Government and Faith Archives

May 14, 2026May 13, 2026

Space Aliens and Disclosure Day

There has been an explosion of comments in the news media and on social media about space aliens and Disclosure Day, following President Trump’s order to release previously classified information on UAPs (UFOs). At the same time, a “blockbuster” movie by Steven Spielberg is set to be released on June 12, 2026. Its title is Disclosure Day, based on a story by Spielberg, a firm believer in extraterrestrials.

Social media contains comments that the government’s disclosure of information about UAPs will challenge traditional religious beliefs. The current print issue of Moviemaker magazine features an interview with David Koepp, the screenwriter of the Disclosure Day movie. When the interviewer asked him if he believed in aliens, he compared aliens to God or religion. He said, “My personal belief is the same as my personal belief in God, which is why I think religion is an important part of Disclosure Day.” He goes on to say that his favorite theory about aliens is, “Yes, other intelligent life forms exist. Yes, they’ve been here. They may even be here now. We can’t perceive them.”

Thus far, what the government has released from its secret files is not much more than grainy pictures of objects in the sky that seem to move erratically, filmed from a distance. There doesn’t seem to be anything different from what we have seen before. Concerning space aliens and Disclosure Day, Spielberg claims that the movie will contain “more truth than fiction” and will “upend all established order.” That sounds to me like overblown promotional hoopla designed to sell more tickets.

What if the government released materials that conclusively demonstrated that aliens are visiting our planet? Would it mean the end of Christian faith? Would it refute the Bible? The answer is no and no. The Bible deals with the creation of the universe (Genesis 1:1) and the creation of life upon the Earth (the rest of Genesis 1 and 2). It also tells us that God created spiritual beings. It does not tell us whether God created physical creatures elsewhere within the universe. Even if God created life on other planets within the universe, which is questionable, and even if we learned that aliens have visited Earth, that would not refute the existence of God. Those other creatures would have to have been created by God. Only an intelligent force outside of the universe could have created what is within the universe.

Fred Hoyle and other scientists have advanced the idea of “panspermia,” meaning that life on Earth was seeded by aliens from elsewhere in the universe. There is absolutely no evidence for that, but even if true, it would not explain where those intelligent beings came from. It has been scientifically established that the universe had a beginning. That was the beginning of time, space, matter, and energy, so whatever caused the universe’s origin was outside of time and space and not material. That is the way the Bible describes God. Don’t let space aliens and Disclosure Day interfere with your faith in the one who created all things. (See Colossians 1:15-16.)

Reference: moviemaker.com

April 15, 2026April 13, 2026

Social Darwinism at Work

The African country of Nigeria is an interesting test case for examining the effects of social Darwinism at work. The root of Nigeria’s problems dates back to the late 19th century, when European countries met and divided up Africa. They were interested in the natural resources available on that continent and in the market opportunities for European products.

Great Britain gained control of what is now Nigeria, created by the amalgamation of some Islamic states into what became northern Nigeria. Some parts of the country were put under the control of Christians, but northern Nigeria was handed over to agnostics who believed in Darwinian evolution. The British government appointed Sir Frederick Lugard as governor of northern Nigeria in 1912. Lugard placed the leadership in the hands of radical and violent Islamists known as the Fulani, who were known for terrorizing and pillaging the peaceful Christian villages.

Frederick Lugard was not a fan of Islam, but with his Darwinian view, he felt that the Fulani were more evolved than the darker-skinned natives. He considered their lighter skin color to indicate they were farther up the ladder of evolution and therefore closer to the white race. This attitude was in keeping with that of Charles Darwin. Lugard’s wife, Flora, shared his opinion and compared black people to animals that needed to be managed as livestock.

While social Darwinism at work was destroying northern Nigeria, areas of Nigeria under Christian control prospered. In those areas, Africans held key positions in the administration not because of the shade of their skin but because of their skills. Christian missionaries had free access to establish schools and to promote modern agricultural and business practices.

In Nigeria, we have seen over many years the results of social Darwinism at work. Religious violence and persecution have resulted in more Christians being killed in Nigeria than in all other countries combined. A radical Islamic group called Boko Haram aims to establish Nigeria as an Islamic state. Since 1999, the Muslim-dominated northern Nigerian states have implemented strict Sharia law.

