Expanding the Culture of Death in Vermont
Anne Hendershott, Catholic World Report

Why Vermont is low-hanging fruit for the abortion and assisted suicide lobbies

Evolution and the Eye Test
S. Adam Seagrave, Public Discourse

Darwin’s evolutionary theory rests on a problematic premise: Our senses don’t tell us the truth about nature.

Poll: Most Americans Say Religion Is Losing Influence in U.S.
Frank Newport, Gallup

But 75% say American society would be better off if more Americans were religious

Cities Take Lead on Antibias Laws
Jim Carlton, Wall Street Journal

Idaho’s legislature has repeatedly declined to bar discrimination based on sexual orientation, so this city is moving toward enacting such a ban within its boundaries.

Does the Book of Acts Command Socialism?
Art Lindsley, The Gospel Coalition

Does Acts 2-5 really command socialism? A quick reading of these chapters might make it seem so.

Pope Francis’ affinity for liberation theology — wait, what?
Mollie Hemingway, Get Religion

Pope Francis’ “affinity” for liberation theology”? He sure has a curious way of showing that affinity, no?

How America Gains 600,000 New Christians Each Year—Without Evangelism
Melissa Steffan, Christianity Today

According to a new report from the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, 620,000 Christian immigrants received green cards in 2012, joining the nearly 250 million Christians in the U.S. overall.

DOJ Informs Employees to ‘Verbally Affirm’ Homosexuality
Todd Starnes, Christian Post

The Department of Justice has been accused of religious intolerance and viewpoint discrimination after workers were sent an email directing them to verbally affirm homosexuality, according to a religious liberty law firm representing a DOJ whistleblower.

Is Your Church Ready for the Marriage Revolution?
Russell D. Moore, Moore to the Point

The Supreme Court of the United States is set to hand down a set of decisions this summer that could advance a cultural and political shift in the way marriage is defined in this country. Is your church ready for this?

Were the Middle Ages Dark?
Anthony Esolen, Prager University

There is no period in history more misunderstood than the Middle Ages.

Is Yoga Constitutional?
Mark Movsesian, First Things

The problem is this: yoga is a Hindu spiritual practice. Arguably, therefore, state-sponsored yoga is a religious endorsement that violates the Establishment Clause under existing Supreme Court case law.

The Boy Scouts’ Doomed Compromise
Carson Holloway, Public Discourse

The Boy Scouts’ new policy allowing openly gay members will fall to aggressive gay rights activists if not first to its own incoherence.

Study suggests bad World War II experiences led vets to church
Kimberly Winston, Religion News Service

A new study has found that American veterans who had a negative experience serving during World War II attend church more frequently today than those who were less troubled by their service.

Religious Liberty May Be Threatened for U.S. Military
Andrew T. Walker, The Foundry

Recent events involving perceived restrictions on religious liberty within the Army, Air Force, and the Pentagon have many concerned about the military’s stance toward people of faith.

Do All Children Go to Heaven?
Jim Denison, Christianity Today

Reconciling original sin and death of the innocent.

No, the Pope Didn’t Just Say All Atheists Go to Heaven
David M. Perry, The Atlantic

Instead, he was emphasizing the openness of the Catholic Church, which is perhaps even more important.

Boy Scouts End Longtime Ban on Openly Gay Youths
Erik Eckholm, New York Times

The Boy Scouts of America on Thursday ended its longstanding policy of forbidding openly gay youths to participate in its activities, a step its chief executive called “compassionate, caring and kind.”

The Book We Still Can’t Spare
Lars Walker, The American Spectator

Without the Bible, can there be democracy?

New Wave of Fetal-Pain Abortion Bans Faces Court Scrutiny
Melissa Steffan, Christianity Today

As abortion laws in states such as North Dakota, Alabama, Arkansas, and Kansas have become more restrictive, critics have taken the new “fetal pain” restrictions to court.

If King Solomon Gave a Commencement Address
Joe Carter, The Gospel Coalition

What would the world’s wisest man say to the Class of 2013?

Gay marriage Bill passes Commons despite Tory opposition
Tim Ross, The Telegraph

David Cameron’s plan to allow same-sex couples to marry has passed its final Commons hurdle despite an attempt by almost half of Conservative MPs to block the reform.

Diversity, not Jesus, saves says Presiding Bishop
George Conger, Anglican Ink

The Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church has denounced the Apostle Paul as mean-spirited and bigoted for having released a slave girl from demonic bondage as reported in Acts 16:16-34 .

