Clergy content casting Mary as the “main character” of the Christmas story, infers she possessed the power to abort Jesus. This recast provides a revealing case study of a broader theological and jurisprudential shift. Drawing on constitutional theory, natural law, Christian theology, and historical precedent, the Article argues that such framing reflects the ascendancy of a secular progressive humanist worldview grounded in radical personal autonomy rather than unalienable r

And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with chi

By the Hon. William Wagner (Ret.) Executive summary Nigeria stands at a crossroads between social collapse and constitutional renewal. The Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), in its statement “Peace in Nigeria: Moving from Fragility to Stability,” offers an urgent, morally lucid, and legally grounded diagnosis of Nigeria’s spiraling insecurity and repression. The instant Issue Brief amplifies this warning and calls the international community to attend to it. This

By Hon. William Wagner (Ret) WFFC Distinguished Chair for Faith & Freedom, Spring Arbor University Executive Summary Violent attacks and hate crimes against Christians in Europe rose sharply in 2024, according to the Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination Against Christians in Europe (OIDAC) —data first brought to international attention through reporting by The Christian Post. While the total number of incidents decreased slightly from the previous year, the severity

The Michigan Department of Education’s most recent revision of the Health Education Standards represents not merely administrative fine-tuning, but a wholesale ideological shift in the purpose and scope of health instruction in Michigan schools. The Board voted to approve the updated health-education/sex-education standards on Thursday, November 13, 2025. The magnitude and nature of these changes raise profound constitutional concerns—particularly regarding parental rights, l

November 1, 2025 Washington, D.C. / Abuja The United States Department of State announced that Nigeria has been designated a Country of Particular Concern (CPC)  under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998, citing what it called “systematic, ongoing and egregious violations of religious freedom.”  President Donald Trump, in a social-media post on October 31, asserted that “Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Thousands of Christians are being kil

The Hon. William Wagner, Distinguished Chair of the Wagner Faith & Freedom Center at Spring Arbor University, participated in the 2025 Education Freedom Legal Network (EFLN) Annual Summit held October 23, 2025, in Arlington, Virginia. The EFLN—an initiative that convenes attorneys, scholars, and policy advocates focused on protecting and advancing the freedom to educate—brought together leaders from across the country for a day of high-level strategy and collaboration.  Advan

Lansing, MI — October 20, 2025 This past Sunday, the Honorable William Wagner , Distinguished Chair for Faith and Freedom at the Wagner Faith & Freedom Center , addressed the congregation of South Church in Lansing  with a message centered on courage, conviction, and compassion . Speaking to a packed room, Wagner challenged Christians to live out biblical truth boldly—yet with the humility and respect that reflect Christ’s character. Courage Rooted in Truth Drawing from Scri

Marshal Michigan, October 19, 2025 This past weekend, men from across Michigan gathered at the Historic Withee Farm  for the Annual Bonfire Event , a tradition that blends fellowship, faith, and the renewal of purpose. Set against the crisp autumn backdrop of rural Michigan, the two-day gathering offered both reflection and challenge for those committed to living out their faith in public and private life. Fellowship Around the Fire The event opened Friday evening with the li

Lansing, MI — October 11, 2025 This past weekend, the Freedom Embassy in Lansing hosted Go Local: School Board Training , a daylong event equipping current and aspiring school board members to lead their districts with truth, courage, and a firm grounding in constitutional governance. The training was sponsored by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy , the Leadership Institute , and SLG. The program offered practical, faith-informed instruction on issues central to good gove

Kaley Chiles is a devoted Christian woman, licensed by the State of Colorado as a counselor. Pet. App.212a-14a.  Her conversations and guidance aid, support, and comfort those with whom she speaks. Pet. App.215a.  As part of her identity as a Christian, and as a matter of religious conscience, Kaley believes that individuals thrive when living in alignment with their biological sex as designed by their Creator. Pet. App. 212a-14a . Kaley merely desires to communicate "in a m

Dr. Hélio Angotti Neto, this month’s featured speaker at the Christian International Professors Forum hosted by the Instituto dos Juristas Cristãos do Brasil and the Wagner Faith & Freedom Center , offered a profound reflection on first principles that unite faith, reason, and moral order.  Drawing from his background in medicine, philosophy, and theology, Dr. Neto emphasized that human life possesses inherent dignity derived from being created in the image of God—a truth tha

Lansing, MI — October 13, 2025  — The Honorable William R. Wagner, WFFC Distinguished Chair for Faith & Freedom, joined a distinguished group of speakers at a special training session for state school board members. Sponsored by the Mackinac Center, Salt & Light Global, and the Leadership Institute, the event brought together thought leaders and policy experts to equip board members with foundational knowledge and practical tools for effective governance. Professor Wagner del

LANSING, Mich.  — The Hon. William Wagner (Ret.), former chair of the State Bar of Michigan’s Religious Liberty Law Section, called on the Michigan Supreme Court to uphold constitutional guarantees of Free Exercise of Religious Conscience and Due Process while opposing proposed amendments to Michigan’s Code of Judicial Conduct and Rules of Professional Conduct. The Michigan Supreme Court is considering ADM File No. 2023-35 , which would revise Canon 3 and Rule 6.5 to prohibi

The Council for Christian Colleges & Universities, Law and Public Policy Conference, recently met in Dallas, Texas. This premier gathering of Christian scholars, legal practitioners, university presidents and human resource leaders engaged pressing cultural and constitutional questions shaping public life today. William was privileged to provide the opening devotion. His Biblical exposition reflected on “Guarding That Which Has Been Entrusted to Us,” setting a tone of prayerf

The Wagner Faith & Freedom Center at Spring Arbor University was honored to co-sponsor the 2025 Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU) Law and Public Policy Conference, held in Dallas, Texas. This premier gathering of Christian scholars, legal practitioners, university presidents and human resource leaders engaged pressing cultural and constitutional questions shaping public life today. As part of the conference, the Honorable William Wagner (Ret.), Distinguishe

Each September 17, we pause to honor the wisdom of those who gathered in Philadelphia in 1787. The Constitution they drafted was not merely a framework for government—it was a covenant designed to preserve liberty by restraining power. The Framers, mindful of human fallibility, understood that unchecked authority threatens the unalienable rights endowed to every person by their Creator. They therefore divided power horizontally among three coequal branches, and vertically bet

The Wagner Faith & Freedom Center, the Institute of Christian Jurists, and others recently co-founded International Christian Professors. International Christian Professors  is a global fellowship of distinguished Christian scholars representing many academic disciplines and countries. Together, they form an online think tank where faith and scholarship intersect to address some of the most pressing issues facing our world today. Through this network, professors contribute th

The Ben Franklin Fellowship Working Group on Human Rights just published a short white paper that is worth the read. It offers a vigorous defense of the natural rights foundation of the United States’ political order, situating the Declaration of Independence within the broader Lockean and Stoic traditions. It emphasizes that governments exist not to create rights, but to secure those unalienable ones—life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness—through which human beings atta

Religious Oppression in Turkey