1) “Thanksgiving: Why It Is America’s Foundational Holiday: How the Pilgrims’ courage, faith, and hard-won lessons still shape the American character.” (Scott S. Powell, American Spectator)
From the article — Thanksgiving is really the holiday that made the other American holidays possible. Were it not for the Pilgrims having courage, absolute faith in their cause and calling, and the willingness to sacrifice and risk everything, they never would have attempted to cross a vast ocean on the 94-foot Mayflower, a ship of questionable seaworthiness.
The Thanksgiving holiday, which commemorates one part of the Pilgrim story, remains the favorite holiday for many Americans. And for good reasons, beyond enjoying a feast. With our country passing through troubled times, it is worth revisiting the Pilgrim’s five significant achievements, which created the seminal story of America, and reveals remarkable insight into who we are and the qualities of character we need to overcome our present challenges.
And this related article: “A National Day of Gratitude” (Juliana Geran Pilon, Civitas)
2) “A Passionate Defense of Christian Nationalism: Why America’s Christian roots are the last line of cultural defense.” (John MacGhlionn, American Spectator)
From the article — “Christian nationalism” is just the latest label for something the Church once took for granted: the belief that a Christian people should shape a Christian culture.
Before the critics start shrieking, convulsing, or calling for an exorcism, let me be clear. The Christian nationalism I’m talking about has nothing to do with violence, tribal rage, or the cartoon caricatures the activist class trots out on social media. It’s simply the recognition that American identity, in its traditional and authentic sense, is inseparable from Christianity. A nation reflects its roots. A culture mirrors its creed. Christian nationalism, properly understood, is the cultural expression of Christian belief. Not a call to smash windows or reenact Old Testament battles, no matter how much the professional handwringers wish it were.
Stevens builds his case on the idea that Christian nationalism “is not a religion.” But no serious believer ever said it was. It isn’t meant to replace Christianity. It flows from it. The same way courage flows from faith, charity flows from grace, and — as Church history shows — social order flows from belief. Faith always spills into public life; the only question is whether it shapes society in healthy or harmful ways. Remove Christianity from the public square and you don’t get neutrality. Quite the opposite, in fact. You get the vacuum we see today. One shaped by power, money, identity politics, and a rising Islamic influence filling the space where Christian confidence collapses.
3) “Elon Musk’s zeal for truth reveals the online frauds aiming to divide us” (Glenn H. Reynolds, New York Post)
From the article — But on Friday Elon Musk, having figured out that a lot of influential X accounts weren’t what they claimed to be, activated an X feature showing where users were actually posting from — and uncovered (at least) a million lies.
Turns out a lot of users claiming to be disillusioned Trump voters, or anti-Israel Americans, are actually foreign frauds. Like the one that posted: “Trump is Israel First. I’m done with MAGA. I hope Republicans lose.”
Americans turning on Trump over Israel? Nope. The account was based in Turkey.
Likewise the woke-right “groyper” movement supposedly elevating white supremacist Nick Fuentes seems to be largely a foreign sham, and “Ron Smith, MAGA Hunter,” a prolific anti-Trump poster with a substantial following, turns out to be from Kenya.
Many users billing themselves as “Native American” with accounts specializing in divisive racial attacks on white people are actually foreign, and mostly from Bangladesh. And so on, and so on.
Related articles: “Social Media: The Disinformation Capital of the World” (Roger Simon, Substack)…“Geographic Reveal Exposes Fakes” (John Hinderaker, Power Line)…”Elon Exposed the Fake Activists” (John Hinderaker, Power Line)…“How Much of What You Read Is Fake?” (David Strom, Hot Air)…“Journalism Standards, Anyone?” (Cory Franklin, JK)
4) “Defending Faith: America’s Vital Role in the Global Fight for Persecuted Christians” (Virginia Prodan, Washington Stand)
From the article — We are at a critical moment in our shared history — a moment that calls for our collective conscience, moral clarity, and unwavering commitment to justice. Christians are facing a genocide around the globe.
And while President Donald Trump is championing religious liberty in Syria after hosting the former al-Qaeda fighter turned president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, and declaring Nigeria a “country of particular concern” because of the slaughter of Christians, we cannot be naive.
Christian persecution is already here in America. Our nation is becoming a dangerous place for faithful believers to live. We must stand up now for the persecuted — not only as individuals but as a united front for our brothers and sisters around the world.
Policymakers, churches, and ordinary citizens have a moral responsibility to ensure our nation remains a beacon of hope and freedom for all, especially the vulnerable persecuted for their faith.
5) “The Radicalization of Gen Z: A rootless generation looks for home in dark places.” (Eddie LaRow, American Mind)
From the article — What is going on with Gen Z?
I’ve written elsewhere that Gen Z is experiencing a kind of church resurgence. That remains true. But at the same time, Gen Z is one of the most polarized generations in American history.
In 2024, Gen Z—led in part by young activists like Charlie Kirk and Scott Pressler—shifted toward Donald Trump. He won 46% of Gen Z voters—56% of young men and 40% of young women. This led many to expect that a younger, more populist generation would shift the country rightward. But now, in 2025, the self-proclaimed Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani won 78% of the youth vote in New York City—67% of young men and 84% of young women. Far from being locked into any one existing political party, young people are more divided than ever.
Other Recommended Articles from This Week:
* “Even With Islam’s Alarming Rise, Claims Of A Muslim Antichrist Are Not Grounded In Biblical Truth” (Amir Tsarfati, Harbinger’s Daily)
* “Are murder mysteries Christian?” (Paul Asay, Christian Post)
* “David McCullough’s ‘History Matters’” (Chuck Chalberg, Imaginative Conservative)
* “The Civil War to Define (Refine) MAGA — MAGA isn’t dying; it’s defining itself.” (Arthur Schaper, American Greatness)
* “The 10 Guiding Principles of MAGA” (Stephen Helgesen, American Thinker)