Vance Calls Abortion a Decision Between God and Paganism

Vice President JD Vance said in his remarks at the 53rd annual March for Life rally in Washington, D.C., that the debate on abortion is a decision between God or paganism.

In his remarks (January 23) before the massive pro-life gathering at the National Mall, Vance touted the Trump Administration’s efforts on behalf of the movement.  This includes pardoning pro-life activists imprisoned for protesting at abortion clinics and ending federally funded experiments using aborted fetal cells.

He also spoke about the child tax credit, making housing more affordable, and creating special government accounts for children, including an initial $1,000 deposit for babies born between New Year’s Eve 2024 and New Year’s Day 2029.

Vance also talked about an academic paper he recently read, which detailed how ancient brothels unearthed by researchers often had many baby skeletons nearby.  “This is shocking to us because we grew up in a Christian culture and were formed by religious values.  Even those of us who aren’t particularly faithful, it’s a shocking thing to hear,” said Vance.  “But we have to remember that in the ancient pagan world, discarding children was routine.  From the skeletons in brothels, to the child sacrifice of the Mayans, the mark of barbarism is that we treat babies like inconveniences to be discarded rather than the blessings to cherish that they are.”

Vance contrasted this with civilization being influenced by Judeo-Christian principles, referencing Psalm 139, which notes that humans are “fearfully and wonderfully made” by God.

He added that the March for Life is not just “about a political issue,” but rather, “whether we will remain a civilization under God or whether we ultimately return to the paganism that dominated the past.”

“The far left in this country tells our young people that marriage and children are obstacles, that it’s irresponsible, even immoral, because of climate change or some other reason,” the vice president continued.  “They tell us that life itself is a burden.”

“But we here at this march, we know it’s a lie.  We know that life is a gift.  We know that babies are precious, because we know them and we love them and we see the way that they can transform our families.”

Vance said that family life was not just “the source of a great joy,” but was “part of God’s design for men and women, a design that extends outward from the family to our neighborhoods, to our communities and to the United States of America itself.”

“To our fellow Americans, we say you’re never going to find great meaning in a cubicle or in front of a computer screen,” he declared.  “But you will find great meaning if you dedicate yourself to the creation and sustenance of human life.”

“We’re thrilled to welcome Vice President Vance back to the March for Life this year,” said March for Life President Jennie Bradley Lichter, in a statement provided to The Christian Post.  “His presence at this year’s March underscores the importance of this iconic event and the centrality of the pro-life movement to a healthy conservative coalition.  We are honored that he will join us in standing up for the unborn alongside our marchers from all over the country.”

The March for Life is the largest annual pro-life gathering in the U.S., held every year on or around the anniversary of the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade, which made abortion legal in all 50 states.

Roe was overturned in 2022 with the Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson ruling.  The decision opened the door for several states to ban abortion in nearly all circumstances.

The theme for this year’s March for Life was “Life is a Gift,” with Lichter explaining last October that it was chosen because it invites people “to be swept up into a movement that transcends politics and celebrates the joy, beauty and goodness of life itself by recommitting ourselves.”

In addition to Vance, the rally also featured a video message from President Donald Trump, who highlighted his efforts to advance pro-life agenda items and religious liberty.

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson and Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., also gave remarks at the March for Life, sharing the stage with several other pro-life members of Congress.

 

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.
Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army
Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

Britain’s Largest Abortion Provider Defends Sex-Selective Killing of Baby Girls

As evidence emerges suggesting approximately 400 sex-selective abortions of baby girls happened between 2017 and 2021, Britain’s largest abortion provider continues to claim the practice is not illegal, despite a government confirmation to the contrary.

The British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS), which in the last financial year performed over 110,000 abortions in the U.K., claims on its website that sex-selective abortions are not illegal, sparking wide condemnation.

On its website, BPAS claims “The law is silent on the [sex-selective abortion] matter. Reason of fetal sex is not a specified ground for abortion within the Abortion Act, but nor is it specifically prohibited.”

This directly contradicts a statement from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) in response to these revelations.  “This Government’s position is unequivocal: sex-selective abortion is illegal in England and Wales and will not be tolerated.”  “Sex is not a lawful ground for termination of pregnancy, and it is a criminal offence for any practitioner to carry out an abortion for that reason alone.”  “Anyone with evidence that this illegal practice is occurring must report it to the police immediately.”

The DHSC’s position on sex-selective abortion has been explicit since 2014, when they issued guidance saying, “Abortion on the grounds of gender alone is illegal.  Gender is not itself a lawful ground under the Abortion Act.”

Despite the government’s position, a BPAS spokesperson doubled down on their view that sex-selective abortion is not illegal, insisting “there are instances” where abortion on the grounds of the sex of the unborn baby may be justified.

BPAS’s statement on sex-selective abortion follows revelations from a DHSC 2023 report of sex ratios at birth, which suggested that approximately 400 sex-selective abortions have taken place of female fetuses of Indian ethnicity between 2017 and 2021.

The report explains that where the ratio of males to females for a particular ethnicity or mother’s country of birth is greater than 107 males born for every 100 females born, “this may indicate that people in this group have been involved in sex selective abortions.”

