https://www.christiantoday.com/news/raising-children-in-faith
Thursday, June 25, 2026
.png)
Atheist? Agnostic? - Dare You Watch This Film?
The film that will make you believe in God.
Can science explain everything? Prime Video’s ambitious documentary The Story of Everything suggests the answer may be a complicated one
The Story of Everything asks whether science has become too quick to dismiss faith
Peter Stanford
See more
Published 20 June 2026 5:00pm BST
There is increasing evidence – a mix of anecdote and data – that what once seemed like the inevitable decline of religion in secularised Western society has recently been, if not quite reversed, then at least paused. Something in these anxious, divided times in which we live seems to be stirring. There are reports of rising numbers of young people going to church. Prominent scientists, for so long the prophets of a godless future, are coming out as Christians (including the widely admired psychiatrist Dr Iain McGilchrist). Pope Leo’s anti-AI stance has struck a chord with a generation not usually prone to listening attentively to papal pronouncements.
Set against such a backdrop, the timing of the visually stunning 100-minute documentary The Story of Everything makes perfect sense. Aspiring to capture the zeitgeist, it is awash with exquisite footage from space, the deep oceans, and the world’s forests and fields, and even the odd cartoon animation. It’s all interspersed with appearances from a cast of two dozen leading scientists (and others) from across the disciplines, exploring with differing degrees of approval the theory that some sort of hidden hand or intelligent design lies behind the universe.
Released in US cinemas on April 30 for a limited run until May 6, The Story of Everything did reasonable, if not sell-out, business. It received largely positive, if patchy, coverage in mainstream outlets including the Wall Street Journal. Disappointingly, it failed to secure a UK cinema release but has now appeared on Amazon Prime Video.
No one in the film quite nails the name of God to this animating spirit behind the universe because The Story of Everything is at pains to avoid sounding preachy, or like a documentary variation on Mel Gibson’s ultra-sincere but much-lampooned 2004 film The Passion of the Christ. But he, she or it hovers there in the ether and there are moments when director Eric Esau, whose past credits span fact and fiction, might have trusted audiences more and allowed mention of the Almighty
Instead, he films the contributors talking softly and ever so reasonably. (Bizarrely, these include PayPal and Palantir founder Peter Thiel, here busy bemoaning the corroding influence of materialism.) Esau places them in a highly stylised, fashionable set that feels like an upmarket late-1960s or early-1970s hotel, all à la mode retro Scandinavian sofas and muted colours. The concept seems to be to send a reassuring message to fashion-conscious chattering classes that they need not be afraid this film is something stitched together by a parish hall committee keen to refill the pews or fix the roof.
The return of the God question
And what of the core argument it wants to make? The Story of Everything takes its cue from a 2021 book, Return of the God Hypothesis, by philosopher of science Stephen Meyer, based at the conservative but secular Discovery Institute in Seattle. Yet, for the sake of fairness, it also includes arguments that contradict those of the main contributors. So we get montages of scientists of yesteryear such as Fred Hoyle, who rejected the Big Bang theory and instead argued for a steady-state universe – in contrast to the now widely accepted theory that the universe began in an extremely hot, dense state before expanding to form matter, stars and eventually planets such as Earth.
Once you lean into its unusual subject matter, The Story of Everything is quietly seductive, but you have to keep your wits about you to separate the wheat from the chaff. The case for a rethink is built slowly, via four chapters with multiple sub-sections, and some are more compelling than others. Everyday language – “all gardens require a gardener” – carries you along when the arguments get too dense.
Where the film makes its strongest case
There are three core ideas explored. And one big omission. Let’s get that out of the way first. Because the producers are targeting a broad audience, they ignore the passionate belief in the creationist wing of Christianity that the Genesis account of God spending six days creating the world, complete with Adam and Eve, is literal truth rather than metaphor. Its absence from the film has already caused a backlash in the United States, with fundamentalist preachers and social-media users warning followers to avoid cinemas showing this work of the Devil.
