Showing titles in Church & State

Jesus told a parable that has been a guide for me over the years. If you can develop the four characteristics inspired by the parable of the four soils, you will discover your calling and bring about so much good in our broken world. A spiritually receptive, tenacious, intentional, and proactive person will experience the presence and peace of God and have a hundred times the impact.

Writing in an engaging, accessible style, philosopher and lawyer Ronald A. Lindsay develops a tightly crafted argument for secularism - specifically, that in a religiously pluralistic society, a robust, thoroughgoing secularism is the only reliable means of preserving meaningful democracy and rights of conscience.

Long before he was considered a top prospective presidential candidate for 2012, Governor Tim Pawlenty had already earned legendary status in conservative circles. In his hard-left-leaning home state of Minnesota, the man known as "T-Paw" somehow erased a $4.8-billion budget deficit while simultaneously reforming health care, creating jobs, improving education, and supporting renewable energy reform—all without raising taxes. In Courage to Stand, Pawlenty reveals for the first time how he found the resolve to get the job done.

Are you wondering why the events in our society today seem so negative and confusing? They are; and they are designed by three different negative forces to be that way, so it’s difficult to understand what’s really happening. This book reveals all those negative forces, and uses the Book of Revelation as a guide to decode horrible plans and schemes evil people intend to force upon us. It begins with an introduction of those Seven Letters to the churches in Asia. Although addressed to those churches, the messages in those letters apply to more people; especially in our current times. The...

During COVID-19, many members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints were shocked to have their church leaders encouraging them to take the COVID-19 vaccine. Some questioned the faith of those who would not take the vaccine; others accused any who spoke against the vaccine of promoting apostasy.

Is the Spirit of America dying? Many have grown increasingly aware of this possibility since the Great Recession began, but few want to admit it. Today, America is deeply divided and filled with uncertainty, and a palpable sense of malaise has settled over her people. Could it really be that America’s best days are behind her? We Americans used to be proud of our nation, and certain of who we were as a people. The general feeling that America was a moral and decent country was pervasive throughout the nation, if not much of the world. We proudly flew Old Glory and without reservation ...

All across America, political candidates for federal, state, and local office are proclaiming the principles of socialism. They offer revolutionary solutions to persistent social challenges, such as: income inequality, low wages, rising health care costs, student debt, racism, and climate change. But, would their policies lead to a reduction or expansion of human suffering? Do their principles rest on reality or fantasy? Father Bernard Vaughan, Priest of the Society of Jesus, answers these questions, and more, as he examines general principles of social justice, socialism, and capitalism in...

When the blatantly obscene Broadway play, “Oh! Calcutta!” was scheduled to be performed in Jamie Buckingham’s hometown of Melbourne, Florida, controversy swirled within the community because the actors, both men and women, were going to be performing many of the scenes totally nude in front of their live audience. With this as the backdrop, Jamie spoke to his congregation about how we, as Christians, should respond to the world's godlessness. Should we protest with boycotts and marches and angry slogans on placards? Or is there a better way? How can we be a light in this godless ...

Liberalism puts its trust in civil discourse and rational argument. Today, its opponents enthusiastically flout these norms, making a show of defying so-called political correctness. In the Trump era and beyond, right-wing figures delight in sheer offensiveness. What is at stake in breaking the rules of civility to "own the libs"?

In an era in which religion can be perceived as a source of division rather than peace, Heaven Help Us by former Ohio governor and congressman John Kasich explores true, inspiring stories of American faith communities becoming fresh, surprising forces for the common good. More than a collection of "feel-good" stories, Heaven Help Us reminds us of the resourcefulness and ingenuity of our fellow congregants and religious leaders that make it possible to turn our good intentions into even better outcomes.

"I thought the nation was coming to an end", wrote Khushwant Singh, looking back on the violence of Partition that he was witness to over half a century ago. He believed then that he had seen the worst that India could do to herself. But after the violence in Gujarat in 2002, he felt that the worst, perhaps, is still to come. Analysing the anti-Sikh riots of 1984, the burning of Graham Staines and his children, the targeted killings by terrorists in Punjab and Kashmir, Singh confronts the absolute corruption of religion that has made us among the most brutal people on earth.

This second volume takes the listener through the agonies of World War Two, the call to America to assume global responsibilities in the rising Cold War, and with that, the rise to greatness in the 1950s and early 1960s of "Middle America". The narrative looks closely at the need of American citizens themselves to retake the initiative and duty of maintaining their own political sovereignty, to take action to preserve America's longstanding Christian tradition of "democracy from below". And most critically, it looks at the matter of America getting back into a covenant with God.

The United States - the world's great bastion of freedom - is sliding toward socialism. High-profile bailouts and a stimulus bill have toppled the walls between government and private sectors. Federal control now extends in various ways to education, health care, financial markets, real estate, businesses, and religion. And as out-of-control government spending and debt increase, America is drained of the economic and political strength its people fought for and worked so hard to achieve.

Popular books such as The God Delusion have dismissed religion as a delusional artifact of evolution and ancient superstitions. But should millions of Americans' statements of belief and their behavior be dismissed that quickly? The pattern of religious influence in American society suggests mass consequence rather than mass delusion. In God Is Alive and Well, Frank Newport, Gallup's Editor-in-Chief, provides a new evidence-based analysis of Americans' religious beliefs and practices - and bold predictions about religion's future in the U.S.

Could April, 2019 be that time indicated in the Bible as the time that begins the Tribulation period? And, if so; what does the word tribulation mean? Will we on earth have notice when this tribulation begins; if as the Bible prophesies, it will begin? The Bible very clearly answers many of these End Times questions. These answers may be extrapolated mainly from three parts of the Bible. They are The Olivet Prophesy, the Book of Daniel, and the Book of Revelation. These important details are explained in this book. This book also explains how and why Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton play ...

More than a guide to Daniel, The Derision of Heaven is an urgent message for the exiled church. As you journey through the story and visions of Daniel, you will be awe-struck by the sovereign rule of God, emboldened to live a life that glorifies him, and encouraged to serve in the eternal Kingdom of Heaven.

In Believers, Thinkers, and Founders: How We Came to Be One Nation Under God, Kevin Seamus Hasson - founder and president emeritus of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty - offers a refreshing resolution to a familiar conundrum: If there is real religious freedom in America, how is it that our government keeps invoking God? He's everywhere, from our currency to the Pledge of Allegiance. Isn't that all entirely too religious? And just whose God are we talking about, anyway?

In The Court and the Cross, legal journalist Frederick Lane reveals how one political movement, the religious right, has dedicated much of the last 30 years to molding the federal judiciary, always with an eye toward getting their choices onto the Supreme Court.

More than 90 people die from gun violence every day in the United States. Some 50 children and teens are shot. There are more than 35,000 gun-related deaths every year. Yet many Christians say gun violence shouldn't be talked about in church. In Collateral Damage, pastor and activist James E. Atwood issues an urgent call to action to Christians to work together to stop gun violence. An avid hunter for many years, Atwood enumerates the tragic and far-reaching costs that accrue in a country with more guns than people.

In Sweet Freedom, Sarah Palin invites you to draw strength and inspiration from 260 meditations based on guiding Biblical verses. You are not alone in your doubts and anxieties - we all bear the burdens of everyday stresses, and for most of us, our concerns spread beyond our selves to our families, communities, and country. But Palin shows that with abiding faith, and by opening ourselves to the truths that have saved mankind for generations, we can thrive - and experience true freedom.