The 2023 report conducted an analysis of birth sex ratios by the ethnicity of the child for England and Wales, both for overall birth sex ratio and by birth order, and found the “birth sex ratio for children of Indian ethnicity of the birth order 3 or more was 113 and found to be significantly higher than 107.”

This disparity in sex ratio at birth was used to draw the conclusion that “there may have been approximately 400 sex selective abortions to female fetuses of Indian ethnicity, after 2 or more previous children, in England and Wales over the 5 year period from 2017 to 2021.”

Due to the small number of births within many ethnic minority communities analyzed, even a large imbalance in sex ratios at birth for a particular minority community may not be identified as statistically significant using the approach taken by this report, meaning sex-selective abortions could be happening in a number of these minority communities in the U.K., but are not being detected by the statistical approach taken to produce the report.  This suggests the 2023 report, which found evidence of approximately 400 sex-selective abortions, may be underestimating the true number of sex-selective abortions in the U.K.

The report itself illustrates this limitation, stating that for 100 births, there would need to be a sex ratio of about 149 boys per 100 girls before it is flagged as significant; even with 5,000 births, you still need 112 boys per 100 girls.  Furthermore, the report also outlines that, because of this limitation, 80 countries with fewer than 100 births were excluded entirely.  The absence of a statistically significant finding elsewhere is not the same as proof that sex selection is not happening within other ethnic minority communities in the U.K.

Countries with a sex-selective abortion problem which have migrant populations in the U.K., where sex-selective abortions may be happening but where the approach taken by this report is likely to not be able to detect them, include Pakistan, Bangladesh, China, Hong Kong, Albania, Nepal, Vietnam, South Korea, Armenia, Georgia, Taiwan, Tunisia, Azerbaijan, and Montenegro.

On the NHS (Britain’s nationalized health care system), it is not possible for mothers to find out the sex of their baby until 18 weeks.  However, the report outlines that it is now possible to identify fetal sex through NIPT testing in private clinics after just 7 weeks gestation.

Even though the Government has said that sex-selective abortion is illegal, the U.K.’s largest abortion provider, BPAS, which receives the vast majority of its funding from the Government, is telling women that sex-selective abortion is not illegal.  This is a shocking contradiction in values from the Government.

The Government must act without delay to cut all funding it provides to BPAS, urgently update legislation to introduce an explicit ban on sex-selective abortion, and must not pursue further changes to legislation, such as those proposed in Scotland, that would likely make this problem much worse.

 

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.
Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army
Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

In Colorado, the Church is Uniting Behind These Ballot Initiatives

Americans should not turn a blind eye to what is happening in blue states.  What unfolds in Colorado rarely stays in Colorado (CO).

Increasingly, CO serves as a testing ground for policies later exported nationwide, a litmus test for the United States much like Europe is a preview of emerging social trends for the rest of the world.  Just two decades ago, CO was considered a reliably conservative state.  That changed through a coordinated, well-funded political strategy that its architects openly described as a “blueprint,” while warning that states like Texas would be next.

At the first day of CO’s 2026 legislative session, Democrats have introduced a bill titled “Legal Protections for the Dignity of Minors” (SB 26-018) that would make legal name-change records for minors confidential and strip custody and decision-making rights from parents who do not affirm their child’s claimed gender identity.

In blue states, Democrat supermajorities increasingly dominate state government.  In CO, there are no conservatives holding executive office, and the legislature is controlled by a far-left majority.  As a result, not only are conservatives unable to pass sound, commonsense legislation, but are often powerless to stop laws that are unconstitutional, harmful, and untethered from reality.

The 2025 legislative session was yet another marathon of ideologically driven policymaking centered on gender identity.  CO enacted laws that forces all private insurance companies to pay for all wrong-sex cosmetic procedures for trans-identified people (HB 25-1309,) protects the doctors who chemically and surgically mutilate children from investigation or lawsuit (SB 25-129,) makes “misgendering” and “deadnaming” illegal (HB 25-1312, think Jack the cake baker,) eliminates any data on children being given wrong-sex hormone prescriptions (also HB 25-1309,) and criminalizes recording accurate sex on death certificates (Yes, you read that correctly. HB 25-1109.)

Yet even amid this sobering reality, there is reason for hope.  In response to the rapid advance of radical ideology, a broad and growing coalition of Coloradans has emerged — people of faith and conviction who are paying attention, setting aside differences, and utilizing citizen-led ballot initiatives to push back.

Article V, Section 1 of the Colorado Constitution states that “the people reserve to themselves the power to propose laws and amendments to the constitution.”  That is precisely what is happening. With more than 1,500 volunteers active in all 64 counties, Protect Kids Colorado is advancing three ballot initiatives: stronger penalties for child sex traffickers (#108), protections for girls’ sports (#109), and a prohibition on irreversible gender-transition procedures for minors (#110).

The deadline to submit 125,000 valid signatures from registered CO voters is mid-February.  Because the signature-gathering process is heavily regulated and often prohibitively expensive, most efforts rely on millions of dollars in paid signature collection. Protect Kids Colorado, a Spirit-led, all-volunteer organization, is seeking to defy that model by mobilizing the Church and everyday citizens to carry this effort across the finish line.