For the rest of us, the story begins by exploring whether, rather than being static as was once believed, there is evidence that the universe is expanding – an idea that gained traction in the early 20th century after astronomer Edwin Hubble used increasingly powerful telescopes to study distant galaxies. The film then argues that this expansion points to an originating event or “First Cause” and turns to intelligent design advocates, who suggest that a supernatural – rather than natural – explanation may lie behind it. In other words, though it is left unsaid, God may have set in motion the Big Bang around 13.8 billion years ago.
The second pillar of wisdom in the film concerns the “fine-tuning” that has created our solar system – how the sun, the planets that circle it and the comets are not in some random order, as might be expected from a chaotic Big Bang, but rather are carefully balanced, with Earth in just the right place to enable human life. Mars, one contributor suggests, was a prototype for human habitation but was simply too hot and dry to sustain life. If there is fine-tuning, surely that means there is a fine-tuner?
Having grown up on the Adam and Eve version of creation at my Irish Christian Brothers school in Catholic Liverpool, I have always steered clear of any argument suggesting that religion or the Church has anything to say about how the world came into being. Stick to the social teaching of Jesus in the Gospels, try to follow it, keep an open mind on the afterlife, but don’t, whatever you do, get involved in whether it really took God six days to make the Earth. It was a guaranteed losing wicket.
Perhaps that is why The Story of Everything really started to get its claws into me. And that was before we move on to Crick and Watson’s discovery of DNA’s double-helix structure – such an astonishingly complex structure, it is convincingly argued, that it could not simply have evolved out of chaos. This takes us into what is referred to as the “beauty problem”. Essentially, the Earth and its systems are so perfectly designed, the balance so finely calibrated (until human beings start interfering with it), and the sheer beauty of the planet so gratuitous, when simpler, plainer systems might have done just as well to ensure survival, that it becomes difficult to accept they were the result of the cosmic equivalent of a random multiple-car crash. Hard to disagree with that, I felt.
Between documentary and persuasion
At a time when the evidence for climate change is hard to ignore, however much we might like to, this final part of the film takes on the emotional power of a David Attenborough wildlife documentary.
It is also in this final section that the subtle persuasion which runs throughout this clever film begins to edge towards the manipulative. It can justifiably claim to sit on the right side of the documentary/sales pitch divide. But only just. One or two dissenting voices in that Scandi-heaven studio (rather than confined to archive footage) would have helped, while still allowing food for thought.
For those with the stamina to digest 100 minutes of often dense science, there is still much in The Story of Everything that provokes fresh thinking, and that can only be a good thing. Its bias, after all, is no more pronounced than that of those scientists who stingingly dismiss talk of a “mind behind the universe” as “pseudoscience” (by which I assume they mean selective in the evidence produced).
By the end, I could think of no reason why British distributors were not picking it up and showing it in cinemas, where the brilliance of its cinematography can best be appreciated. If they doubt there is an audience, then I would suggest there has never been a better time in recent decades to test whether that assumed secular mindset in society is becoming less fixed.
The failure to give it a go makes me question whether there might just be a hint of no-platforming going on here. You can hear the reasoning. “Don’t give space to arguments that differ from the accepted norm.” It is rather like the BBC’s decimation in recent years of its once-busy religious affairs department. It was decided on high, seemingly on a whim and without much consultation, that there is no longer an audience for religion on TV. A better question might have been whether the corporation was commissioning the right programmes to attract the 33 million people in the 2021 and 2022 censuses who described themselves as religious.
The Story of Everything may just offer a winning format to solve that conundrum. It will not, I confidently predict, turn an atheist into a believer in intelligent design. But it could well loosen a few bricks in the wall of certainty. There is enough plausible challenge and enough good science in there to make you think again. Next time the origin of the Earth comes up in conversation, I for one will not be ducking out.
The Story of Everything is available to buy on Amazon Prime Video. DT.
.jpg)
Threats Against Church Leaders.
Church leaders threatened by militants in run-up to Colombian presidential election, says rights group
CSW is urging the new Colombian President to reinstate special protection measures for religious leaders.
I Could Vomit.
Over a million abortions took place in the US last year.
