When Pride Pushes, the Church Pushes Back

CBN News – Thousands of Mosques Close: Why Christianity Is Soaring in Iran While Islam Is Collapsing – Tens of thousands of mosques have reportedly closed across Iran as Islam declines and Christianity surges underground. Ministry leader Mohammad Faridi states “Islam is dead in Iran,” pointing to deep disillusionment with the ruling regime and rising conversions to Christ despite severe persecution of believers.

Crosswalk – When Should a Married Couple Separate? – Drawing on counseling thousands of couples through MarriageHelper.com, the writer argues there is only one valid reason for a married couple to separate, urging spouses toward reconciliation and biblical commitment rather than treating separation as a routine response to marital conflict.

Just the News – Federal Court Blocks War Department From Booting Trans Troops, Allows Ban on New Recruits – A federal court in Washington, D.C., blocked the War Department from discharging current transgender service members but allowed officials to bar new transgender recruits, ruling the administration failed to show that temporarily halting removals would harm national security. The broader policy dispute remains unresolved.

Denison Forum – White House Correspondents’ Dinner Suspect to Be Charged – Dr. Jim Denison’s Daily Article reflects on reports that a suspect in the shooting that postponed the White House Correspondents’ Dinner will face charges, examining through a biblical, nonpartisan lens what the violence reveals about the human condition and society’s need for the gospel.

CBN News – Christian Group Wins Big After School District Allegedly Targeted Bible Program – A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction halting policies LifeWise Academy says targeted its release-time Bible program in Everett, Washington. CEO Joe Penton called weekly permission-slip rules and sealed-envelope requirements for Bibles discriminatory. The ruling reverses the restrictions while litigation against Everett Public Schools continues.

Crosswalk – 10 Things Christians Shouldn’t Say When Someone Dies – Crosswalk’s Beth Ann Baus lists ten well-meaning but unhelpful things Christians often say to the grieving, encouraging believers to offer presence, compassion, and scriptural hope instead of clichés that can wound mourners rather than comfort them.

The Washington Stand – Time Travel, the Multiverse, and the Sovereignty of God – Contributor Hannah Tu uses cultural fascination with time travel and the multiverse—from H.G. Wells to “Back to the Future” and “Spider-Verse”—to reflect on God’s sovereignty, arguing believers can rest in divine providence rather than agonizing over alternate realities and “what-if” regrets.

Just the News – Speakers Object to Transgender Athletes in Girls Sports – At a central California press conference, speakers objected to the California Interscholastic Federation’s 13-year-old policy permitting transgender athletes born male to compete in girls’ track and field championships. Critics argued the rule denies female athletes fair competition and called for its repeal.

Denison Forum – The New World Screwworm and a Warning for Our Souls – Dr. Jim Denison’s Daily Article draws a spiritual lesson from the northward spread of the New World screwworm—a flesh-eating parasite threatening livestock—using it as a metaphor for how sin quietly infests and corrupts, and calling readers to vigilant dependence on Christ.

CBN News – Ex-Trans Girl Testifies as Congress Considers Nationwide Ban on Transgender Procedures on Kids – Detransitioner Chloe Cole, 21, told the Senate HELP Committee that pediatric gender procedures amount to “child abuse” and should be banned nationwide. Cole, who underwent a double mastectomy at 15, said the promised peace never came. An LGBTQ-rights advocate countered that parents should decide such care.

Crosswalk – What Is the Biblical Role of a Husband? – A Crosswalk article examines the biblical role of a husband, drawing on Scripture to describe a “good husband” as one who loves sacrificially, leads humbly, and serves his wife and family after the pattern of Christ’s love for the church.

The Christian Post – Cartels, Indigenous Leaders Fuel Religious Intolerance in Mexico – A Christian Solidarity Worldwide report, “Protection on Paper,” finds drug cartels and indigenous “uses and customs” authorities driving systematic religious-freedom violations in Mexico. Christians who reject communal rituals face fines, beatings, imprisonment, and displacement, while pastors are targeted for anti-drug outreach. Government at every level fails to protect victims.

