This Fourth of July is especially significant as we celebrate the 250th anniversary of America’s Declaration of Independence. It is a time to remember the courage, sacrifice, and vision of those who established our nation and secured the freedoms we enjoy today. As we reflect on our nation’s independence, it is also worth asking an important…

Recently, I returned from a trip to Boston, where I had the opportunity to walk the historic Freedom Trail with a knowledgeable guide. As we stood at sites like the Old North Church, Faneuil Hall, and the graves of key patriots, I was reminded that our nation’s liberty came at great personal cost to those…

Happy 4th of July!  I am thankful for our freedom. But I was thinking about how divided we are as a country. People cannot hold different points of view without being verbally attacked or cancelled. Ideology has replaced decency and respect, escalating divisions and anger. I remember a sermon my brother, Reverend Dennis Marquardt, preached…

When Islamist gunmen killed a 10-year-old Egyptian schoolboy’s father, he witnessed his dad standing firm in his Christian faith and refusing to recite the Muslim profession of faith. The price for his convictions cost his life. A boy, his brother and mother now live without their father. They are one of many Coptic Christians persecuted for their faith. We…

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More from Beliefnet and our partners