We can place the blame for Nigeria’s disorder on religious conflict between Muslims and Christians, but it really goes back to social Darwinism at work. As Christians, we believe, as the Bible teaches, that all people are created in God’s image and therefore equal and deserving of our respect. Evolution teaches the struggle for survival in which the strong dominate and even destroy the weak. Those who follow the teaching of Christ protect the weak, defend the oppressed, and care for the sick. Which of those philosophies creates a better country and a better world?

Reference: “The Nigerian Experiment” by Amanda Witt on salvomag.com

For more on this, read Darwin Comes to Africa by Olufemi Oluniyi

December 15, 2025December 14, 2025

Expressing Biblical Beliefs

In the past, we have written about Christians who have been penalized by government institutions because of their faith. (For example, see Here and Here.) Now, we see that a University of Oklahoma student received a failing grade for expressing biblical beliefs. Samantha Fulnecky, a junior pre-med student, was assigned to read and give her opinion on an article dealing with “gender binary and mental health issues and gender stereotypes in early adolescence.” Her task was to give a thoughtful discussion of the article.

The grading standard for the assignment included three criteria totaling 25 points. Up to 10 points could be awarded for “does the paper show a clear tie-in to the assigned article?” The other 10 points depended on whether the paper presented a thoughtful reaction or response to the article rather than a summary. Finally, five points could be given for the clarity of the writing. The graduate teaching assistant who graded Fulnecky’s paper gave her a 0 out of 25.

The assignment required students to share their own subjective opinion on the article, which Ms. Fulnecky did, expressing biblical beliefs. She wrote that “God made male and female and made us differently from each other on purpose and for a purpose.” She also stated that “gender roles and tendencies should not be considered stereotypes.” She declared that “pushing the lie that everyone has their own truth and everyone can do whatever they want and be whoever they want is not biblical whatsoever.”

Her words did not sit well with Mel Curth, the graduate student who graded the paper and who uses she/they pronouns. She/they gave Fulnecky 0 out of 25 possible points and said that she was not showing empathy and was not providing evidence for her statements. Curth also said that the concept of only two sexes is not supported by science.

Samantha Fulnecky said that she thought nothing would have been done “if it had not blown up on social media the way it did.” Due to the attention, the university placed Curth on administrative leave and is supposedly reviewing the situation. To the university’s credit, they appointed a full-time professor as the course instructor for the rest of the semester.

Fulnecky encourages other students to stand up for what they believe. She said, “I would rather have my integrity and give my true opinion and get a zero on an assignment than to have to lie about what I really believe.” This is another example of the challenge to free speech and freedom of religion that are guaranteed in the United States Constitution. More than that, it is a challenge to Christians to not be afraid of expressing biblical beliefs even when it’s not popular or easy.

Reference: foxnews.com

November 7, 2025November 4, 2025

Religion Is Essential for America’s Survival

Can a political system survive without religion? The founders of America and the writers of the Constitution did not think so. George Washington wrote, “Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to a political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports.” The question for us is whether America survives as our population and our leaders increasingly reject religion and embrace immorality. Our founders clearly believed that religion is essential for America’s survival.

John Adams, our second president and who helped Thomas Jefferson draft the Declaration of Independence, wrote, “We have no government in power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion.” It’s clear why religion is essential for America’s survival when you look at the Declaration of Independence, which states that our rights are endowed by the Creator and that all men are created equal. The atheist claims that men are not inherently equal and that only the fittest survive. Historically, slavery was justified by whites who argued they were superior and that people of color were inferior at birth. Any honest reading of the biblical account shows that since all humans are made in the image of God, we are inherently equal.

Religion is Essential for America’s survival, and the architects of our modern society understood that the vital foundation of any stable political and economic system relies heavily on religion, morality, family life, and love. A society that lacks these core elements will eventually fall apart, and we are witnessing that collapse accelerate today. Making America great again depends on restoring its moral health. Christ laid the foundation for stability when He sacrificed Himself for the Church, emphasizing its importance. That’s why the “Does God Exist?” program works tirelessly to share the message of salvation through Jesus Christ.

August 15, 2025August 14, 2025

Not a Forced Religion

The teachings of Jesus Christ are radically different from those of other religions. Perhaps the most notable are the teachings about how to gain converts. In the “Sermon on the Mount” (Matthew 5–7), Jesus clearly states that those who follow Him do so voluntarily. Following Him is not a forced religion, and Christ’s disciples emphasized this as the Church rapidly grew.

