For years, June brought a predictable wave of corporate logos, advertising campaigns, themed merchandise, and public celebrations. Parents learned to pay closer attention to commercials in family programming, sports fans grew accustomed to Pride-themed uniforms and promotions, and many city streets became venues for often indecent displays at Pride parades. This year is noticeably different. The symbols are not gone, but they are far less prominent. It’s premature to say Pride has fallen, but it is fair to say the appeal of Pride Month has faded.

Over the past few years, I have spoken with countless believers who feel increasingly hesitant to express their faith openly. Teachers are unsure what they can say in the classroom. Healthcare workers worry about the consequences of acting according to their conscience. Employees feel pressure to keep their beliefs private in the workplace. Parents are concerned about the values being promoted in schools and public institutions. Perhaps the most significant finding is not that Christians are facing challenges. Jesus told us to expect opposition. Rather, it is that many believers are quietly withdrawing from public life. They are self-censoring.

In significant moments like this, the story often becomes larger than the facts themselves. None of us can fully know the thoughts or motivations of every person involved. But we know that in the 999 call and when the officers arrived, Vickrum Digwa weaponised claims of racism against his victim. And we know that for decades, concerns about political correctness have prevented police officers and other officials from doing the right thing, with devastating effects.

Connecticut officials just adopted the first major new restriction on homeschooling in America in decades, forcing parents to seek permission from “child welfare” authorities while imposing a slew of new regulations on families who exit government schools. Advocates for home education blasted the move. And they vowed to fight on. 

For the progressive lawmakers backing the bill, the payoff is clear: it secures political capital, virtue-signals adherence to the tenets of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), and appeases well-funded religious advocacy groups. But beneath the surface lies a calculated subversion of Western principles and a fundamental blindness to the spiritual warfare at play. Do not be misled, this is not being done out of the goodness of anyone’s heart.

As a practitioner, I can say confidently: America does not go looking for or create monsters to destroy, nor should it. During my time as Secretary of State, we didn’t start a single war and instead deterred many through American strength. Sometimes when we fight monsters, we do so ineffectively, or half-heartedly, or do not use the correct strategy or tools necessary to defeat them. But the nature of the world and our place in it has made our willingness to fight monsters when they rear their ugly heads an essential guarantor of our security and freedom.

In just a few weeks, the United States will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. It is undeniable that God has blessed this nation richly throughout its history, and it is no coincidence that His blessings followed a founding that was based in large part on principles from God’s Word. The following articles outline the thinking of the Founding Fathers, the Great Awakenings that played a major role in shaping the nation, and the crossroads at which we find ourselves today. Are we a nation that God will still bless?

At the heart of Pride Month and Pride celebrations throughout the year is pride. Pride comes from a rebellious heart that rejects the benevolent authority of the Creator. A proud person ultimately claims to know better than God and his Word and believes that inventing our own rules and celebrating our own choices, achievements, and desires is greater than what God has commanded in his Word. It’s a movement that puts the focus squarely on us rather than on God.

Earlier this year, Barna Group (in partnership with Gloo) released new research which focused on the trends emerging in the field of faith and AI. That research revealed that nearly one in three U.S. adults – with the figure sitting at two in five among Gen Z and Millennials — say spiritual advice from AI is as trustworthy as advice from a pastor. My concern is that the worrying dependence upon AI for spiritual guidance will lead to people being tossed to and fro as the available data is changed. If you are going to outsource your Biblical worldview to data that is subject to change and manipulation, you are weakening your dependence on the Word of God and increasing your dependence on data which can be faulty.