Welcome to Higher Ground, the faith-centric newsletter focused on the intersection of culture and politics from experienced journalists at The Washington Times

Don’t forget to subscribe to have the Higher Ground newsletter delivered to your inbox every Sunday.

Just 59% of 18- to 34-year-olds say they believe in God, a major reason why Americans’ belief in God has plunged from 90% in 2001 to 74% in May, according to a new Gallup poll.

Americans’ belief overall in what Gallup calls the five “spiritual entities” — God, angels, heaven, hell and the devil — has reached its lowest point in 22 years, the survey found. Megan Brenan, a Gallup senior editor, blames the drop on a “generational shift” for millennials and Generation Z.

“I’d say I’m not terribly surprised. If you look at the list of the other four spiritual entities — angels, heaven, hell and the devil — those also have declined. I think it’s just the general shift, particularly among young Americans, in their belief,” Ms. Brenan said.

Supreme Court conundrum

Despite a recent Supreme Court decision affirming the First Amendment rights of a graphic designer, it’s not clear how the legal battle will affect Christian bakers and other business owners who have similarly declined to create same-sex wedding products.

“Legal experts say bakers, florists and others still might have to battle in court if LGBTQ celebrations conflict with their beliefs,” The Washington Times’ Alex Swoyer writes.

Here’s why some ambiguity surrounding the recent case could mean bakers, photographers and other business owners might face legal battles.

Cross sparks First Amendment battle

In California, a battle persists over the beloved Albany Hill cross, a decades-old, 28-foot cross overlooking California’s East Bay that was taken down last month by Albany officials.

The Times’ Valerie Richardson breaks down the history of the cross, why so many people revere it, and how atheists came to challenge its constitutionality.

“The cross was removed June 8 over the objections of the Lions Club, which offered last year to buy the ‘underlying fee interest in the lot containing the cross from the city,” Ms. Richardson writes. “‘The cross would then be in private ownership — there would be no Establishment Clause problem,’ said the Lions Club complaint.’ Why not accept the offer? Albany Mayor Aaron Tiedemann said removing the cross was ‘consistent with our values.’”

Here’s the full story.

‘The Chosen’ filming despite SAG-AFTRA strike

Hit TV series “The Chosen” is back in business amid the contentious Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists strike, with the show resuming filming its fourth season Monday. Producers snagged a waiver from SAG-AFTRA that will allow the production to continue while most other movies and shows come to a halt.

According to The Times’ Mark A. Kellner, “The Chosen’s” status as an independent production enabled the show to receive special clearance.

“Industry trade website Dateline quoted Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, the union’s chief negotiator, as saying SAG-AFTRA ‘will give as many interim agreements as we can, so long as they are truly independent,’” Mr. Kellner writes. “Those granted an exemption agree to be bound, retroactively, to the eventual terms the union reaches with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which represents the major studios.”

Read more here.

Sen. Tim Scott joins ‘Higher Ground’

Sen. Tim Scott joined Billy Hallowell on the “Higher Ground” podcast to discuss his run for the presidency and his deep Christian roots. Plus, Mr. Hallowell was joined by Cheryl Chumley to discuss race in America, New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and more. Listen to the episode here.

And Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes talks to Mr. Hallowell about the incredible real-life story behind the surprise hit movie “Sound of Freedom.”

Evangelical leader’s candid Trump remarks

And on the electoral front, one evangelical leader believes Iowa voters could be looking beyond former President Donald Trump, Tom Howell Jr. reports.

Bob Vander Plaats, president of The Family Leader, made his assessment after his group’s summit last week — an event Mr. Trump declined to attend.

“Mr. Vander Plaats, in a tweet Monday, said former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley ‘intrigued and impressed’ and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy was ‘inspired and on message,’” Mr. Howell writes. “He said Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis showed ‘command and validated his leadership bona fides.’” Here’s why this could matter.

GOP candidate mixes Hindu, Judeo-Christian values

Speaking of Mr. Ramaswamy, the Republican candidate running to become the nation’s first Hindu president: He said he does not see his faith as an impediment in a country with a Judeo-Christian tradition. He told editors and reporters at The Times this week that he sees significant overlap among the religions.

“I’m a Hindu, and I raised my kids in the same tradition, but we share the same Judeo-Christian values that this nation was founded on,” he said. “Part of the reason I’m able to stand for religious liberty and the revival of faith as clearly and unapologetically as I have is perhaps because I am a member of a younger generation.”

Church turns to AI to detect guns

A Southern California megachurch is using artificial intelligence to try to detect firearms at the church.

The goal of the move by Valley Baptist Church in Bakersfield is to spot unauthorized weapons before they can be used and to give security personnel a better chance to respond, Mr. Kellner writes.

Read more here.

Millennial mayhem

Meanwhile, a survey found the plurality (44%) of millennials between the ages of 25-44 believe it should be a criminal offense to use the wrong gender pronouns.

“Most people ages 25-44 agreed with the statement that ‘referring to someone by the wrong gender pronoun (he/him, she/her) should be a criminal offense,” The Times’ Matt Delaney writes. “Those 25-34 years old were much likelier to agree that misgendering should be a criminal offense (44%) than those who disagreed (31%).”

Read more about the survey here. 

In our opinion

What do Americans really think of abortion? “By 24 weeks of pregnancy, most Americans think their state should generally not allow abortions.” That line, from a recent Associated Press article, shatters the pro-choice mantra and opens up an important conversation about an inconvenient truth: most Americans want restrictions on abortion, writes Times columnist Mr. Hallowell.

Here’s why that matters.

History is our best teacher. Times’ columnist Everett Piper explains why “history is our best teacher” and is worthy of our attention, particularly when it comes to the state of American culture. Appealing to Scripture and warning about the past repeating itself, Mr. Piper explores some timeless truths.

“If history teaches that not even Israel, God’s chosen people, could avoid the consequences of such rebellion, then why would we think we will be treated differently?” he writes. “Pretty sobering, isn’t it?” Despite the chaos, here’s why he says there’s still hope.

Conscience vs. indignation. Finally, in Mr. Piper’s “Ask Dr. E” column, he responds to a fascinating question: “Does everyone have a conscience?” Here’s what he has to say.