With the support of Catholic Vote, the Colorado Catholic Conference, Truth & Liberty, Focus on the Family, hundreds of Evangelical partners, including Calvary Chapels and Assemblies of God congregations, and large churches such as Flatirons and Brave, along with thousands of concerned Coloradans, these initiatives are now within striking distance of success.

If the Church, the hands and feet of Jesus, continues to step forward with courage, unity, and conviction, these measures will qualify for the ballot.  And if they do, CO can make history — becoming the first non-conservative state to join 27 red states in passing real protections for children and sparking a ripple effect across the country.

These grassroots battles in America’s blue-state strongholds matter to the entire nation. This is not merely a political struggle; it is a spiritual one, for the hearts, minds, and futures of our children.  We were born for such a time as this (Esther 4:14).  If the Church continues to stand, God will continue to move, and the next generation will not be surrendered to darkness.

 

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.
Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army
Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

Renee Good’s F-I-L Doesn't Blame ICE for Her Death

The ex-father-in-law of Renee Good says he doesn’t blame Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for her death, and is calling on Americans to “turn to God” at this time.

During an appearance on CNN’s “OutFront with Erin Burnett” last week, Timmy Macklin Sr. reacted to the incident of the previous week in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where his ex-daughter-in-law was shot and killed as she struck an ICE agent while driving an SUV.

“Renee was an amazing person,” he recalled.  Praising Good as “full of love,” “full of joy,” and a “real gentle” and “good mother,” he lamented that sometimes, “we make bad choices.”  He stressed that he didn’t blame Renee for what happened to her, but believes that if she had been following God, she wouldn’t have put herself in that situation.

“There’s so much chaos in the whole world today and that’s why the Bible says, ‘If my people would humble themselves and seek His face and pray and turn from their wicked ways, God will hear from Heaven and forgive our sins and heal our wounds,’” he added, quoting from 2 Chronicles 7:14.  “We need to turn to God and walk in the spirit of God … and let Him lead us and guide us.”

Good was shot and killed by an ICE agent in Minneapolis, Minnesota, during a protest against the Trump Administration’s immigration enforcement activities.  Video footage from the ICE agent’s perspective shows Good’s new same-sex spouse, Rebecca, taunting an ICE agent as she stood outside the SUV Good was driving and using to block traffic.

“You want to come at us?” Rebecca Good asked the ICE agent.  “I say go get yourself some lunch, big boy.  Go ahead.”

An ICE agent was talking to Renee Good as she used her SUV to intentionally block traffic.  After Good was ordered to get out of the SUV, an unknown person shouted, “Drive, baby, drive!” before the video footage shows her driving into an ICE officer, who was knocked backward.  The shots were heard but not seen on the video.

Good’s death has become a flashpoint in the ongoing culture war in the U.S., with many on the political Right saying the shooting was a justified act of self-defense, while others on the political Left characterized the incident as an unnecessary use of force because Good posed no threat to the agent.

Macklin told CNN he wasn’t “blaming anybody” for Good’s death.  “I don’t blame ICE, I don’t blame Rebecca, I don’t blame Renee.”

“I just wish that, you know, if we’re walking in the Spirit of God, I don’t think she would have been there,” he said.  When asked if he had a message for the ICE agent who shot Good, Macklin responded, “This world is full of trials and tribulations,” while addressing the immigration enforcement officer’s characterization of his former daughter-in-law as and f---ing b----.

Macklin said of the ICE officer, “his will needs to turn to the Lord.  He doesn't know the Lord like he should.”

Good was married to Macklin’s son before his death in 2023.  Macklin is the grandfather of Good’s 6-year-old son, Emerson.

 

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.
Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army
Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

73M Defenseless People Killed in 2025

More than 73 million abortions were performed worldwide in 2025, making abortion the leading cause of death last year.  The figure draws on World Health Organization (WHO) estimates compiled by the global data-tracking platform Worldometers.

The Worldometers total, based on a WHO fact sheet, places the annual global abortion rate at about 39 per 1,000 women aged 15 to 49.  It estimates that 61% of unintended pregnancies, out of 121 million per year,

Compared to other causes of death, abortion exceeded all others by a wide margin.  In 2025, cancer reportedly caused 10 million deaths, smoking-related illnesses 6.2 million, infectious diseases 17 million, and HIV/AIDS 2 million.

Worldometers, which tracks population growth, births, deaths, automobile production, book publications and CO2 emissions, among other data, reported a total of 140 million global deaths from all causes in 2025.  Of these, 67.1 million were from causes other than abortion, meaning abortions accounted for nearly 52% of the total, as noted by LifeNews.

In the United States, Worldometers estimates between 1,500 and 2,500 abortions are performed each day.  Based on 2020 data from the Guttmacher Institute, this reflects a rate of 14.4 abortions per 1,000 women and suggests that about 20% of all pregnancies, excluding miscarriages, end in abortion.

Although abortion rates have declined in the U.S. over the past decade, the total number remains high. An estimated 930,160 abortions were performed nationally in 2020.

The cumulative number of abortions in the United States since 1973 is estimated at 66 million.  That year marked the U.S. Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision, which was overturned in 2022.

WHO’s global abortion estimate includes both legal and illegal procedures.  It is based on comprehensive modeling that updates earlier figures from 2010 to 2014, when the estimate stood at 56 million annually.