In Acts 17:22-34, Paul describes the Christian faith and concludes in verses 29–30 that people should not think God’s nature is physical. In Acts 17:30, Paul writes, “God has looked with indulgence on the days of man’s ignorance, but now He is announcing to everyone everywhere the need to think differently.” Paul uses the word “repent,” meaning to think differently. Following Christ is a personal decision, not a forced religion or cult. This contrasts sharply with other religious belief systems.

Some individuals claiming to be Christians have violated Christ’s teachings by resorting to violence to force others to convert. The Crusades, the teachings of the Mormon Church, and various cult leaders all engaged in violence that directly contradicts Christ’s teachings. There is not a single statement by Christ or the Apostles advocating the use of force to gain converts.

An English translation of the Koran by N.J. Dawood, a Muslim, is available from Penguin Classics. Reading it reveals a stark contrast to Christ’s teachings. Mohammed 47:3-5 instructs Muslims to strike off the heads of unbelievers. The passages in 2:178 and 2:179 state that fighting and bloodshed are ordained for Muslims. Repentance 9:4-7 and 122-125 command Muslims to wage war. Claims that these are mistranslations are untrue; Muslims have followed these teachings for centuries, and fundamentalists still do today.

Hinduism also involves coercion. Since 2014, India’s Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party has been in power, arresting individuals they believe are proselytizing Hindus. Government violence against non-Hindus has led to the killing of Christians and Muslims and the confiscation of their property.

The teachings of Christ shine brightly in a world filled with violence. The word “gospel” means “good news,” and the good news is that Christianity is not a forced religion. Jesus Christ offers the freedom, peace, and hope that people desire to have in their lives.

July 9, 2025July 8, 2025

History of Religious Freedom

One of the things young people won’t learn in any public school class is the history of religious freedom and Christian persecution. At the time of the American Revolution, Virginia was the most populous colony, and in 1784, the legislature sought to pass a bill supporting the Anglican Church. It was rejected primarily due to the influence of James Madison and Thomas Jefferson. Madison argued that religion will flourish only if supported by voluntary contributions.

Moral issues became part of the history of religious freedom. Evolutionists justified slavery by claiming that black people were less evolved and closer to apes. Ignorance of what the Bible teaches caused even church members to embrace slavery. At the time of the Civil War, a common argument for slavery used the biblical story of Ham, which in Hebrew means dark-skinned. Genesis 9:22-27 describes a curse placed on Ham’s descendants, saying they would be slaves of Shem and Japheth. Religious people joined in the enslavement of blacks by quoting those verses.

Slavery was wrong on both religious and evolutionary grounds. First, interracial marriage scrambled the human genome since the time of Ham, making such a claim genetically wrong. More to the point is the fact that the New Testament did away with all racial profiling. Galatians 3:26-29 tells Christians that in Christ, there are no distinctions between individuals. “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

Both political parties in America today attack what the Bible teaches us about moral choices. The history of religious freedom and Christian persecution shows that this is not new. The first-century Romans persecuted Christians. Anyone who teaches biblical principles of moral behavior will likely endure persecution. Jesus said, “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first (John 15:18).”

Reference: “Public Funding of Religious Activity in 18th-Century America” pewresearch.org

July 3, 2025July 1, 2025

Punishment for Praying in Australia

If you live in New South Wales, Australia, and if you pray for someone to live a moral life according to biblical standards, you can go to jail. The “Conversion Practices Ban Act 2024” took effect on April 4, 2025, and it bans any speech, including prayer, that is “directed to changing or suppressing an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity.” The punishment for praying holds even if a person “has asked you to pray for them to be able to change or suppress their sexuality or gender identity.”

As the world rejects God and atheism and secularism force their beliefs into the political realm, we can expect more laws like this. The Australian law says that a person praying for another person could face a prison term of up to five years, so this isn’t just a public relations ploy but a serious assault by anti-Christian militants.

The potential for abuse in this situation is obvious. If I don’t like you, I can claim you prayed for me and have you thrown in jail. It is interesting that “gender identity” is included in this law. It is a medical fact that the drugs used to maintain a gender change are not effective after 25 years or so, and many young people who undergo sex change are not aware of that. How the medical and educational professions will deal with the counseling of young people remains to be seen.

Christian preachers have been punished for public sermons promoting Christianity, but this is the first time we have seen punishment for praying or personal religious activity. Americans need to be aware of where the movement away from faith may lead.