Just the News – College Faculty Study Shows Campaign Donations Skew Far to the Left – A new study assessed college faculty members’ political ideology using campaign-contribution data rather than party registration, finding donations cluster heavily on the left. Researchers say the funding-based method offers a sharper measure of professors’ politics, reinforcing concerns about ideological imbalance across higher education.

The Christian Index – Incoming ERLC President Affirms Government’s Duty to Protect the Right to Worship – Incoming Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission president Evan Lenow commended states passing laws shielding houses of worship from disruptive protesters, calling protection of peaceful worship a constitutional and God-given government duty. He cited a January disruption at a St. Paul Southern Baptist church as evidence of growing threats.

CBN News – ‘In the Name of Jesus’: Scientific Study Confirms Power of Just 5 Minutes of In-Person Prayer – A University of Maryland School of Medicine study found that just five minutes of in-person intercessory prayer reduced pain and anxiety, with benefits persisting for weeks. Researchers suggest such prayer can complement medication, noting 43% of Americans desire in-person prayer during medical care.

The Washington Stand – Virginians File Lawsuit Against Democrats’ Extreme Abortion Amendment Push – The Founding Freedoms Law Center, tied to The Family Foundation of Virginia, sued over a proposed state constitutional amendment enshrining abortion rights, arguing the ballot language is deceptive. Critics warn the broadly worded measure could eliminate parental-consent requirements for minors seeking abortions and sterilization.

Crosswalk – What Is Apologetics and Why Is It Important? – Crosswalk’s Jaime Jo Wright explains what apologetics is—the reasoned defense of the Christian faith—and why it matters, encouraging believers to understand the evidence for their beliefs so they can answer skeptics and share the gospel with confidence and clarity.

Denison Forum – How Literally Should Christians Read the Bible? – A Denison Forum contributor column examines how literally Christians should read Scripture, distinguishing genres such as historical narrative, poetry, and figurative language while affirming biblical authority, and urging readers to interpret each passage according to its intended meaning rather than a flat literalism.

Just the News – ‘Transgender Experiments on Animals’ Banned in NIH Spending Bill Upon Request of GOP Lawmakers – Nineteen GOP lawmakers secured language in an NIH spending bill banning federally funded “transgender experiments on animals,” alleging the agency and grantees laundered tax dollars through unrelated grants to fund experiments promoting irreversible gender transitions for children. The measure targets studies critics call grotesque.

CBN News – ‘Sesame Street’ Sexuality Post Sparks Backlash – PBS children’s program “Sesame Street” drew backlash after a social-media post celebrating Pride Month, showing its characters’ fur arranged as a rainbow with a caption uplifting “the LGBTQIA+ members of our community.” Critics argued the message was inappropriate for the show’s toddler audience.

Crosswalk – 7 Sneaky Ways Satan Is Attacking Our Children in Today’s Culture – Crosswalk’s Alicia Searl identifies seven subtle ways she believes Satan targets children through today’s culture—from media and screens to distorted identity and worldly values—urging Christian parents toward prayer, discernment, and intentional spiritual formation to guard their children’s hearts.

The Christian Post – Most MLB Teams Plug Pride Month, Half Plan to Host Faith Nights – Most Major League Baseball teams acknowledged LGBT Pride Month or scheduled pride nights, while roughly half also plan faith nights featuring player testimonies and Christian musicians. The Texas Rangers are the only team without a pride event, instead hosting Faith and Family Night on June 18.

The Christian Index – Mohler Narrows Amendment to Preaching, Resolution Addresses Women’s Roles – Ahead of the 2026 Southern Baptist Convention in Orlando, Southern Seminary president Albert Mohler narrowed his proposed constitutional amendment on women in pastoral roles, replacing “such as” with “specifically preaching.” The amendment would bar churches affirming women as pastors, elders, or overseers; critics object.

Denison Forum – Does Morality Still Matter in America? – Dr. Jim Denison’s Daily Article asks whether morality still matters in America, surveying signs of cultural relativism and arguing that a society cut off from biblical moral foundations cannot sustain virtue. He calls Christians to embody and commend God’s standards with both conviction and grace.