The updated estimate reflects population growth and wider access to abortion pills, along with improved data collection related to unregulated procedures.

The Worldometers abortion tally is published in real time and based on WHO modeling rather than direct counts.

Each abortion in last year’s 73 million figure represents a terminated pregnancy, and biological details about fetal development are cited by pro-life advocates as grounds for opposition.

Last week’s annual March for Life event in Washington, D.C., marks the anniversary of Roe v. Wade and advocates for expanded legal protections for unborn children.

 

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.
Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army
Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

Trump to Block Visas from Somalia

Immigration doesn’t have to be an all or nothing proposition.  Rather, as in the past, using statistical analysis to build a smart immigration policy.  It’s simple.  We have generations of statistics for immigration by different groups and from different parts of the world, and their lives in America.

That means we can track immigrant crime rates, welfare use rates, household income rates, terrorism rates and other metrics, crunch the numbers and conclude which kind of immigration is in our national interest … and which isn’t.

Now the State Department in the Trump Administration is beginning to do something like that.

“The State Department will pause immigrant visa processing from 75 countries whose migrants take welfare from the American people at unacceptable rates.  The freeze will remain active until the U.S. can ensure that new immigrants will not extract wealth from the American people,” the State Department announced.  “The pause impacts dozens of countries – including Somalia, Haiti, Iran, and Eritrea – whose immigrants often become public charges on the United States upon arrival.  We are working to ensure the generosity of the American people will no longer be abused.”

Somalia and Haiti are ‘no brainers.’  Iran is an odd one because while there are security concerns, Persian immigrants tend to be prosperous and not the folks you find at the welfare office.

The full list hasn’t been made public, but it will no doubt outrage those like Rep. Pramila Jayapal who claimed that Somalis built America.

But America will be much better off for it.  As Daniel Greenfield recently wrote, “are third world migrants without high school diplomas earning 200% of the federal poverty line and sitting and defrauding every welfare program imaginable really saving Minnesota?”

They’re not and they’re bad for America.

 

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.
Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army
Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

Minneapolis Equity Report Urged Using Somali Muslim Genital Mutilation to “Learn About Their Culture”

How far did Minneapolis and Minnesota go in urging Americans to abandon their values and accept Somali Muslim ‘cultural values’?

A report from the Hennepin County Medical Center that was posted on the Minneapolis Minnesota Department of Health site was titled “caring for women affected by female genital cutting” or FGM, a Muslim practice common among Somalis of mutilating the genital areas of young girls, “Striving for Health Equity.”

The ‘Equity’ report defined the “big hurdle” as, “Muslim (Somali) Culture: Value Acquiescence to Allah as supreme authority” and “American Culture: Value the supremacy of the individual.”

Even though FGM is a crime in Minnesota (for now at least), the report urged American medical personnel to practice “humility” and “cultural sensitivity.”

It warned Americans about “being aware of your values, biases and boundaries” and used as a negative example a previous statement by the medical facility, “This isn’t about respecting someone’s culture – it’s about being complicit in mutilating women.”

The ‘equity’ FGM report was very much about respecting Somali Islamic ‘culture.’

The report urged Americans to practice “humility” and to view FGM as an “Opportunity to learn about their culture and view of health as well as to teach about ours” and warned them to consider “immigrants life experiences which are so much different (and more difficult) than our own.”

When it comes to Somalis, there appears to be no law, only the supremacy of their religion and culture.

 

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.
Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army
Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

The Slow and Silent Islamic Transformation of the West

Through demographic shifts, and ideological subversion, Islam continues to conquer, in slow motion, the European countries of the West.

What once required 500 years of military conquest now unfolds in just 50 years through immigration and demographics.  Europe’s Muslim population has surged from less than 1% in 1970 to a projected 10 to 14% by 2050.  There are now 46 million Muslims in Europe, out of a total population of 745 million.

Western civilization faces not conquest but replacement through its own democratic processes and ideological paralysis.

This transformation is “silent” not because it’s invisible – the changes are obvious – but because Western societies have criminalized discussion of it.  The takeover operates on two fronts: physical replacement through demographics and ideological conquest through digital warfare.

Muslim numbers in Europe constitute an ever-greater proportion of the total population for three reasons: first, there is continued immigration by Muslims, both legal and illegal, that amounts to about two million a year.  Second, the much higher fertility rates of Muslim women in Europe, as compared to the indigenous Europeans, whose fertility rates have fallen below replacement level of 2.1.  Muslim mothers have an average of one more child than non-Muslim mothers.  Third, several hundred thousand Europeans convert to Islam every year.

Physical replacement requires no invasion – only open borders, welfare incentives, and a fertility differential that guarantees Muslim demographic growth while native populations collapse.

Ideological conquest has weaponized social media on an unprecedented scale.  State actors – primarily Iran, Qatar, and Turkey – invest billions in bought networks and media empires amplifying pro-Islamic and anti-Israel narratives.

