Faith Facts

• Modern culture encourages picking and choosing spiritual elements from different religions like items from a menu
• Colossians teaches that Christ cannot be reduced to one option among many philosophical choices
• True Christianity requires complete surrender to Jesus Christ, not selective adoption of convenient teachings

In today’s relativistic culture, faith has become a buffet. Many Americans treat spirituality like a custom meal plan — take mindfulness from Buddhism, borrow virtue ethics from Stoicism, add a dash of meaning from Christianity. It sounds enlightened, even humble. But this approach hides a fundamental problem: someone still has to play god and decide which pieces make the cut.

The Bible’s book of Colossians directly confronts this exact issue. Written to believers facing pressure to blend Christianity with popular philosophies of their day, Paul’s letter delivers a clear message: Christ is not a choice among options. He is the choice that defines all reality.

When we treat Jesus as one ingredient in our personalized spiritual recipe, we fundamentally misunderstand who He claimed to be. Christ didn’t present Himself as a helpful teacher offering useful tips alongside Buddha, Confucius, or Marcus Aurelius. He declared Himself as the image of the invisible God, the one in whom all things hold together, the fullness of deity in bodily form.

The spiritual buffet approach reveals something troubling about our hearts. We want the comfort of religion without the cost of surrender. We desire the benefits of faith without bowing to a King. We seek purpose and peace, but only on our own terms.

Colossians dismantles this illusion. If Christ truly is who He says He is — the Creator and Sustainer of all things — then He cannot be reduced to a helpful philosophy or a comforting perspective. He is either Lord of all, or not Lord at all.

The modern marketplace of ideas promotes tolerance and personal choice as the highest virtues. But Christianity has never fit comfortably in that framework. Jesus Himself said He is the way, the truth, and the life — not “a way” among many valid paths. That exclusivity offends contemporary sensibilities, but it remains central to authentic Christian faith.

When we pick and choose from various spiritual traditions, we’re not being open-minded. We’re being our own ultimate authority. We’re placing ourselves above these traditions, judging which parts align with our preferences and which we’ll discard. That’s not humility — it’s the oldest sin in the book, the desire to be like God, determining good and evil for ourselves.

Colossians calls believers to recognize the supremacy of Christ in all things. This means submitting our intellect, our will, our choices to Him — not selecting which of His teachings we’ll accept. It means recognizing that we don’t stand above Scripture, editing it to match our cultural moment. Instead, we stand under it, allowing God’s Word to edit us.

America was founded on principles of religious freedom, and that freedom remains precious. But freedom to choose our beliefs doesn’t mean all choices lead to truth. We’re free to believe the earth is flat, but that doesn’t make it so. Similarly, we’re free to construct our own customized spirituality, but that doesn’t make it true or salvific.

The Gospel offers something far better than a customizable spirituality. It offers rescue from our slavery to self and sin. It offers forgiveness we could never earn. It offers a relationship with the God who made us and knows us completely. But these gifts come as a package deal with the Giver — we cannot separate Christ’s benefits from His lordship.

For Christian families navigating this cultural moment, Colossians provides essential guidance. Our children are growing up in a world that treats all beliefs as equally valid personal preferences. We must teach them that Christianity makes exclusive truth claims because Christ makes exclusive truth claims. We’re not offering one lifestyle brand among many — we’re proclaiming the truth about reality itself.

This doesn’t mean Christians should be arrogant or dismissive toward other worldviews. We should engage respectfully with different perspectives, understanding them accurately before responding. But respect for people doesn’t require treating all ideas as equally true. Love means offering people the truth that can actually set them free, not affirming them in bondage to lies.

The spiritual buffet promises freedom and fulfillment, but it delivers neither. It leaves us as our own ultimate authority, which is a crushing burden. It provides no objective truth to ground our lives, no external standard to guide our choices, no hope that extends beyond our own limited perspectives and temporary existence.

Christ offers something infinitely better. He offers Himself — not as one option among many, but as the source and summit of all truth, beauty, and goodness. He invites us not to sample Him alongside other options, but to surrender everything to Him and discover that in losing our lives, we find them. That’s not on the menu of customizable spirituality. That’s the feast that satisfies forever.

Let us know what you think, please share your thoughts in the comments below.

Faith Facts

• A five-pound baby was discovered alive in a toilet after the mother took mail-order abortion pills in Durham, North Carolina
• The case has exposed gaps in accountability for telemedicine abortion providers who send pills across state lines
• The incident raises urgent questions about whether existing laws can protect women and unborn children from dangerous at-home abortion procedures

A disturbing case from Durham, North Carolina has brought the issue of mail-order abortion pills to the forefront of the national conversation. Inside a residential bathroom, emergency responders discovered a five-pound baby floating in a toilet bowl, barely clinging to life. The mother had taken abortion pills obtained through the mail, highlighting the growing risks of telemedicine abortion services that operate without proper medical oversight.

The incident has sparked renewed debate about the accountability—or lack thereof—of abortion pill suppliers who send medication across state lines. These providers often operate from states with minimal regulation, mailing pills to women in other states without in-person medical examinations or follow-up care. When complications arise, as they did in this Durham case, the women are left to face the consequences alone.

The baby’s survival stands as a testament to the sanctity of life that conservatives have long championed. Despite being subjected to chemical abortion, this child fought for life and was discovered before it was too late. The case underscores the reality that these pills don’t just terminate pregnancies—they deliver full-term babies into toilets, sinks, and bathtubs across America.

What troubles many faith-based advocates most is that the suppliers of these pills face no legal consequences. They operate in a gray area of the law, shielded by interstate commerce protections and the lack of clear federal standards for telemedicine abortion. Meanwhile, women suffer physical and psychological trauma, and babies like this five-pound infant are left fighting for survival in the most undignified circumstances imaginable.

The Durham case reveals the ugly truth behind the abortion industry’s push for “convenience” and “access.” These mail-order services prioritize profit over patient safety, sending powerful medications to women without proper screening for gestational age, ectopic pregnancy, or other risk factors. When something goes wrong—as it inevitably does—the providers face no accountability.

Christian conservatives have long warned about the dangers of expanding abortion access without proper safeguards. This case validates those concerns in the most heartbreaking way possible. A mother was left alone to deliver a baby into a toilet, and the child who should have been protected by law instead had to fight for every breath.

State legislators across the country are now grappling with how to address this loophole. Some are proposing laws that would hold telemedicine abortion providers accountable for adverse outcomes, while others are seeking to ban mail-order abortion pills entirely. The challenge lies in enforcement—how can states regulate providers who operate from thousands of miles away?

Pro-life advocates argue that the solution must involve both state and federal action. States need stronger laws protecting unborn children and ensuring that women receive proper medical care, not just pills in the mail. Meanwhile, federal authorities must clarify whether these providers are violating existing drug safety laws and interstate commerce regulations.

The survival of this five-pound baby also raises profound questions about when life begins and what protections should be afforded to the unborn. If a child can survive outside the womb at this size and development, doesn’t that child deserve legal protection? The abortion industry would prefer we not ask such questions, but cases like this make them unavoidable.

For the Christian community, this incident serves as a stark reminder of why the fight for life matters. Every child is created in God’s image, with inherent worth and dignity. When we allow a system that treats human life as disposable—packaging it up and mailing it away with a few pills—we abandon our most fundamental moral responsibilities.

The mother in this case also deserves compassion and support. Women seeking abortions are often facing difficult circumstances, and the abortion industry exploits their vulnerability rather than offering genuine help. True compassion means providing resources, support, and alternatives that affirm both the mother’s dignity and the child’s right to life.

As this case moves through the legal system, it will likely set important precedents for how states can regulate telemedicine abortion and hold providers accountable. The outcome could determine whether similar tragedies continue to unfold across the nation or whether meaningful protections are finally put in place.

The fact that abortion pill suppliers continue to operate without consequence, even as babies are born alive and left struggling in toilets, should outrage every American who values life and justice. This is not healthcare—it’s an unregulated industry that prioritizes ideology and profit over women’s safety and children’s lives.

Let us know what you think, please share your thoughts in the comments below.

Faith Facts

• Tens of thousands gathered in Buenos Aires for the March for Jesus after a nine-year absence from the city
• The event united Christian families, leaders, and delegations from multiple provinces and nations in prayer and worship
• The return of this historic Christian gathering signals a renewed hunger for faith and public witness in Argentina

A powerful display of Christian unity filled the streets of Buenos Aires on Sunday as tens of thousands of believers returned for the March for Jesus, an event absent from Argentina’s capital for nearly a decade. The massive gathering demonstrated the enduring strength of Christian faith in South America and the growing desire among believers to publicly proclaim their devotion to Jesus Christ.

Organizers reported that the event drew families, Christian leaders, and delegations from various provinces across Argentina as well as international participants. The atmosphere was marked by fervent prayer, worship, and a spirit of revival that transcended denominational boundaries.

The nine-year gap since the last March for Jesus in Buenos Aires makes this year’s return particularly significant for Argentina’s Christian community. The event represents not only a celebration of faith but also a statement of resilience and commitment to Christian values in an increasingly secular world.

Christian gatherings of this magnitude serve as powerful reminders that faith remains a cornerstone of society, bringing together diverse communities under the banner of shared belief. The March for Jesus has historically provided believers an opportunity to publicly witness their faith, encourage one another, and demonstrate the transformative power of the Gospel in their lives and communities.

The success of this year’s event in Buenos Aires may signal a broader spiritual awakening taking place across Latin America, where Christian churches have experienced significant growth despite cultural and political challenges. Such public expressions of faith offer hope and inspiration to believers worldwide who seek to maintain their Christian witness in the public square.

As Argentina faces economic and social challenges, the massive turnout for the March for Jesus demonstrates that many citizens are looking to faith as a source of hope, guidance, and community strength. The event’s return after such a long absence underscores the enduring importance of religious freedom and the vital role Christianity plays in shaping the moral and spiritual foundation of nations.

Let us know what you think, please share your thoughts in the comments below.