The Washington Stand – The Chemical and Surgical Mutilation of Children Finally Faces Political, Financial, and Legal Problems – In a commentary, detransitioner Walt Heyer argues momentum against pediatric gender procedures is building through political, financial, and legal pressure—citing 25 state bans, the U.K. Cass Report and Tavistock clinic’s closure, and a Trump executive order halting federal funding for child gender interventions.

CBN News – Pastor Convicted for Preaching John 3:16 Near Hospital in Northern Ireland – A court convicted and fined Clive Johnston, a 78-year-old retired Northern Irish pastor, for preaching near a hospital, where he proclaimed John 3:16. Free-speech advocates say the case illustrates growing legal pressure on public Christian witness across the United Kingdom.

Crosswalk – 7 Things Christians Should Consider During Pride Month When It Comes to Loving Others – Crosswalk’s Clarence L. Haynes Jr. offers seven considerations for Christians during Pride Month on loving others well, balancing biblical convictions about sexuality with Christ-like compassion and humility, aiming at relationship and gospel witness rather than condemnation.

Just the News – Who Would Jesus Kill? Abortion-as-Religion Court Ruling Opens Door to Legal Murder, Critics Warn – Religious-liberty scholars urged the Indiana Supreme Court to reject reasoning that treats abortion as a protected religious practice, warning that under such logic no state could outlaw any religiously motivated killing—including stoning, honor killings, or child sacrifice. The case tests abortion-as-religion claims.

Denison Forum – Responding to LGBTQ Issues by ‘Speaking the Truth in Love’ – Dr. Jim Denison’s Daily Article counsels Christians to engage LGBTQ issues by “speaking the truth in love,” holding biblical convictions on sexuality while treating individuals with compassion and dignity, and framing the believer’s task as faithful witness rather than culture-war combat.

The Christian Post – Jackie Hill Perry Responds to Pride Month Debate – Author and Bible teacher Jackie Hill Perry weighed in on the Pride Month debate, urging Christians to stop defending themselves online and instead “preach the Gospel.” Her remarks, made amid heated social-media exchanges over sexuality and faith, called believers toward evangelism rather than reactive argument.

The Christian Index – Proposed SBC Resolution Addresses Office and Function of Pastor, Elder, and Overseer – The SBC Resolutions Committee released a proposed resolution affirming that the office of pastor, elder, and overseer is limited to men as qualified by Scripture. Unlike Mohler’s constitutional amendment, the nonbinding resolution expresses messengers’ convictions and requires only a simple-majority vote in Orlando.

The Washington Stand – Republican Support for Same-Sex Marriage Collapses, Falling Almost 20% Since 2022 – A new Gallup poll shows Republican support for legal same-sex marriage has plunged to 37 percent—an 18-point drop since 2022—pulling national support down to 65 percent. The article links the shift to mounting Pride backlash, collapsing corporate sponsorships, bankruptcies, and state rollback bills.

New York Post – Scientists Find Origins of Garden of Eden’s Euphrates River – A study in Nature Geoscience reconstructs the ancient origins of the Euphrates River, named in Genesis 2 as one of four rivers flowing from Eden. Researchers used seismic imaging, satellite data, and Mediterranean sediment to show two prehistoric rivers, the Paleo-Karasu and Paleo-Murat, merged to form the waterway.

Graphs About Religion – The Religious Reversal That Doesn’t Make Sense – Data analyst Ryan Burge reports the share of Americans identifying as atheist, agnostic, or “nothing in particular” continues to fall—from 36% in 2021–2022 to 32% in the latest Cooperative Election Study, a 4.4-point drop returning the religiously unaffiliated “nones” to their 2018 levels.

Christian Today – Global Study Links Corporate Success to Values Long Cultivated by Faith Traditions – A Religious Freedom & Business Foundation study, “Faith, Belief, and the Future of Corporate Culture,” reviewed 400 leading global companies and found corporate values increasingly mirror virtues cultivated by faith traditions—trust, integrity, responsibility, and belonging. Innovation and integrity ranked as the most commonly stated values worldwide.

Bible Study Tools – 10 Signs You Might Be Legalistic – Drawing on Galatians 5, this article outlines ten warning signs of legalism—prizing rule-keeping over grace, judging others, and missing God’s mercy—reminding believers that clinging to the letter of the law can crowd out the love and freedom found in Christ.