Qatar’s Al Jazeera has become one of the largest media organizations in the world, and its journalists are encouraged to spread their pro-Islam, anti-Israel propaganda in every news story.  Qatar’s Al Jazeera media reaches 430 million viewers across 150 countries, systematically shaping narratives against Israel.  The impact is staggering: Fifty percent of Americans aged 18 to 29 now sympathize more with Palestinians than Israelis, a complete inversion from previous generations.  Israel is the only country in the world to prevent Al Jazeera from operating within its borders.  In addition to Al Jazeera, both the UAE and Saudi Arabia have well-financed government-owned broadcasters.  Muslim editors outnumber Jewish ones on Wikipedia 40 to 1; they have had a tremendous influence on how the world understands the Arab-Israeli conflict, and have prepared tens of millions of Wikipedia’s readers to take a dim view of the Jewish state, while holding up the terror groups — Hamas, Hezbollah, and Hamas — as engaged in legitimate “resistance.”

Al Jazeera has a greater global reach than any media company save for the BBC.  It feeds its audience a steady diet of misinformation and lies that has shaped the narrative about Israel and turned much of the world against the Jewish state.  For all the talk about how “Jews control the media,” the Israeli presence in the media is fifty times smaller than that of Al Jazeera alone.  The Al Thani family that owns Qatar has poured billions into Al Jazeera, its broadcast network and its journalists; Israel simply cannot compete.

The Muslim Brotherhood (MB) operates through seemingly independent channels: media outlets, NGOs, political parties, and mosques.  Through “patient extremism,” MB branches present violence as “resistance,” casting genocidal vows as “anti-colonialism,” thereby recruiting Western progressives.  The MB has taken in Western “progressives.” MB members have a tremendous presence everywhere in the Islamic lands, and in some non-Islamic lands as well.  It runs a huge network of schools, including in the West, that in many cases hide their links to the MB.

Perhaps most insidious is Wikipedia manipulation.  With 6 billion monthly visits, pro-Palestinian editors outnumber pro-Israel editors 40-to-1 on relevant articles, ensuring systematic bias in humanity’s largest information resource.  The Arabs know that Wikipedia is where most of the world now goes to find out, not just the current news about a subject, but also the history of conflicts, including the Arab-Israeli war. Their Wikipedia editors outnumber pro-Israel editors 40 to 1; the Israelis have not provided enough resources to pay the same number of editors as the Arabs.  They need to be persuaded to devote more money to hiring more recruits in the never-ending Battle of Wikipedia.

Zohran Mamdani’s election as New York’s mayor symbolizes the transition from cautious immigration to actively reshaping American policy.  He is the first Muslim mayor of America’s largest city.  Mamdani is determined not just to be the mayor of New York.  He wants to shape American policy toward Muslims and Israel at the national level, intending to continue his policy of defending Islam and Hamas, and of attacking, in every conceivable way, the Jewish state that he accuses of “genocide.”

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.
Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army
Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

When Christian Leaders Fall - How Should We Respond?

For decades, Philip Yancey was one of the most trusted voices in American Christianity. His books on grace, doubt, suffering, and faith in a broken world sold more than 15 million copies and found their way into churches, small groups, hospitals, prisons, and living rooms across the globe.  Yancey had a rare gift: he could speak honestly to believers wrestling with pain without surrendering truth, and he could speak to skeptics without sounding defensive or hollow.

For many, What’s So Amazing About Grace? was not just a book—it was a lifeline.

That is what makes his recent admission so devastating.

In a statement to Christianity Today, Yancey confessed to an eight-year extramarital affair, calling it a “personal devastation” and acknowledging that his actions contradicted everything he taught about marriage, faith, and obedience.  He described remorse, repentance, and a dependence on God’s mercy, while announcing his retirement from public ministry to focus on rebuilding his 55-year marriage.  His wife Janet, speaking honestly about trauma and devastation, asked for prayer while clinging to grace.

The news landed like a punch to the gut—not only because of who Yancey is, but because of what he represented.

So now the hard questions begin.

What do we do when Christian leaders fall?

Do we discredit everything they wrote?

Do we excuse the sin because of their influence?

Do we rush to forgiveness without truth or to judgment without grace?

And perhaps most uncomfortable of all: What does this reveal about us?

The Danger of Thinking “It Could Never Be Me”

One of the clearest lessons in moments like this is also the one we resist most: no one is immune to sin.  Scripture does not hide this truth.  David was a man after God’s own heart—and an adulterer. Peter preached boldly—and denied Christ three times.  Paul called himself the chief of sinners even after decades of ministry.  The Bible’s honesty about human frailty is not accidental; it is a warning.

The danger is not merely sin—it is confidence.  The quiet belief that longevity, knowledge, success, or public respect somehow insulates us from temptation.  When Christians begin to believe their theology protects them more than vigilance, they are already drifting.

Yancey’s confession should not lead us to smug distance—“How could he?”—but to sober reflection: Where am I unguarded?  Where have I mistaken reputation for righteousness?

Temptation rarely arrives loudly.  It creeps in through isolation, secrecy, fatigue, unchallenged patterns, and the belief that consequences will never reach us.

Does Failure Erase Truth?

Another painful question follows quickly: Does Yancey’s sin invalidate his work?

Critics—especially non-believers—will call Christians hypocrites, pointing to moments like this as evidence that faith is fraudulent.  But that misunderstands both sin and truth.

