The Daily Signal reports on faith and religion in America, covering Christian, Jewish, and other faith communities, with analysis and commentary on cultural trends, religious liberty, and moral issues that influence public life.
Opinion
Guadalupe and the Largest Public Miracle
When I was a senior in college, I went on a pilgrimage to the Mexican martyr sites that ended with a visit to the shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The entire trip was transformative for me. The visit to the hills and the basilica where the miraculous tilma (a peasant-type shawl made of flimsy cactus fiber) is stored was definitely…
Chanukah Is Relevant for Everyone—But Not in the Way You Might Think
Of all the holidays on the Jewish calendar, Chanukah, which began last Sunday evening, has always been one of my favorites. Even when I was younger and far less observant, I appreciated the holiday’s well-known rituals and customs: lighting the menorah, spinning the dreidel, eating potato latkes, and so forth. My given Hebrew name—“Maccabee,” because…
Judge Indira Talwani Attempts to Override Congress, Forcing Taxpayers to Pay for Abortions
California and Rhode Island judges won our October and November “Dishonorable Conduct Award” for their judicial misbehavior. The December award winner, U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani, is a super legislator who identifies as a federal judge. In a ruling in July, Talwani, a Biden appointee in Massachusetts—call us shocked—tried to override Congress’ constitutional authority over the federal purse and force taxpayers to subsidize Planned Parenthood. Some judges who…
I Was Coerced Into Abortion Training. We Need Conscience Protections for Medical Providers.
“Do no harm.” It’s one of the first principles of ethical medical care, dating back to the ancient Greeks. But political pressure and a false understanding of patient autonomy have instead forced physicians to violate their patients’ dignity and their own conscience. It’s a troubling paradigm shift in modern medicine, especially in the OB-GYN field. Physicians are reduced…
6 Deadly Antisemitic Attacks and Incidents Since Oct. 7
At least 15 people are dead after two gunmen opened fire at a Hanukkah event at Sydney’s Bondi Beach. Prime Minister of Australia Anthony Albanese has called the deadly shooting an “act of terror and antisemitism.” The victims of the Sydney shooting range in age from 10 to 87, according to The Associated Press. About 40 others sustained injuries during the attack. …
Abortion Pill Tragedy in Toledo Once More Making Headlines
An Ohio woman has filed a lawsuit against her doctor boyfriend after he allegedly forced her to take crushed-up abortion pills. As The Daily Signal previously reported, Dr. Hassan Abbas, a Toledo surgical resident, is facing felony charges after allegedly forcing his girlfriend to ingest crushed-up pills after she informed him that she was pregnant….
A Hanukkah Lesson for America: Without Our Roots, the Tree of Liberty Dies
As Jews around the world light Hanukkah menorahs this week, they commemorate what may be the most explicitly Zionist holiday in the Jewish calendar. The story of Hanukkah recounts the Maccabean Revolt of the second century B.C.E. After the Seleucid Greeks sought to suppress Jewish religious practice and identity, Jews fought to reclaim sovereignty in…
New ‘Hate Speech’ Bill Targets Canadians’ Freedom of Speech and Religion
Left-wing Canadian lawmakers are working to introduce a new bill that would end existing protections for people of faith against prosecution under national “hate speech” laws. Canada’s Criminal Code, which bans what the government deems “hatred against any identifiable group,” contains a so-called religious exemption that protects Canadians who “in good faith” cite religious texts…
Trump Weighs If Obamacare Deal Should Include Abortion Funding
As Congress works to reach a deal addressing the expiration of Affordable Care Act subsidies, President Donald Trump revealed abortion funding is a “factor” in the decision. The Daily Signal asked Trump Friday night if he would assure Republicans he won’t propose or accept a health care deal that continues to allow abortion funding under…
There are 2 Kinds of Antisemitism. I’ve Seen Both.
There are two kinds of antisemites in the world: Those that hate Jews and know it, and those that promote the hatred of Jews and don’t. I learned about both on one tragic October day in 1983. And on another tragic October day 40 years later. I was the editor-in-chief of my college newspaper at…
Rubio Announces Visa Restrictions on Anyone Carrying Out ‘Violations of Religious Freedom’
The State Department has announced new restrictions on visas for anyone who is seen to be supporting or conducting violations of religious freedom. “The United States is taking decisive action in response to the atrocities and violence against Christians in Nigeria and around the world,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Wednesday. The department “will restrict U.S. visas for those…
Conservative Leaders Gather to Keep Antisemitism Out of the GOP, Conservative Movement
Christian, Jewish, and other conservative leaders gathered in Washington, D.C., Tuesday to urge the conservative movement and the Republican Party to prevent antisemitism from taking a foothold on the Right. “The conservative movement and the Republican Party cannot flirt with antisemitism,” Pastor Mario Bramnick, president of the Latino Coalition for Israel, declared in remarks Tuesday…
Editor’s note: This is a lightly edited transcript of today’s video from Daily Signal Senior Contributor Victor Davis Hanson. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to see more of his videos. Hello, this is Victor Davis Hanson for The Daily Signal. There’s been a lot of controversy recently about antisemitism and the threat that it poses to…
Haircut in the High Court: How Justices Respond to Latest Religious Freedom Case
The Supreme Court heard a religious freedom argument Monday out of Louisiana concerning whether individual government officials may be forced to pay legal damages for violations of a primary First Amendment protection. In Landor v. Louisiana Department of Corrections, the court is considering whether a prisoner can sue a prison official in his personal capacity…
Religious Freedom Around the World: Rhetoric vs. Reality
For many countries, rhetoric surrounding religious freedom does not match reality. For example, look no further than Nigeria. There, the country ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in 1993, agreeing that everyone has the right to both the expression and exercise of religion. Those same rights are guaranteed in the Nigerian Constitution….
News of Religious Freedom’s Demise Might Be Exaggerated After All
It’s no secret that religion in America has seen better days. The percentage of Americans who say religion is “very important” in their lives is at its lowest point in decades. The percentage who express confidence in the church or organized religion is half what it was in the 1980s. And more than three-quarters say…
George Washington University’s ‘Indifference’ to Antisemitism
How many students must be harassed before a university tries to stop the offenses? Jewish students at George Washington University are still counting, but in the meantime, the U.S. Department of Justice is stepping in. If the recent examples of civil rights-related settlements at Brown University, Columbia University, and the University of Pennsylvania are any…
Steep New Tariffs on Algeria Give the US Leverage to Press on Religious Freedom
Last week, the United States implemented a new set of reciprocal tariffs on imports from dozens of countries around the world. As part of this broader trade realignment, Algeria will face a 30% tariff on its exports to the U.S., one of the highest rates assigned. While these tariffs are intended to address global trade…
Pro-Israel Group Equips Students to Confront Campus Antisemitism
A pro-Israel group hosted an advocacy training program for Christian students on their school campuses last week on how to be allies with the Jewish people. The District of Columbia organization Passages hosted 150 high school and college-age students in the nation’s capital. The students heard from United States Special Envoy to the Middle East…
Jewish Community Leader Sounds Alarm on Security Concerns From Antisemitism
A top leader in the Jewish community is sounding the alarm about rising security concerns for Jews and supporters of Israel in the United States. “You cannot have one faith group, one community, that has to be behind barricades, just to go practice our faith,” Eric Fingerhut, the president and CEO of the Jewish Federations…