DIY abortions now account for over a quarter of all abortions in the US. CT.
Wednesday, June 24, 2026
Remembering Those Murdered and Their Families.
First memorial to Christians killed in Nigeria unveiled.
The unveiling of a memorial to the Christians killed in Yelwata, Nigeria (Photo: Facebook)
In what is believed to be the first of its kind, a new monument honouring the victims of religious persecution in Nigeria has been erected in the nation's Benue State.
The monument was unveiled in Yelwata, which last year was the scene of a massacre of 270 men, women and children. The attack took place on Father’s Day and is believed to have been the work of Islamic militants.
The names of all the victims are engraved upon the monument, which was unveiled by missionaries from the group Equipping the Persecuted.
Judd Saul, the founder of Equipping the Persecuted, said, “Their names are now engraved in stone so they will never be forgotten.
"This monument stands as a testament to their lives, their faith, and our commitment to ensure the world remembers what happened. The persecution of our brothers and sisters in Christ must stop.”
The unveiling was attended by representatives of different faith communities as well as survivors of the massacre. The moment was also a chance to distribute aid, as it is estimated that the attack also led to the displacement of around 3,000 people.
Despite being approximately 50 per cent Christian, Nigeria is one of the most dangerous nations in the world in which to be a Christian.
Open Doors ranks the country the 7th worst in the world for the persecution of Christians. More people are killed or kidnapped for their faith in Nigeria every year than in all other countries combined.
Many parts of the country see high amounts of violence from Islamic militants or simply from armed bandits. While Christians tend to bear the brunt of the violence, Muslims have occasionally been victims as well, sometimes because they would not go along with the militants.
Last year the Nigerian president declared a national emergency and pledged to increase security in a bid to bring an end to the violence. The US carried out a number of targeted strikes against militants over Christmas in response to the mistreatment of Christians.
CT.
Stand Up, Stand Up For Jesus.
Five Christian footballers using football’s biggest stage to point people to Christ.
(Photo: ToshibaTV)The World Cup is underway, capturing the attention of millions of fans across the globe. Every four years, the tournament sparks passion, drama and national pride, creating unforgettable moments. Yet amid the goals, trophies and celebrations, some players are using football’s biggest stage to point beyond themselves and give glory to God.
For these footballers, faith is not simply a private belief reserved for Sundays. It shapes how they handle success, respond to setbacks and use their platform. Here are five Christian players to watch at this summer’s World Cup.
Marc Guéhi (England)
England defender Marc Guéhi has become one of the most respected defenders in world football. Born in the Ivory Coast before moving to the UK as a child, Guéhi was spotted by a Chelsea scout at the age of six and developed through the club’s academy system.
After a successful spell at Crystal Palace, where he captained the club to FA Cup success in 2025, Guéhi moved to Manchester City and is a key figure for England's national team at the 2026 World Cup.
His Christian faith has been central to his life from an early age. His father, John Guéhi, pastors a church in South London, and Marc has often spoken about the influence of his upbringing. He regularly has Bible verses inscribed on his boots, including Isaiah 54:17: “No weapon forged against you will prevail.”
Guéhi made international headlines when he wrote “Jesus loves U” on a Rainbow Pride captain's armband during a Premier League fixture. While the gesture resulted in a reprimand from the Football Association, it also sparked widespread discussion about faith, freedom of expression, and Christian witness in professional football.
Bukayo Saka (England)
Few players have captured the hearts of England supporters quite like Bukayo Saka. Born in London to Nigerian parents, Saka came through Arsenal’s academy and has become one of the club's brightest stars, helping them secure the Premier League title during the 2025-26 season.
Internationally, Saka has been a crucial player for England, featuring in the Euro 2020 and Euro 2024 finals and scoring three goals at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Despite his rapid rise, Saka consistently places his faith above football. In an interview during the 2022 World Cup, he said: “It's really important to obviously have the presence of God in me all the time, and it gives me more confidence that God’s plan is perfect so I can go on the pitch and know that God has my back.”