Truth does not become false because the messenger fails to live it perfectly.  If that were the standard, Christianity would have no teachers left—and no Scriptures worth reading. The power of Yancey’s writing was never that he embodied grace flawlessly, but that grace itself is real, necessary, and undeserved.  In fact, his fall tragically underscores the very message he spent a lifetime explaining: we need grace because we fail—even after years of faith.

That does not excuse sin.  Grace is not permission.  Repentance is not public relations. Trust, especially in leadership, must be rebuilt slowly and carefully, and sometimes not restored at all. Stepping away from ministry is not punishment—it is wisdom.

But we must be careful not to confuse moral failure with doctrinal falsehood.  The gospel is not weakened because its messengers are broken; it exists because they are.

What Repentance Actually Requires

Still, grace does not mean the absence of consequences.  The Christian response is not blind defense nor public stoning—it is truth, accountability, and humility.

Real repentance is costly.  It means exposure instead of secrecy.  It means relinquishing platforms, not protecting them.  It means rebuilding trust privately rather than performing remorse publicly.  Yancey’s decision to retire from public ministry, rather than demand instant restoration, matters.

And it raises a necessary question for the wider church: Do we create environments where repentance is possible or only where image is protected?

Too often, Christian culture rewards productivity over holiness and influence over integrity.  Leaders are applauded for output, not guarded for health.  That is a systemic problem, not just an individual one.

What We Can Learn—If We're Willing

This moment forces the church to slow down and reflect.

We must learn to:

Take temptation seriously, regardless of age or status

Build real accountability, not performative transparency

Separate the truth of the gospel from the failures of its messengers

Respond to sin with both clarity and compassion

Resist the urge to defend “our side” instead of honoring God

And perhaps most importantly, we must remember that Christianity does not claim Christians are better people—it claims they are forgiven ones in need of daily grace.

Non-believers may call this hypocrisy.  Scripture calls it reality.

The tragedy of Philip Yancey’s fall is real.  The pain to his family is real.  The damage to trust is real. But so is repentance.  So is mercy.  And so is the warning to every believer who thinks they stand too firmly to fall.

If we listen carefully, this moment can still teach us something holy about humility, vigilance, and the grace that meets us not when we succeed, but when we finally tell the truth.

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.
Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army
Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

A Generation Yearning for God

For years, we have been told that Gen Z and Millennials struggle the most with apathy, mental health, anxiety, depression, loneliness – and the list goes on.  While everyone hopes we will take up the mantle of running society well, many have lost faith in future generations.

For decades, studies and data trends showed that each generation tended to be less religious. They’ve grown more cynical and hostile toward faith and its influence on society.  Yet over the past five years, that trend has stalled.

According to Pew Research, the number of Americans who identify with a religion has remained at 70% for the past five years.  What’s most encouraging is that the majority of that demographic were young people, especially young men.  Another Pew Research report released last year also shows that the decline of Christianity in America is slowing.

There has been a recent rise in spiritual commitment, interest and faith activity.  Studies show that the younger generation of men are running to church at a higher rate than ever.

“Church frequency is another improving trend among Millennials and Gen Z in the U.S.,” according to a recent Barna study.  “While overall church attendance trends have been flat in recent years, the return to church among the next generation stands out as a powerful sign of rising openness to faith.”

“Among Gen Z men, commitment to Jesus jumped 15 percentage points between 2019 and 2025.  Millennial men saw a similar spike of 19 percentage points,” according to Barna.

Skeptics might dismiss this as a fad, saying it won’t last.

At the beginning of this year, Passion 2026, a Christian movement that hosts an annual conference for young adults was held.  From the floor to the rafters, there were people who wanted more from life than likes and follows.  People who wanted purpose and meaning.

In the arena with over 45,000 other young people, lights bright, music low, there was nothing but the voices of thousands pouring out their hearts and worshipping their Creator.

Can you imagine the change, the impact, the transformation our society would see if this many young people experienced true freedom and passionately pursued faith?

Young people crave community and authenticity.  They are forging a new path.  They are actively seeking the truth for themselves, and they aren’t letting it stay within the four walls of a building.

So, what’s driving what appears to be a revival of faith and religious freedom?

Possibly, it’s the seismic shift in favor of religious freedom taking place in the law and the courts.  And these positive changes to the law are having a big cultural impact.

Over the past decade, First Liberty has secured several landmark victories at the U.S. Supreme Court that are causing a massive change in religious freedom, sending out wave after wave in a ripple effect being felt across the country.

Is it a coincidence that at the same time the Supreme Court ruled to uphold the right to religious expression, more people have begun to share their faith publicly?

Whether it’s in the workplace, schools, sports, city hall, the halls of Congress or local public parks, Americans are getting the message that prayer and religious expression should not be hidden.  In addition to being legally okay, people everywhere are recognizing that it’s simply good to express our faith in public.  That freedom is what America has always been about.

George Washington said, “Liberty, when it begins to take root, is a plant of rapid growth.” That is exactly what we are seeing today in America: a movement in which more and more young Americans are boldly sharing their faith.

Some have called this new wave of radical faith and determination a Fourth Great Awakening.  They may be right; only time will tell.

So, we need not lose hope.  Young Americans have more freedom to express their faith today than they’ve had in 50 years, and they are not being shy about it.

