(SRN NEWS ) There will be some familiar faces on President Trump’s new Religious Liberty Commission. Samaritan’s Purse president Franklin Graham is one of them, as is Salem Radio Network talk show host Eric Metaxas (muh-TAX-ess). Dr. Ben Carson, who served as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development in the first Trump administration, will be […]
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RELIGION HEADLINES THR 5-8-25
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(SRN NEWS ) There will be some familiar faces on President Trump’s new Religious Liberty Commission. Samaritan’s Purse president Franklin Graham is one of them, as is Salem Radio Network talk show host Eric Metaxas (muh-TAX-ess). Dr. Ben Carson, who served as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development in the first Trump administration, will be vice chair of the commission, behind Chairman Dan Patrick — the lieutenant governor of Texas. Other members include Paula White, Doctor Phil and Cardinal Timothy Dolan.
( ) President Trump’s supporters are celebrating the Supreme Court’s decision to allow the administration to enforce a ban on transgender people in the military, while legal challenges proceed. Shortly after returning to office the president issued an executive order banning service members from living as the opposite sex, stating that such behavior “conflicts with a soldier’s commitment to an honorable, truthful, and disciplined lifestyle” and is harmful to military readiness. President Obama first allowed transgender people to serve openly in 2016.
( ) After trying to ignore the issue for a while, the Republican Party has begun addressing transgenderism and using it as a means of recruiting undecided voters. Organizations such as Moms for Liberty, Parents Defending Education and Heritage Action for America have formed local chapters across the United States. They are trying to educate parents about the dangers of allowing boys to play on girls sports teams and to use female bathrooms and locker rooms. State organizations such as the California Family Council are also joining the fight.
( ) Christian missionaries need help in Africa. Josh Rivers of the International Mission Board tells Baptist Press that large swaths of the continent have yet to hear the gospel. Rivers says ““Senegal is less evangelical than Iran. While there are places where the gospel has taken root, there are many more where it is not being proclaimed. That’s where we need believers to go.” Much of Africa is Muslim and radical Islamic groups are working hard to convert more people — even if it means using violence. There are also many people living in small rural communities across the continent, making it harder for missionaries to reach them.