Saka has repeatedly spoken about the importance of his Christian faith and the role it plays in every area of his life. At Arsenal, he has been part of a group of Christian players affectionately known as the “Bible brothers,” alongside Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke. Teammates have often noted how his faith influences his attitude, humility and character both on and off the pitch.
Christian Pulisic (United States)
Nicknamed “Captain America,” Christian Pulisic has become the face of American soccer.
Raised in Pennsylvania, Pulisic moved to Germany as a teenager and developed at Borussia Dortmund, where he emerged as one of the Bundesliga's most exciting young talents. A transfer to Chelsea followed in 2019, and since joining AC Milan in 2023 he has become one of Serie A’s standout attacking players.
For the United States men's national team, Pulisic has already established himself among the country’s greatest players, becoming one of its leading goalscorers and helping guide the team into the knockout stages of the 2022 World Cup with a decisive goal against Iran.
Throughout his career, he has frequently spoken about his dependence on God. After a Champions League match in 2021, Pulisic said: “I've had to continue to prove myself over and over again. But, as always, I reach out to God and He gives me strength. With that behind me, nothing can stop me, really.”
His comments reflect a recurring theme among many Christian athletes: confidence rooted not in personal ability alone, but in trust in God's presence and purpose.
Alisson Becker (Brazil)
Brazil has produced some of football's greatest players, and goalkeeper Alisson Becker is widely regarded as one of the best in his position.
Alisson began his career with Internacional in Brazil, winning the Campeonato Gaúcho in 2014 and 2015 before moving to Roma in Italy in 2016. His performances earned him a transfer to Liverpool in 2018 for what was then a world-record fee for a goalkeeper. Since arriving at Anfield, the team has won the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and League Cup, while also receiving the Best FIFA Men's Goalkeeper award.
Now Brazil's first-choice goalkeeper for a third consecutive World Cup, Alisson remains outspoken about his faith. Writing about his Christian journey, he explained: “Real faith came to me later in life. Faith is not something that can be seen, or even put into words. It is a force that is more powerful than just a feeling of emotion, or a slogan. It is the complete trust in the Son of God, Jesus Christ.”
His faith is evident beyond public statements. In 2020, Alisson baptised Liverpool teammate Roberto Firmino in the swimming pool at his home. He has also spoken about the difference between religion and a personal relationship with Christ, saying: “I'm not religious. I'm a follower of Christ. Religion is often tied to traditions that have clouded the true message of Christianity. Jesus is far greater than religion.”
Noah Sadiki (DR Congo)
At just 21 years old, Noah Sadiki represents one of the rising stars of this World Cup.
Born in Brussels, Sadiki progressed through Anderlecht's academy before spells with Union Saint-Gilloise and Sunderland. Since joining Sunderland in 2025, he has quickly adapted to Premier League football and earned praise for his energy, athleticism and technical ability.
Although he represented Belgium at youth level, Sadiki chose to play internationally for the Democratic Republic of Congo. The 2026 tournament marks a historic moment for the nation, which is making its first World Cup appearance since 1974, when it competed as Zaire.
Sadiki is also unapologetic about his Christian faith. “I feel well talking about my faith because it's giving me peace and I thank every day my Lord and Savior to give me another day to enjoy the sport I did since I was young,” he said.
Following his first Africa Cup of Nations appearance, journalists asked him about the secret behind his strong performances. Rather than giving a lengthy answer, Sadiki simply held up his Bible.
Final thoughts
The World Cup is often a showcase of extraordinary talent, national pride and sporting drama. Yet for these players, the tournament is also an opportunity to bear witness to something greater than football.
Whether through Bible verses on boots, public testimonies, baptisms, post-match interviews or simple acts of gratitude, these players remind fans that faith and sport do not have to exist in separate worlds.
As millions tune in to watch the action unfold, they will be hoping to lift football’s most coveted trophy. But they are also among a growing number of players seeking to use the world's biggest sporting stage to point people towards Christ.
CT.
.jpg)
.jpg)
A DISGRACE!
| |||||||||||||
|
Tuesday, June 23, 2026
Starmer's Truth - Examine The Reality.
https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-15921211/Starmer-speech-fact-check.html
Well Done!