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.
Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army
Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

Policy Changes Aim to Make Religious Freedom a Priority in the U.S. Military

The President’s Religious Liberty Commission recently held an important hearing in which it heard testimony about the attacks on religious freedom happening in the military. However, even considering the many challenges that religious service members face, it’s not all bad news.  Big things are happening in favor of faith in America’s military.

In the past few months, the Trump Administration made important changes to prioritize religious liberty for our service members and veterans.

The White House published its National Security Strategy (NSS), underscoring the importance of protecting the First Amendment rights of those who fight and serve to protect us.  “The purpose of the American government is to secure the God-given natural rights of American citizens,” the document states.  “The rights of free speech, freedom of religion and of conscience, and the right to choose and steer our common government are core rights that must never be infringed.”

In December, U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced reforms that restore the freedom and importance of military chaplains.  “In an atmosphere of political correctness and secular humanism, chaplains have been minimized, viewed by many as therapists instead of ministers,” Sec. Hegseth said in a video posted on X.  “There will be a top-down cultural shift, putting spiritual wellbeing on the same footing as mental and physical health, as a first step toward creating a supportive environment for our warriors and their souls,” he added.

The U.S. Department of Justice also issued new guidance that the Department of Veterans Affairs will no longer require employees to offer abortion services to veterans.

But why is it so important that service members’ expressions of faith are protected? Because “religious liberty is a very foundation stone of American security,” explains First Liberty Senior Counsel, Chris Motz, writing for First Things.  “Throughout its history, faith has been the sinew binding America’s might,” Motz continues.  “In recent memory, this pillar vanished.  Outright religious discrimination in the armed forces has been well-documented.”

Motz points to a 2023 Heritage Foundation poll, which reported decreased trust in the military among a vast majority of active-duty service members.  80% of those surveyed said their confidence waned because of policies aimed at forcing woke ideology on troops.  70% said that politicization would make them less likely to encourage their children to serve.

Motz, however, says the administration’s approach and policy changes offer hope for the future of religious freedom in the armed forces.  “In reclaiming faith’s urgency, the 2025 NSS articulates a framework that offers the world not dominion, but a model, a nation strong enough to defend liberty—especially religious liberty—and wise enough to seek peace,” Motz concluded.

In his recent testimony to the Commission, First Liberty Senior Counsel Mike Berry shared from his experience as a constitutional attorney and an officer in the Marines, saying “since the founding, our leaders have recognized that spiritual fitness strengthens our military.”

Religious liberty is in the DNA of America’s military.  Faith has played a central role throughout our nation’s history, back to the Founding Era when George Washington requested chaplains to support the Continental Army in the fight for independence.

Today, religious exercise in the armed forces is still going strong.  A congressional report found that approximately 73% of all military service members identify as people of faith, and they attend religious services weekly or more at twice the rate as their civilian counterparts.  The men and women who serve in uniform continue to draw strength, courage and inspiration from their faith as they fight for the rights and freedoms that we cherish so dearly.

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.
Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army
Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

Are We Listening?: Rightly Dividing God’s Prophetic Word

Paul’s admonition to his protégé, Timothy, offers wise counsel to followers of Christ still today: Rightly divide the Word of God.  The challenge throughout the Church Age has been to remain true to God’s Word—contending earnestly for the Truth it reveals in order to hand down the faith once delivered to future generations of saints.

The key to applying that wisdom lies in approaching the Word with fear and trembling—and without preconceived ideas sprung from the mind of man.  That is especially true regarding the End Times.

Without besmirching the position of those who hold non-Pre-Tribulational and Pre-Millennial viewpoints, my experience is that most of them were taught to come to the Bible with a framework already established.  For the Amillennialists, that tends to be an expectation that any prophecy dealing with Jesus’ Second Coming should be spiritualized.  Some go so far as to say that although the First Advent prophecies were fulfilled literally, none of the Second Coming prophecies will be fulfilled in the same manner.

The same is true of Post-Millennial advocates.  They elevate the role of the Church to the point that they believe the Church will usher in a golden age of peace, righteousness, and holiness on the earth—forgetting that while those characteristics should mark individual Christians and the Bride of Christ as a whole, the still-unrestrained Devil will continue to deceive and devour until Christ commands that he be confined for 1,000 years.

At the heart of the disagreement between the various eschatological viewpoints lies the Millennium. We have addressed the theological variance in those perspectives, but suffice it to say that anyone who simply opens the Book and reads God’s prophetic revelations will tend to come to a Pre-Tribulation, Pre-Millennial understanding.

Plain Sense Meaning

The golden rule of Bible interpretation is this: If the plain sense makes sense, don’t look for any other sense, lest you end up with nonsense.  This method of interpretation makes a few key presumptions:

1. God intended to communicate with mankind.

2. In addition to His revelations about Himself and His plan of salvation, He provides prophetic insights into what lies ahead in His plan for the Ages.

3. God wants everyone who opens the Bible to have access to His truth—regardless of their education level or pedigree.

Those presumptions play out in a clear pattern of understanding.  Let’s explore each in turn and be encouraged by God’s lovingkindness and self-disclosure.

