Poll Finds Respect for Religious Diversity, House Speaker Addresses March For Life & Reasons Why Some Prodigals Return

More than 90 percent of American adults support religious pluralism, the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty found in its latest Religious Freedom Index, contrary to acts of religious hatred and intolerance amid the Israel-Hamas War.

In other findings, 59 percent of respondents viewed religion as part of the solution to America’s problems, up 9 percentage points from the previous year; 67 percent said parents should be able to opt their children out of public education classes they find morally or religiously objectionable, and Gen Z is more accepting than others of religious clothing and religious days off in the workplace.

90 percent, expressed tolerance and respect for a broad array of beliefs and ideas about God; with 86 percent saying people should be free to express their faith even if it is contrary to popular practices, such as not consuming alcoholic beverages or certain foods, or wearing religious specific clothing.
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Addressing a crowd he called “a beautiful picture of America,” U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson laid out his philosophy for the American pro-life movement in a speech at a rally just prior to the 51st annual March for Life last Friday.

The event, which marks the anniversary of the Supreme Court’s now-overturned Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationwide, drew thousands of people from around the country, who braved cold temperatures and falling snow.

Johnson was the first sitting speaker of the House to attend the event since Paul Ryan addressed marchers in 2018. Johnson was one of several Southern Baptists featured at this year’s rally, including Oklahoma Sen. James Lankford and Greg Laurie, pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Southern California, who also addressed the crowd.

“Every single person has inestimable dignity and value,” he said. “And your value is not related in any way to the color of your skin or what zip code you live in, how good you are in sports, where you went to high school. It’s irrelevant. Your value is inherent because it is given to you by your Creator.”
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Every day, hundreds of thousands of people die without the hope of Jesus. Your faithful prayers will make a difference. That’s why the IMB created a free 18-month calendar, called “Impacting Lostness Through Prayer”. It provides guidance, reminders and encouragement as you pray for individuals and communities who have yet to hear the gospel. Learn more about this free resource at IMB.org/prayercalendar.
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We’ve all had family members and friends who have made bad choices and wandered from their faith and their family. In a Baptist Press Toolbox piece, Chuck Lawless shares some insight on why prodigals return.

1. Somebody’s been praying for them. Never have I seen a prodigal return without family members and a church family praying for them. Never. It doesn’t happen apart from the power of God.

2. They faced life crisis they could not handle. It may have been a health concern . . . or financial woes . . . or relationship struggles . . . or the death of a loved one . . . or other issues, but whatever they faced forced them to see their need for God.

3. They simply realized that the life they were living was going nowhere. In this case, the prodigals had typically been running for a long time – long enough to realize their path brought them no peace or joy. The directionless nature of their journey awakened them.

Read the full piece at Baptist Press.com.