References: Touchstone magazine for July/August 2025, page 9, and lawandreligionaustralia.blog

April 9, 2025April 8, 2025

The Persecution of Christians in Nigeria

The “Open Doors’ 2025 World Watch List” says that the persecution of Christians in Nigeria is dramatic. Christians are the most persecuted religious group in the world, with more Christians killed for their faith there than in all other countries combined. In northern Nigeria last Christmas, armed militants descended on Christian villages. They burned houses, farms, and churches, beheading a preacher and leaving his head in a field for church members to find the next morning. The militants killed around 200 people and drove about 20,000 Nigerians from their homes. They left half of the buildings in the village in ruins, with roofs gone, walls reduced to rubble, lives lost, and families destroyed.

In America, we have church buildings where we can worship without fear, making it hard for us to comprehend what our brothers and sisters in Nigeria are going through. Alliance Defending Freedom is assembling a group of lawyers to give legal support at no cost to targeted Christians. Their stated purpose is to “advocate at the highest levels of law and policy internationally to inspire global action, creating generational legal precedents for freedom that bring relief and justice to the persecuted.”

Satan is having a field day with the persecution of Christians in Nigeria, but Christ is providing an answer to those being attacked. Satan is also at work in America, where many Christians are affected by political action on a national level. We must pray for our brothers and sisters in Nigeria and other countries, even our own.

Reference: Open Doors World Watch List

April 8, 2025April 7, 2025

Prejudice Against Christianity

One development in recent years has been the sanctioning of every religious belief system except Christianity. For example, the David Lynch Foundation for Consciousness-Based Education and the University of Chicago recently implemented a “Quiet Time” program in eight Chicago public schools. In one ceremony, schools required students to invoke various Hindu gods to channel their powers. In another ceremony, students were told to kneel before a photograph of a religious figure. Meanwhile, there is prejudice against Christianity.

One Christian student refused to participate in these ceremonies, and the school informed her that her refusal would negatively impact her grades, affect her graduation status, and potentially jeopardize her eligibility to continue playing on the girls’ basketball team. This student’s case went to court, and the school system can no longer implement Hindu transcendental meditation.

An older example occurred in 1995 when a veterans group called Hurley appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. They claimed that forcing them to support and endorse the “Irish-American Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Group of Boston” violated their Christian beliefs. Such a case today would not support the rights of a Christian group, as shown in numerous court cases.

There is an old saying: “I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend to death your right to say it.” In today’s world, Christians do not have a right to say what they believe, while every other segment of American society does. Jesus taught His followers to “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” No Christian is going to take up arms to force others to listen, but a prejudice against Christianity continues to cause us Christians to expect persecution that no one else in America faces.

This ministry is constantly threatened with violence if we continue this website and our efforts in prisons and the military. The prejudice against Christianity has threatened the right of Christian colleges, universities, and churches to have separate facilities for men and women. We Christians must pray for patience and freedom for our ministries.

Reference: Alliance Defending Freedom, Scottsdale, AZ, newsletter for February 2025.

December 11, 2024December 10, 2024

The Divisive Media and America

Much of the conflict and violence we see today has been caused by the media’s tendency to promote its own agenda. When you turn to the divisive media for news, you don’t get a positive image of America; instead, you get a presentation of the particular view of the channel and its representatives. This is more than just promoting a political party. It is also a view that rejects faith in God, biblical teaching, and Christian values.

We received an anonymous written piece that expresses the divisive media issue. It is titled “I once was a normal person” and describes the situation in this way:

“I used to think I was pretty much just a regular person. I was born white into a two-parent household, which now, whether I like it or not, makes me privileged, a racist, and responsible for slavery. I went to school for 19 years and have always held a job. But now I find out that I am not here because I earned it but because I was ‘advantaged.’ I think, and I reason, and I doubt most of what the ‘mainstream’ media tells me, which makes me a right-wing conspiracy nut. I am heterosexual and believe it is the best foundation for raising children and having defined roles in family life, and that makes me homophobic. I follow the biblical teaching about money and morality, and I plan, budget, and support myself, and that makes me a fascist.”

Will America survive as a nation where we can worship God according to the teachings of the Bible, or will we collapse into another civilization with no moral standards and no personal rights, with democracy only a thing of the past? Ancient civilizations collapsed when the people accepted state-run control of right and wrong, and no fixed standard guided the state. Will we learn from history or repeat it?

The message of the divisive media today will only accelerate the demise of this once-great nation. Only if we “normal persons” refuse to listen to the bias of the media will the course of our country be different from nations of the past.