Supreme Court Will Re-Examine Prayer at Government Meetings
Melissa Steffan, Christianity Today

New case could change 30-year-old ruling that permits the practice.

The New Birds and the Bees
Mark Regnerus, Public Discourse

Our language about sexuality is dominated by public health, with its talk of risk, “protection,” health, choice, and rights. In so doing we scoff at babies—the crowning glory of human creativity—and where they come from.

Negligence, Insensitivity, or Murder?
Anthony Esolen, Public Discourse

Kermit Gosnell was not sentenced to life imprisonment for sloppiness, for insensitivity, for bad keepsakes, for a backed up drain, for fleas, or even for making women suffer. He was sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering three babies.

Just Brilliant! Three Things Only a PhD Can Believe
Louis Markos, Salvo

At times, this academic groupthink leads PhDs to defend issues that are indefensible and to give their allegiance to causes that are immoral or unethical.

Vermont Becomes Third State to Legalize Assisted Suicide
Steven Ertelt, LifeNews.com

With Governor Peter Shumlin’s signature on a bill the state legislature approved, Vermont today becomes the third state after Oregon and Washington to legalize assisted suicide.

Salvation by Technique
R.R. Reno, First Things

From the French Revolution onward we’ve entertained dreams of a single, profound, and decisive moment that will transform society, or even human nature itself.

So What Does the Bible Tell Me About History?
V. Philips Long, Modern Reformation

Whenever discussions of the authority and reliability of the Bible arise, questions of history and historicity take center stage.

U.K.: Gay marriage could stop Christians becoming teachers or doctors – church leaders
John Bingham, The Telegraph

Hundreds of thousands of Christian young people will be put off becoming teachers, doctors, nurses or other public servants once gay marriage becomes law, a coalition of church leaders claims.

9 Things You Should Know About Human Cloning
Joe Carter, The Gospel Coalition

Earlier this week scientists at the Oregon Health and Science University reported they had produced embryonic stem cells from a cloned human embryo. Here are 9 things you should know about human cloning.

Complaints of IRS targeting by religious groups on the rise
Jordy Yager, The Hill

The number of religious groups reporting they were improperly targeted by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is increasing.

Report: IRS denied tax-exempt status to pro-lifers on behalf of Planned Parenthood
Joel Gehrke, Washington Examiner

IRS officials refused to grant tax exempt status to two pro-life organizations because of their position on the abortion issue, according to a non-profit law firm, which said that one group was pressured not to protest a pro-choice organization that endorsed President Obama during the last election.

The Precarious Position of Christians in the Holy Land
Mathew Block, First Things

Recent news that Christians (including clergy and foreign diplomats) were attacked by Israeli police as they attempted to enter the Church of the Holy Sepulchre the day before Orthodox Easter stands as a stark reminder of the difficulties Christians face in the Holy Land.

Blasphemy Charges Becoming New Weapon Against Egyptian Christians
Morning Star News

According to a new study, blasphemy and evangelizing accusations are disproportionately used against members of Egypt’s Christian minority—especially those working in education.

UK: Christianity declining 50% faster than thought – as one in 10 under-25s is a Muslim
John Bingham, The Telegraph

A new analysis of the 2011 census shows that a decade of mass immigration helped mask the scale of decline in Christian affiliation among the British-born population – while driving a dramatic increase in Islam, particularly among the young.

For Most Atheists, Atheism is a Lifestyle Choice
Conor Cunningham, American Orthodox Institute

Atheists, if they are true to their premises, embrace nihilism. Conor Cunningham looks at what is involved in the claims of ‘atheism’ and why those claims can be useful to the studies of the theologian.

What’s the Difference Between Erotica and Song of Solomon?
Andrew Shanks, The Gospel Coalition

Is it merely that the Canticles are one particular work of erotica taken up by the Holy Spirit and added to the Bible?

Evangelical and Catholic Leaders Claim IRS Harrassment
Joe Carter, Acton PowerBlog

Franklin Graham, son of the famed evangelist, and Dr. Anne Hendershott, a Catholic professor and author, say they were audited by the IRS after making political statements that criticized liberal political groups.

Will Americans Know About the Next Gosnell?
Pete Spiliakos, First Things

Serial killer Kermit Gosnell was convicted in a case that most Americans have not been following. Why is that?