Irish bishops oppose attempts to widen abortion laws.
They have also called for more research to better understand the factors behind high rates of abortions in the first 12 years. CT.
.png)
.jpg)
Melanie.
The heroic warrior nation defending the civilised world.
My speech at the JNS security conference
|
This past week has been a shocking one.
President Trump produced a ceasefire agreement that seemed to have been dictated by Tehran. He and JD Vance lashed out viciously at Israel, America’s close and indispensable ally in this war.
Now, Donald Trump is the only American president ever to have waged war on the Iranian regime. He and Israel had it on the ropes. Their achievements in drastically weakening the Iranian regime have been absolutely astonishing.
So why did he suddenly release the pressure, throw away his advantage and hand Iran the power to dictate events?
Well, I suggest the answer to that puzzle links America, Britain and Europe. None of them properly understands the war being waged against them all.
This is an unprecedented and seismic moment in history. The onslaught upon Israel and the Jewish world is coming at us from all sides.
The barbarities of October 7 presented the west with a challenge. Would it choose civilisation or barbarism?
Much of the west, we now see, alas, has turned its back on civilisation.
Instead of supporting Israel against genocidal attack, it’s turned instead against Israel and the Jewish people in an unprecedented loss of reason and moral compass.
What we’re seeing is first and foremost an Islamist war against the west being waged through an onslaught against Israel and the Jews. The Islamists have always told us: first we are coming for the Jews, and then we are coming for the Christians.
Much of the west, alas, doesn’t understand this. It’s not joining up the dots. As a result, in Britain, Europe and America, there’s a refusal to do what it takes to defend itself.
President Trump has turned on a dime to escape from a trap. This trap is because , in his words, an imminent global economic disaster caused by Iran taking hostage the Strait of Hormuz cannot be tolerated by him.
But we have to ask how in the world is mighty America unable to defeat a massively weakened Iran? The short answer is that to do so probably requires American boots on the ground. And that’s something the president will not commit himself to do do. Because the American people wouldn’t wear it.
What is that? It’s because That’s because they don’t think the war with Iran has anything to do with their interests. That’s astonishing, given the hundreds of Americans attacked and killed by Iran over the past four decades as it’s pursued its war cry “Death to America”.
What this initiate in the MoU means is that everyone can now see America is not prepared to make the sacrifices necessary to defend itself. And that will have emboldened evil forces threatening the west from around the world.
Britain and Europe, meanwhile, are unwilling to go to war at all. They dance to the tune of kumbaya liberal universalism, which means they say all conflict must be ended by negotiation and compromise. Even with genocidal fanatics.
They say nothing has ever been solved by war. What do they think was going on=between 1939 and 1945, on wonders?
Their belief in the “brotherhood of man” means that at home they’ve embraced multiculturalism and mass immigration. They’ve told themselves it’s racist to uphold their own historic culture over anyone else’s because the west was born in the original sins of colonialism and whiteness.
So they allowed in millions of Muslim immigrants. And now their societies are well on the way to Islamisation. Now let’s be clear: many, many Muslims in Britain and Europe pose no threat to anyone. They want to enjoy the benefits of western society. But huge numbers of them do pose a threat, either through terrorism or their agenda to Islamise the culture.
But the political and cultural elites in the west won’t even admit this is happening, denouncing instead anyone who sounds the alarm as Islamophobic, racist or fascist.
In Britain, the result of this has been, for example, a refusal to deal with the infamous mainly Muslim rape and grooming gangs you’ve read about. There’s a wilful blindness towards jihadi preachers in mosques, inciting murderous hatred again’t the west and against the Jews. And the rise of sectarian Islamic Gaza first politics, with more and more politicians nervously doing the bidding of Muslims determined to make Britain adapt to Islam.
The result of all this and more is that Britain and parts of Europe are just like the frog being boiled slowly in the pot. And I’m afraid parts of America — I’m thinking of New York — show signs of following suit.
Since October 7, ecstatic Islamists who, like the Iranian regime, believe that the final defeat of Israel and the west is now at hand,
have been spearheading an onslaught on diaspora Jews.
But they’re being supported by many non-Muslims. What’s been so shocking is not just the demonstrations with their chants to murder Jews and destroy Israel. It’s that verbal and physical attacks on Jews have redoubled even after Jewish people have been viciously assaulted or even murdered in Britain and other western countries.
We’re seeing that violence against Jews just excites the bloodlust. No-one one wants to know about Jewish victimisation. No-one wants to hear about antisemitism.
All the guardrails against Jew-hatred have come down. There’s an attempt within the west not just to get rid of Israel but to get rid of the Jews from their heads, their conscience and their world.
It’s emerged as anti-Zionism because wall-to-wall falsehoods about Israel’s behaviour, parroted by the universities, the media and the global humanitarian establishment, have framed Zionism as evil and Israel as diabolically monstrous. Appallingly, these blood libels have been framed as conscience itself.
In Britain and increasingly in America too, courage now consists of supporting the Jewish people and the State of Israel.
So is it all over? Absolutely not. Much can be done against these enemies of civilisation but only if one crucial thing is understood.
These evil forces are strong only because their victims, in Britain Europe and America, are weak. And they’re weak because they will not do what it takes to defend themselves.
Iran is not strong. But America’s many powerful weapons count for nothing if it won’t use them. If America won’t commit itself to take the pain involved in fighting for its way of life, then Iran wins.
America won’t defend itself properly because it doesn’t understand that, when it has an enemy as the Iranian regime that believes God is instructing it to destroy America and the Jews, any negotiation is viewed as weakness and a way to manipulate America into surrender.
To defeat Iran, America needs to end all negotiation and fight, through blockades or kinetic war or boots on the ground wherever necessary.
Britain and Europe could themselves fight back by ending immigration from the most troubling areas in the Muslim world, banning the Muslim Brotherhood and sharia courts, and jailing or deporting hate preachers in mosques.
Diaspora Jews should be able fight back by first stopping going on about antisemitism. They should instead start telling essential truths that are never told. For example, that Palestinian identity is a scam that was invented purely to exterminate Israel and steal the Jews’ own history in the land from them.
They should be telling the west that everything Israel does is in accordance with international law. They should be saying it is the Palestinian Arabs who are the would-be colonisers, and that Zionism was the greatest anti-colonialism movement of the 20th century.
And they should also start telling Americans in terms that the war against Iran is a war to defend the west, and they all in America depend on Israel to keep them safe in America .
Since October 7, Israel has fought like a lion.
Its soldiers do so because they are fighting for their people, which they love. Because they are bound in blood and tears to their history, to their culture, and to the generations who came before them and fought and died to keep the Jewish people alive.
Israel pays the heaviest possible price of defending itself because its people are determined to keep their nation alive. Their identity, their love of their culture, their history and their people gives them idealism, courage and hope.
Since October 7, the Israelis have returned to their historic Jewish destiny as a heroic warrior nation. Diaspora Jews themselves need to identify as part of that warrior nation, or else they will largely disappear.
Britain and Europe will not survive their cultural death-wish. This week, I was horrified see, America moved alarmingly to join them.
President Trump has not escaped the Iranian trap as I think some of his comments today indicate he is well aware. Either he fights to defeat the regime or America is finished as a force to defend civilisation.
Israel will not allow Iran to get the bomb. If necessary, it will fight Iran alone.
We Jews believe our historic mission is to be a light unto the nations. Israel now can be that light by showing America, Britain and Europe how to fight, what it takes to fight and therefore how to survive and to live.
Israel will survive because Israel will do whatever to takes to defend itself: the heroic warrior nation defending the whole civilised world. This is the Jewish moment. Am yisroel chai (the people of Israel lives).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
-
Franklin Graham preached in Glasgow, launches new fund to defend religious freedom in the UK. Staff writer Franklin Graham preaching at ...
-
Nigel Farage’s general election spending will not be investigated by the elections watchdog, it was confirmed. Labour had called on the E...
