I Thought I Didn’t Need God. I Was Wrong.
Posted By: Mercedes44, 10/14/2025 4:49:31 PM
Is the West experiencing a religious revival? Some say yes—or at least, that it needs one. Young generations have become spiritually bankrupt, they say, consumed by technology and social media, desperate for something bigger than themselves. But how can religion compel the secular? Political scientist Charles Murray knows the answer better than most—because it happened to him. For much of his life, he explains in his new book, Taking Religion Seriously, out October 14, he was one of the “well-educated and successful people for whom religion has been irrelevant.” But that’s changed. And in the following exclusive excerpt, Murray explains the very beginnings of his tiptoe toward religiosity.
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A State Department contractor stole thousands of pages of “TOP SECRET” classified documents and met with Beijing officials.
Ashley Tellis, an expert on India and South Asian affairs, removed the top secret documents from secure locations and met with Chinese officials.
The classified documents were located in Tellis’s Virginia home during a raid.
“On Sept. 25, he allegedly printed U.S. Air Force documents concerning military aircraft capabilities. Federal prosecutors allege that he met with Chinese government officials multiple times over the past several years,” Fox News reported.
Is the West experiencing a religious revival? Some say yes—or at least, that it needs one. Young generations have become spiritually bankrupt, they say, consumed by technology and social media, desperate for something bigger than themselves.
But how can religion compel the secular? Political scientist Charles Murray knows the answer better than most—because it happened to him. For much of his life, he explains in his new book, Taking Religion Seriously, out October 14, he was one of the “well-educated and successful people for whom religion has been irrelevant.”
But that’s changed. And in the following exclusive excerpt, Murray explains the very beginnings of his tiptoe toward religiosity.
The Iranian regime’s imperial delusion is crumbling. After decades spent fueling proxy wars and exporting revolution, Tehran now finds itself more isolated and impotent than ever. The linchpin of its regional empire, Syria, has collapsed into disarray. Its prized proxies, Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis, are battered, demoralized, or disarmed. And now, with Donald Trump’s bold Gaza peace initiative gaining traction, the Islamic Republic’s game is up.For years, Iran’s ayatollahs dreamed of a Shi’ite crescent stretching from Tehran to the Mediterranean, forged in blood and ideology. They poured billions into Bashar al-Assad’s regime, propped up Hezbollah as a state within a state in Lebanon, armed the Houthis in Yemen,
Wall Street had one of its most profitable quarters ever, if the earnings from four of nation’s biggest banks that reported Tuesday are to be believed; as the companies were helped by a flurry of deal making, soaring stock prices and a global economy that remains resilient despite tariffs and geopolitical upheaval.
Despite the strong earnings from JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup, Wells Fargo and Goldman Sachs, bank executives expressed various degrees of caution about the markets and the economy, including worries that asset prices in some markets have gotten overinflated.
“While there have been some signs of a softening, particularly in job growth, the U.S. economy generally remained resilient,”
On Friday, the FT reported that one of the UK’s largest philanthropic grant makers, the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF) is withdrawing its support for US-based organisations. According to the pink pages, CIFF “no longer understands the US policy environment governing donations” and that it was “pausing donations until authorities clarified the applicable laws and rules related to the foreign funding of US NGOs”.
CIFF is the philanthropic vehicle of British billionaire hedge fund manage Christopher Hohn, whose firm, The Children’s Investment (TCI), has a history of reckless decisions and shareholder activism. Former Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak was once a partner of the hedge fund,
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Jon Stewart has been too rich, too privileged and too coddled with undue praise to have much of a grip on the world outside of his bubble.
It’s an unfortunate affliction for the host of a news-adjacent program called “The Daily Show.”
Stewart’s shtick has been the same for years: Present yourself as a down-the-middle everyman disgusted by America’s political landscape — and then spend 90% of your time mocking only 50% of the culprits.
Last week, a years-old Stewart monologue resurfaced on social media and racked up millions of views, including from an account that’s agitating to draft him as a 2028 presidential candidate.
Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson predicted Monday the federal government shutdown may become the longest in history, saying he “won’t negotiate” with Democrats until they hit pause on their health care demands and reopen.
Standing alone at the Capitol on the 13th day of the shutdown, the speaker said he was unaware of the details of the thousands of federal workers being fired by the Trump administration. It’s a highly unusual mass layoff widely seen as way to seize on the shutdown to reduce the scope of government. Vice President JD Vance has warned of “painful” cuts ahead, even as employee unions sue.
The Democratic Socialists of America — the organization backing New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani — denounced the “conditional” cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas and called for continued resistance against the Jewish state in a statement released Monday.
The DSA declaration titled “Until Palestinian Liberation” came days after Israel and Hamas agreed to halt fighting and begin exchanging hostages and prisoners under a US- and Arab-brokered deal.
The far-left group said the truce “will not end Israel’s assault on the Palestinian people or the theft and occupation of Palestinian lands,” describing it as a “conditional cease-fire” that “does not wash the hands of the ruling class that …
In Federalist No. 51, James Madison famously wrote that “ambition must be made to counteract ambition.” He believed that members of each branch would jealously protect their own institutions from the other branches.
Of course, Madison never met Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY). Goldman is an example of how the wrong type of ambition can destroy Congress if it becomes widespread among members.
This week, both Republican and Democratic members raised alarm over the disclosure that Special Counsel Jack Smith tracked the telephone calls by members of both houses of Congress.
Outgoing NJ Gov. Phil Murphy was not in New Jersey when a state of emergency was declared Saturday night, leaving Lt. Gov. Tahesha Way — now serving as acting governor — to make the declaration in his stead.
“In preparation for this storm, I am issuing a State of Emergency for all 21 counties out of an abundance of caution, authorizing our state’s emergency services personnel to activate as necessary,” Acting Governor Way announced in a statement Saturday.
The term-limited Democrat, who is known for taking frequent vacations, often to his luxe Italian villa,
Ever since President Donald Trump brokered the historic peace deal between Israel and Hamas, the left has followed a predictable script—either praising the outcome while refusing to credit Trump or scrambling to hand the credit to someone else entirely. That’s exactly what Joe Biden’s former Secretary of State Antony Blinken is now trying to do. The deal, which involves releasing the remaining hostages and requires Israel to pull back to a predetermined line inside Gaza, aims to create a buffer zone to disarm Hamas. In his self-congratulatory thread on X, Blinken actually tries to spin the Trump-brokered ceasefire as “building on” what Biden supposedly achieved.
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Former President Barack Obama stated that President Donald Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops to quell crime in Democrat-run cities is “inherently corrupting,” arguing that he would have received a different reaction from conservative media if he had sent the military into Texas during his tenure. Obama spoke with left-wing comedian Mark Maron for the final episode of his long-running podcast, published Monday, in which he shared several of his grievances about how Trump has been leading the country.
New York Times, AP, Newsmax among news
outlets who say they won’t sign new
Pentagon rules 25 replies
outlets who say they won’t sign new
Pentagon rules 25 replies
News organizations including The New York Times, The Associated Press and the conservative Newsmax television network said Monday they will not sign a Defense Department document about its new press rules, making it likely the Trump administration will evict their reporters from the Pentagon.
Those outlets say the policy threatens to punish them for routine news gathering protected by the First Amendment. The Washington Post, The Atlantic and Reuters on Monday also publicly joined the group that says it will not be signing. AP confirmed Monday afternoon that it would not sign.
Hamas Holds Public Executions Of Collaborators,
Tightens Grip On Gaza As Truce Flashes Violence 24 replies
Tightens Grip On Gaza As Truce Flashes Violence 24 replies
Hamas fighters have dramatically reasserted control in Gaza, defying Israeli demands for disarmament just a day after U.S. President Donald Trump was in the region signing the ceasefire agreement.
On Tuesday, the militant group solidified its return by carrying out public executions of men accused of collaborating with Israeli forces. A video circulated Monday, whose authenticity was confirmed by a Hamas source, showed seven men dragged into a crowd, forced to their knees, and shot from behind in Gaza City.
The move underscores the “daunting hurdles” facing efforts to move Trump’s ceasefire plan toward a longer-term resolution.
The Democratic Socialists of America — the organization backing New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani — denounced the “conditional” cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas and called for continued resistance against the Jewish state in a statement released Monday.
The DSA declaration titled “Until Palestinian Liberation” came days after Israel and Hamas agreed to halt fighting and begin exchanging hostages and prisoners under a US- and Arab-brokered deal.
