author admits that Tolkien obviously had nothing of the sort in mind, but suggests a reinterpretation is warranted.
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The total collapse of the UK’s mainline Protestant denominations continues. This time, the Methodist Church has announced that same-sex couples can get married on the premises. A fig leaf was tossed out, however—apparently, ministers who are not on board with the new regime will not be “forced” to carry out same-sex weddings. What a relief. Same-sex marriage was approved by a whopping majority of 254 to 46.
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Over at Religion News Service, Charles Camosy explains that there is some common ground in the abortion debate that we should be taking advantage of:
The most recent “Solidarity Republican” to do this is U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry of Nebraska. This past week a Washington Post column argued in support of his new “Care for Her Act” — a bill that would make caring for a pregnant woman and meeting her needs a “centerpiece of public policy.” Among other things, the law would:
Make the prenatal child eligible for the child tax credit that would put $3,600 into the mother’s pocket.
Establish federal/state partnerships that would catalog and make available all the resources to which a mother is entitled in her state.
Fund federal grants for the advancement of housing, job training and education for mothers.
Provide states with financial incentives to improve material health and child health outcomes.
Fascinating ideas that I think social conservatives should play close attention to.
