EDITOR’S NOTE: “Signs and Wonders” is a column that shares thoughts on news items that either do not rise to the level of a news story for MinistryWatch or are slightly (even significantly) outside of our normal charity and philanthropy “beat.” My goal is to be punchy, opinionated, and not to worry much about being slightly off brand. If that is not for you, no hard feelings. But if it is…read on.
Chaplains in Uniform. Military chaplains will no longer indicate their rank on their uniforms, according to a new order from Secretary of Defense Pete Hegspeth. People I’ve talked with tell me they generally think that’s a good thing. Enlisted personnel might be intimidated to talk with chaplains about deeply personal issues if they know that chaplain is a senior officer. Progressive groups opposing the move include Americans United for Separation of Church and State and the Military Religious Freedom Foundation.
Christian Radio Thriving. A new study by Pew found that nearly 98% of U.S. adults live within range of at least one religious radio station, and that about 25% of all AM/FM stations are dedicated to religious programming. The U.S. has about 4,000 religious stations and about half of American adults spend at least some time each week listening to religious audio content, including radio, podcasts, and streaming, and — this is one of the most interesting findings — about 39% of listeners are non-Christians. It’s a good thing that non-Christians listen to Christian radio, but it’s not all good. Christian writer David Murrow says “Safe for the Entire Family” has made Christian radio boring and risk-free. He advocates for edgier music on music stations, and more teaching and talk.
Project Hail Mary. I haven’t seen the new Ryan Gosling movie Project Hail Mary, but people I respect are giving it great reviews. Aaron Renn says, “In an era of male loneliness and confusing messages about manhood, Project Hail Mary models problem-solving, purpose, and fatherly strength without apology.” Brett McCracken, writing for The Gospel Coalition, says it offers the “good, clean fun moviegoers have missed.” McCracken concludes, “Project Hail Mary doesn’t preach the gospel. But it makes virtue look good. It makes selflessness, sacrifice, and duty attractive. If the movie is a huge hit—and I expect it will be—perhaps Hollywood will take the hint. We’re not in postmodernism anymore. Goodness, truth, and beauty are attributes we want in art again. Really, they’re what we’ve always wanted.” By the way, McCracken was right. The movie is a huge hit, with more than $300 million in worldwide box office revenue after just two weeks.
Is Pro-Choice America’s Worldview? I commend to you an article by my friends John Stonestreet and Tim Padgett of The Colson Center. They share the hard truth that neither political party has a right to the pro-life label. Of the Democrats they say, “Abortion is not merely a plank in the progressive party’s platform. It is the chief commitment of the worldview that dominates America. It is, for many, a sacrament to recognize, enshrine, and honor autonomy. Abortion is not merely a legal right of a decadent society. It is a rite of worship, specifically a way to worship the idols of self, state, and sex.” But they don’t let the Republicans off the hook, writing, “The GOP was once a prolife party, but now openly endorses chemical abortion and unregulated IVF, the two most common ways to kill preborn children in America.” They conclude, “There is no such thing as a Christian not called, to some degree, to oppose abortion and defend preborn lives. We need not attend every march or express every outrage. We must, however, protect every vulnerable life, support every vulnerable mother and father, and advance the Christian understanding of human dignity every chance we are given.”
OUR Rescue. An organization called Charity Watch has taken a look at Charity Navigator’s rating system and found it wanting. Charity Watch found fault with the 4-Star rating that Charity Navigator gave to OUR Rescue, formerly Operation Underground Railroad. I won’t get into the weeds of their analysis here except to say that Charity Watch is right. OUR Rescue should not have a 5-Star rating. That’s why MinistryWatch gives OUR Rescue a 1-Star rating, our lowest score for financial efficiency. To read why MinistryWatch rates ministries, and how we do it, click here.
Readers in Los Angeles, Knoxville, Nashville, Dallas, Denver. I have some travel coming up in the next couple of months, and I would love to see you. I will be in Los Angeles in April. I’ll be speaking at the annual convention of the Evangelical Press Association in Nashville in June. I’ll also be in Dallas and Knoxville in May. I will be speaking at Summit Ministries in Manitou Springs in June, so I’ll be doing reader lunches in Denver and Colorado Springs during that trip. Let me know if you would like to join us. My email is wsmith@ministrywatch.com.
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