In 2018, the Supreme Court of the US let the tiger out of the cage, decriminalizing sports betting. Now, with states jumping on the gravy train sports betting continues to attract ever greater numbers of bettors, particularly young men. Problem is, betting is as detrimental to human wellbeing as it ever has been. Gambling of all forms attracts the criminal class, graft, greed, and corruption. The temptation to cheat, to throw athletic contests with the hope of illicit financial gain, and the lure of "easy money" is as irresistible as ever. This inevitably results in individuals suffering financial losses they cannot make whole. This results in referees, umpires, players, and others engaging in gambling in a way that undermines the integrity of competition. This results in addictive behavior for some. While there is no "11th Commandment" saying, "Thou shalt not gamble," gambling nevertheless violates at least five doctrines of Scripture. Gambling, especially sports wagering, is a bad bet. For more Christian commentary, see my website www.rexmrogers.com, or check my YouTube channel @DrRexRogers. #gambling #sportsbetting #wagering

Can we believe anything we hear or view in media today? It's an interesting question. Point is, we need to discern what we are being presented because media is itself selective, biased, and at times untruthful. This is exacerbated today by America's political, and truth be told, cultural and social polarization. Media just reflects this, develops coverage that attracts people holding certain views, and markets what they present as reality, all for influence and profit. It's often said that media is left-leaning, and overall I'd agree with this, but there are also right-leaning media, and both are capable of selectively sharing in the interests of their preferred narrative. Christian media is capable of the same thing, presentations that slant in a preferred direction. Best way to see through this is to watch or read diverse sources, compare and contrast, discern. For more Christian commentary see my website www.rexmrogers.com or check my YouTube channel @DrRexRogers. #MediaBias

Population decline is no longer a future projection but a present reality. The West, if not the world, is well into a shrinking and aging population trend. The USA's population replacement rate is 1.6, well below the 2.1 children per child-bearing-age woman needed for replacement without something like immigration. Nearly all the economically advanced countries of the world are in similar shape or worse, including China, Japan, and South Korea. Reason for this global phenomenon are rooted not in biology but in moral or philosophic choices influencing couples' attitudes and actions re procreation. The focus now is mostly on self-actualization as opposed to families. These trends directly affect economic and cultural vitality and the country's prospects for the future. Christian teaching calls children a reward, not a burden, and blesses family structures. For more Christian commentary, see my website, www.rexmrogers.com, or check my YouTube channel @DrRexRogers. #PopulationDecline #ReplacementRate #GrowthOrDecline

Jan. 19, 2026, about three dozen protesters entered the Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, disrupting an ongoing worship service and chanting “ICE out” and “Renee Good." Some of the protestors claimed a First Amendment right allowing their actions, while opponents argued the protestors violated the First Amendment rights of church parishioners attending the service. Confusion over 1A rights is now as much a part of the Minneapolis discussion as people's differing views of ICE, immigration, law enforcement, and protest. Needless to say, 1A involves not only freedom of speech but freedom of religion and freedom of assembly, key and critical elements of the American experience. For more Christian commentary see my website www.rexmrogers.com or check my YouTube channel @DrRexRogers. #protest #FirstAmendment #IllegalImmigrants #ICE #Soulforce

Elected officials on the Left and Right, Progressives, Democrats, and Republicans have become increasingly bold and often crude in their public comments attacking the opposition or decrying some development they do not like. Traditional four-letter words are passé. Now it's vulgarities like the F-word. Apparently officials think this makes them sound tough or sincere or authoritative. But more importantly, elected officials are now calling for citizen followers not simply to "protest peacefully," but to "resist," to pushback, to fight, and this is specifically aimed at law enforcement officials. Leaders don't seem to realize that, though they did not say "become violent," followers hear their cranked-up rhetoric and take it to the next level of physical altercation. This is called a stochasic effect wherein public speakers use vague, coded, or inflammatory language that demonizes a target, allowing the speaker to maintain "plausible deniability" for any subsequent violence. It's happening regularly in American political discourse and it is dangerous. For more Christian commentary see my website www.rexmroger.com or check my YouTube channel @DrRexRogers. #violence #mobs #anarchy #FreedomOfSpeech #protest

With the democratic socialism trends in the USA, perhaps we're overdue to pause and think about what really government can do. Not what we want it to or hope it can do, but what it actually can do. Then as importantly, what should we not ask government to do because we can do it so much more effectively--with freedom of choice--ourselves? This is a look at the lost art of individual responsibility. I, for one, do not like it much when "Big Government is watching me." For more Christian commentary, see my website www.rexmrogers.com or check my YouTube channel @DrRexRogers. #Socialism #IndividualResponsibility #Liberty #Security #BigGovernment

Sad to say, but pornography is now as big a problem in the Christian Church as it is in culture. And porn is ubiquitous, a fancy word for "everywhere" and instantly, easily accessible on the smart phone in hand. One point of this podcast is that otherwise safe or harmless social media platforms are now replete with adult content creators posting enticements, i.e. "trolling" with images within that platforms parameters but luring viewers to click links that eventually lead to paywalled porn sites. This is what we mean by porn is everywhere. Porn consumption damages the mind and soul, relationships, and more. Protect yourself, and if necessary, get off any social media platform that offers unhealthy temptation to go down the rat hole into explicit porn consumption. There is no temptation and no addiction more powerful than the Holy Spirit. For more Christian commentary, see my website www.rexmrogers.com or check my YouTube channel @DrRexRogers. #porn #pornography

Islam is a growing religion in the United States, so for Muslim followers who are American citizens, the First Amendment guarantee of freedom of religion applies. Some commentators have worried, though, about certain Islamic practices do not comport with a free society, so they argue Islam as a religion should be banned. This action would, of course, violate the First Amendment. So if indeed there may be problems with certain practices, what do we do? Can a religion be limited without being banned? Does any precedent for this exist in American law? The answer to both questions is, Yes, for there is a body of relevant case law exists. And by the way, disagreeing with the tenets of another religion is not ipso facto discrimination or prejudice or hate. It's freedom of religion and speech in a pluralistic society. For more Christian commentary, see my website www.rexmrogers.com or check my YouTube channel @DrRexRogers. #Islam #Islamic #Islamist #FreedomOfReligion #First Amendment