He Knows How to Communicate

Ours is the God who speaks.  Unlike the mute gods of wood and stone, and the false demonic gods who cannot gaze into the future, the living God speaks authoritative words that convey His power and intentions: “For as the rain and the snow come down from Heaven, and do not return there without watering the Earth and making it bear and sprout, and furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; so will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; it will not return empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:10-11).

He revealed His intentions through His prophets.  And, He sent His only Son to testify to the truth—namely, the Gospel of the Kingdom (John 18:37).  Over 1,600 times in the Old Testament alone, the writers prefaced their God-ordained remarks with, “Thus saith the Lord.”  Paul affirmed Him as the Source of the sacred writings handed down from on high: “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

The question is not whether God communicates, but whether we hear His voice—and are listening.

He is Close, and Will be Found by All Who Seek

Too many Christians have been infected by the same insidious poison that infected the ancient Israelites, metastasized throughout the Catholic and Orthodox churches, and spreads like a cancer even today.  People believe that only men with lofty titles or advanced degrees can understand the Word of God.

Things got so bad in the Medieval period that merely owning a Bible (especially one printed in a language the common people could read) was a capital offense.  Priests lorded over their congregations—isolating them from their actual Lord and Savior.  Bibles were chained to the altar of the church, lest some inquisitive parishioner dare to take and read for themselves.

In such an environment, biblical understanding was limited, and abuses abounded.  That is one of the reasons Martin Luther and others instigated the Reformation.  We can rejoice that today the Bible is the most-published book in human history.  Over 5 billion copies have been printed and distributed, in virtually every language in the world.  The message of the Gospel—foolishness to those who are perishing but the power of God to those who are saved (1 Corinthians 1:18)—can be understood by a child.  It can be communicated to people who are illiterate.  And it continues to be studied and pondered by men and women with multiple advanced degrees.  In short, it is for every sheep who will hear the voice of the Shepherd and respond in believing faith.

He Reveals Things to Come

God seems to delight in revealing what lies ahead.  This is not only a source of encouragement and blessing for us, it is also a clear demonstration of His omniscience and power.

We can be encouraged by the fact that none of the pathologies of this world are a surprise to God.  He foreknew them, just as He foreknew the fact that mankind would require a Savior.  That is why it was His intention from the foundation of the world to offer salvation through the shed blood of the Lamb—His only begotten Son (Revelation 13:8). So, even as the world grows darker around us, we can be assured that God is still in control and that He will orchestrate every stray thread into a beautiful tapestry to His own glory.

The LORD God rightfully boasts about His foresight and power.  Contrasting Himself with the deaf, mute, blind, and dumb gods that mankind fashions and follows,  He mockingly challenged the false gods, saying, “Let them come and tell us what will happen.  Tell us the past events, so that we may reflect on them and know the outcome, or tell us the future.  Tell us the coming events, then we will know that you are gods.  Indeed, do something good or bad, then we will be in awe when we see it.  Look, you are nothing and your work is worthless. Anyone who chooses you is detestable” (Isaiah 41:23-25).

As Daniel said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “There is a God in Heaven who reveals mysteries, and He has made known… what will take place in the last days” (Daniel 2:28).

In addition to revealing what will take place, God also chose to provide warning signs for those with eyes to see.  I’m reminded of the rumble strips cut into a road as it is nearing an end, or on the edges of the highway.  Woven into His prophetic Word are signs that can be recognized.  It’s as if God was absolutely determined that there would be ample indications that His patience will not abide forever and His Son is coming soon.

Jesus expressed great disappointment that the supposedly religious Jews He encountered were oblivious to the Signs of the Times.  Reminding them of age-old signs of nature evident in the color of the sky in morning or evening, He said: “Do you know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but cannot discern the signs of the times?” (Matthew 16:3).

I believe the Holy Spirit is faithful to guide you into all truth.  Jesus promised as much: “When He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.  He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you” (John 16:13-14).

I can attest that there is a great blessing in coming to the Word of God with no preconceived notions, no skeletal preformed “outlines” or man-made eschatological systems.  When I began studying God’s prophetic Word, the basic outline of what lies ahead was plain enough to see: Jesus promised to return, reign upon the Earth, and institute a thousand years of peace, righteousness, and holiness.  Some nuances and details remain mysterious, but some of them have become more obvious over time— like the provision for the regathering of the House of Israel from the four corners of the world.

Having said that, there are points at which any student of Bible prophecy can be stumped.  This too is recognized and recorded in Scripture.

For example, when the Ethiopian eunuch was returning to his home country after coming to Jerusalem to worship (marking him as a man loyal to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob), he was reading from the book of Isaiah (Acts 8).  The Bible does not clarify whether the man was Jewish or Gentile, but the lack of specificity (contrasting with the account of Cornelius in Acts 10) suggests that he was likely Jewish.  Led by the Spirit, Philip had traveled from Jerusalem down the desert road toward Gaza. The Spirit then commanded him to approach the eunuch and ask, “Do you understand what you are reading?”  The eunuch’s answer, “Well, how could I, unless someone guides me?” offered an opening for Philip to share Jesus with him.

Because Philip was obedient to the Holy Spirit and willing to engage, the eunuch accepted his offer of illumination and was saved that day.

 

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.
Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army
Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel