Bill Wilson

How Can This Happen in America? :: By Bill Wilson

Published on: by RR10

How can this happen in America? Maine District Court Judge Jennifer Nofsinger issued a ruling that effectively prevented a young girl from attending church, reading the Bible with her mother, participating in Christian activities, celebrating certain Christian observances, and maintaining relationships with church friends.

The case arose from a custody dispute between divorced parents, but the implications reach far beyond one family.

The First Amendment to the Constitution plainly states that government shall make no law prohibiting the free exercise of religion. Yet here we are in 2026, watching a court order place significant restrictions on a child’s exposure to Christianity while the case works its way through the appeals process.

Judge Nofsinger accepted testimony that participation in the church attended by the girl’s mother could cause psychological harm to the child. She ruled that the girl’s father had authority over the child’s religious upbringing and sharply limited the mother’s ability to involve her daughter in church life. The mother has appealed, arguing that the order violates both parental rights and religious freedom protections.

Religious liberty advocates from across the nation have rallied behind the case because they see something much larger at stake. When a court begins determining whether Bible reading, church attendance, Christian fellowship, or participation in religious activities is acceptable, it calls into question whether the court has crossed a constitutional red line. This case should concern every American, regardless of religious affiliation.

The issue is not whether someone agrees with the teachings of a particular church. The issue is whether government officials possess the authority to restrict religious practice based upon disagreement with those teachings. If a judge can decide that exposure to biblical beliefs is psychologically harmful, where does that authority end? Today, it may involve a Christian family. Tomorrow it could involve Jews, Muslims, Catholics, Protestants, or any group whose beliefs fall outside prevailing cultural norms or a judge’s biased opinion.

Religious liberty exists precisely because the founders understood that government should never serve as the arbiter of theological truth. Courts have a duty to protect constitutional rights, not redefine them according to contemporary social preferences or “expert” opinions.

The good news is that Judge Nofsinger’s ruling is now under review by Maine’s highest court. The appeals process provides an opportunity to reaffirm a principle that has guided this nation since its founding: religious freedom is not a privilege granted by government. It is a God-given right protected by the Constitution.

A nation that can restrict Bible reading, church attendance, and Christian fellowship through judicial decree risks weakening the very freedoms that distinguish America from places where government controls matters of faith.

The First Amendment deserves faithful application. Our constitutional freedoms remain strong when they are defended, and especially when they are tested.

Acts 5:29 says, “Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said: We ought to obey God rather than men.” Indeed.

Sources

Breitbart News
https://www.breitbart.com/faith/2026/06/06/exclusive-girl-kept-from-church-bible-and-christian-friends-by-portland-judge-awaits-appeals-court-ruling/

Decision Magazine (Billy Graham Evangelistic Association)
https://billygraham.org/decision-magazine/articles/mother-barred-from-taking-daughter-to-church-awaits-maine-high-court-ruling/

CBN News
https://cbn.com/news/us/judges-ruling-blocks-maine-mom-taking-her-daughter-christmas-church-services

The Maine Wire
https://www.themainewire.com/2025/11/mom-barred-from-taking-daughter-to-church-or-letting-her-read-the-bible-appeals-to-maines-highest-court/

Portland Press Herald
https://www.pressherald.com/2026/01/13/maine-courts-are-weighing-when-parental-rights-outrank-religious-freedoms/

 

Iran’s Negotiating Game-Rebuilding While the World Negotiates :: By Bill Wilson

Published on: by RR10

One of the most important questions surrounding current negotiations is whether Iran’s military capabilities have truly been crippled. Recent reports suggest otherwise. Intelligence assessments and regional reporting indicate that Iran is already rebuilding missile production capabilities and restoring military infrastructure. If accurate, this is a recurring pattern–Tehran using ceasefires to replenish resources and strengthen strategic assets. Military setbacks become temporary interruptions rather than permanent limitations.

The lesson from decades of Middle East conflict is straightforward: intentions matter, but capabilities matter more. It’s a rope-a-dope strategy that is as predictable as night and day.

The rebuilding effort extends beyond Iran’s borders. Hezbollah continues operating along Israel’s northern frontier. The Houthis openly threaten intervention on behalf of Hezbollah and maintain aggressive regional posturing. Various Iranian-backed militias remain active throughout the region. These groups function as instruments of Iranian influence and power projection. Their activities allow Tehran to pressure adversaries while maintaining varying degrees of plausible deniability.

Negotiations focused solely on nuclear enrichment or missile inventories fail to address the broader network through which Iran exerts influence. Any agreement that leaves these organizations intact preserves much of the terrorist-sponsoring infrastructure that has destabilized the region for decades. The rhetoric coming from Tehran also deserves attention. Iranian leaders continue describing Israel and the United States as enemies while promoting narratives rooted in revolutionary ideology. Such statements reveal the worldview that’s driving policy decisions.

Agreements may reduce tensions temporarily, but they do not necessarily alter foundational objectives. The ruling clerical establishment and Revolutionary Guard remain committed to preserving the Islamic Revolution and expanding its influence. As long as those structures remain intact, it’s doubtful that any negotiated settlement can produce lasting stability.

Governments can sign agreements, yet ideology often determines whether those agreements endure. The deeper issue is whether the ruling system itself has changed. Current evidence suggests continuity rather than transformation.

From a biblical perspective, Ezekiel 38:5 speaks of an end-time coalition coming against Israel, stating, “Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya are with them, all of them with shield and helmet.”

Persia is the ancient territory corresponding largely to modern Iran. This prophetic significance remains noteworthy. If Iran continues rebuilding military capabilities, supporting proxy forces, and maintaining hostility toward Israel, the trajectory appears consistent with increasing regional instability.

Diplomacy may slow events temporarily, but it cannot erase deeply rooted ideological commitments and the march of prophecy.

Ultimately, peace in the Middle East will come through the Prince of Peace. Until then, believers should watch carefully, pray faithfully, and evaluate world events through both the lens of current realities and the promises of Scripture.

Sources