The far-left group said the truce “will not end Israel’s assault on the Palestinian people or the theft and occupation of Palestinian lands,” describing it as a “conditional cease-fire” that “does not wash the hands of the ruling class that …
JD Vance's Brutal Takedown of Elizabeth
Warren After She Implies Involvement in
Peace Deal 20 replies
Warren After She Implies Involvement in
Peace Deal 20 replies
The Democrats' reaction to President Donald Trump's historic peace deal in Gaza has been interesting. Some on the left had the grace to give him the credit he deserved. Then, you had folks like former President Barack Obama, who, while welcoming the deal, couldn't bring himself to even mention Trump's name.[snip]Then there were folks like Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) who seemed to be implying that she had something to do with the achievement in her remarks, when, of course, she had nothing to do with it.[snip] "The president told me he did this on Indigenous Peoples Day in honor of you," Vance jokingly replied
A State Department contractor stole thousands of pages of “TOP SECRET” classified documents and met with Beijing officials.
Ashley Tellis, an expert on India and South Asian affairs, removed the top secret documents from secure locations and met with Chinese officials.
The classified documents were located in Tellis’s Virginia home during a raid.
“On Sept. 25, he allegedly printed U.S. Air Force documents concerning military aircraft capabilities. Federal prosecutors allege that he met with Chinese government officials multiple times over the past several years,” Fox News reported.
If you're not a person who hates Israel and who has routinely shown sympathy for their terrorist enemies, Monday was a good day, with the surviving hostages being released as a result of the historic peace deal between Israel and Hamas, brokered by President Trump and members of his administration.But Monday was not a good day for CNN's longtime chief international anchor Christiane Amanpour, a British-Iranian "journalist" whose name has become synonymous with Israel- and America-bashing.
As RedState reported earlier, Amanpour was one of the sour-faced media figures who, while talking about the hostages being released, seemed to fret about Hamas supposedly losing their "leverage" in the deal.
Indicted New York State Attorney General Letitia James has housed her “fugitive” relative in her Virginia house for five years, according to reports.
The under-fire prosecutor’s grandniece, Nakia Thompson, has been living with her three children in James’ three-bedroom property in Norfolk since 2020.
It has now been revealed that Thompson is officially listed as an “absconder” who is wanted by authorities in Forsyth County, North Carolina, for failing to finish her probation, court documents seen by the Daily Mail reveal.
Sen. Cory Booker is racing down the aisle! During his appearance on the I've Had It podcast released on Tuesday, Oct. 14, the newly engaged Democratic New Jersey lawmaker, 56, revealed that he's fast-tracking his "I dos." "I've had it with being single. 100%. Being single is not fun, especially when you're trying to date," Booker told hosts Jennifer Welch and Angie "Pumps" Sullivan. "And as a United States Senator, it's been a difficult, challenging time. So I've had it with that, and I'm very psyched that I'm getting married." Booker announced his engagement to Alexis Lewis on Tuesday, Sept.
While the world's attention was focused on the release of the Jewish hostages taken by Islamic Hamas monsters, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill into law that would make it easy for strangers to kidnap children from his state's schools—without parental permission, naturally. While one story gloried in hostages freed from totalitarian barbarians, another set of totalitarians loosed a plot to take more. Think that's overwrought? Hold my beer.
Newsom signed AB 495 into law on Sunday night and pretended that the law, proffered by a Democrat to hide kids illegally in the country from Immigration authorities, kept parental rights intact and preserved parents’ relationships with their own children.
Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro is in a bind as the US ups the pressure.
He advanced the Christmas season to October, while his security forces probed his top officials to root out traitors interested in the $50 million bounty for his arrest.
Mobilized all Bolivarian militias and enacted drills; talked hard, defiantly, and sought foreign allies.
Tried to negotiate with Richard Grennell until US President Donald J. Trump shut down all diplomacy. Now, he seems a bit desperate, as he makes an appeal to the native south American tribes to unite.
“Venezuela’s authoritarian President Nicolás Maduro has called on Indigenous peoples across South America -
Ever since President Donald Trump brokered the historic ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, the left has predictably tried to rewrite history. Instead of acknowledging Trump’s success, they’ve either praised the deal without giving him credit or tried desperately to hand the credit to someone else—namely, former President Joe Biden.
Biden’s former Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, previously claimed the Trump-brokered ceasefire “builds on a post-conflict framework developed under the Biden administration.” The spin is almost comical: (Snip) On Monday, Biden issued a statement on the release of hostages in Gaza, framing it as a crowning achievement of his administration.