Mr. Beast, Natural Law, and Religious Liberty
How God's good design helps us think about politics and why a Youtube star tying the knot is a good thing.
Happy New Year from a rare snow day in Fort Worth, Texas. Or is it too late to say Happy New Year? Anyway, our family had a wonderful, but eventful, Christmas season and I’m ready to hit 2025 with teaching, writing, speaking, and other such things.
I’ve got a few pieces out there that might interest you. First, I wrote a short essay on the usefulness of natural law for my friends at The Center for Religion, Culture, and Democracy. Here’s an excerpt:
There are wonders embedded in creation that, according to the psalmist, point to the transcendent. Creation, “pouring out speech,” is not subtle. Creation provokes a curiosity that, if nurtured, can lead to a pursuit of truth found in God’s revelation of himself in his Word and his Son. The mere complexity of the human cell, the vastness of the universe, and design embedded in the delicate ecosystems that make the earth inhabitable for humans—all of these are signposts that can lead to salvation. Of course this requires both a willingness to find the truth, like the Magi in Matthew’s gospel, and faithfulness on the part of Christians to declare that truth (“How will they hear without a preacher?” Paul asks rhetorically in Romans 10:14).
If creation shouts God’s glory, it also communicates God’s law, both in the way God designed humans to flourish and in the human conscience
I make the case that natural law can help give us a political framework, can be an apologetic, and can be an invitation. You can read the whole thing here.
For instance, Christians can argue for the goodness of marriage based on it’s impact on children and society. Which brings me to . . . Mr. Beast. Yes, the most popular Youtube star on the planet. If you don’t know who Mr. Beast is, well, ask your kids. Anyways, over the holidays, he asked his girlfriend to marry him and, well, I think that’s a good idea. From my column in World Magazine:
Donaldson’s decision to get married is culturally significant. The YouTube star, who grew up as an evangelical but seems to have left his childhood faith, is nevertheless bucking the trend among young people in the United States. Though divorce rates have fallen, the number of people under 40 who are unmarried is at an all-time high. The median age of marriage in the United States is now 30 for men and 28 for women.
This trend has significant social ramifications. Marriage is not only a Christian practice; it is a creational good given by God to the world for the flourishing of humanity. As University of Virginia scholar Brad Wilcox has documented, the decline of marriage has a devastating effect on society, including a rise in violent crime, poverty, and other maladies. Yet many of our elite institutions have preached the supposed virtues of a commitment-free sexual revolution.
You can read it all here. BTW, this is my third column on Mr. Beast. That’s the kind of thing that happens when you have multiple teenagers in your home.
And, speaking of home, here in Fort Worth, there was a bit of discussion about a local church that wanted to build a place to help victims of human trafficking. I think the Mayor of Fort Worth and the city council made a good decision in favor of religious liberty. I wrote about it in an op-ed for The Fort Worth Star-Telegram:
At its core, religious liberty safeguards the right of every individual to seek truth, follow their consciences and live in accordance with their deeply held beliefs. This freedom goes beyond the mere ability to worship; it encompasses the right to express faith openly, educate children according to religious values and live out one’s convictions in public and private life.
Religious liberty is not only about protecting people of faith. A society that defends religious liberty fosters mutual respect and coexistence, even among people with differing worldviews. It prevents the imposition of a single belief system — whether religious or secular — on the entire population, ensuring that minority perspectives are respected and protected.
When religious freedom is compromised, it sets a dangerous precedent that threatens other fundamental rights, including freedom of speech, assembly and association. By standing for religious liberty, individuals affirm the principle that everyone should be free to think, believe and live without fear of coercion or discrimination.
Furthermore, restricting religious organizations from living out their faith in our city only hurts the city. Our faith-based institutions contribute millions of dollars of social services vital to meeting the needs of the most vulnerable in Fort Worth.
You can read the whole piece here.
A few more housekeeping notes:
If you are looking for some help in reading Genesis this year, check out my book, The Characters of Creation from Moody Publishers.
I’m going to be doing some additional work for my friends at ERLC, where I’m a Research Fellow.