Recently, while attending a musical with my children and niece, I suddenly found my faith in humanity partially restored. The actors performed with confidence and grace, the sets were beautiful and well crafted, and the orchestra below provided harmonious accompaniment all throughout the show.From the beginning to end, the kids and I were immersed in the story and songs, somehow forgetting we were watching and listening to adolescents still in high school.The whole experience reminded me how much is possible with this age group, given the right motivation. They can put in grueling hours, endure severe criticism, and embrace strict discipline, all in the hope of creating something compelling.When those charged with performing the rituals of celebration and devotion only do so out of necessity, their celebrations will inevitably become ugly, superficial, and false.Miraculously, they shunned the temptations of their screens, perhaps realizing that mindless scrolling offers them nothing of substance. The better part of their humanity took over and moved them to make a show for their community.While I take solace in such knowledge, I cannot suppress the frustrations that also arise. If I could only witness a small modicum of this effort from these same students in my English classes, my job would be so much easier.Compared to memorizing lines and music and performing before the bright lights and a large crowd for three hours straight, learning to write a clear and organized essay should be a breeze.These frustrations aside, attending the musical and marveling at the work and energy involved reveal a deeper truth about what stirs young adults to noteworthy action: the intense desire to create something good, true, and beautiful. If the possibility exists to participate in an event or project that merits large audiences, critical acclaim, and thoughtful analysis, this will inherently draw young people to its cause. By contrast, if those events and projects are performed out of a sense of duty and nothing more, those young people will take their talents elsewhere.As many Christians can attest, this dynamic is readily apparent in religious worship. When those charged with performing the rituals of celebration and devotion only do so out of necessity, their celebrations will inevitably become ugly, superficial, and false.The innumerable offenses against good taste and authentic piety afflicting so much of modern Christianity come not only from the infiltration of pernicious philosophies and ephemeral trends but also from a general retreat from the high ideals that formerly animated Christian life and expression.This has resulted in a vicious cycle that drives away more young souls with each round. At some point in the last century, it was decided by pastors and other ecclesial authorities that they could best serve the needs of the Catholic Church by watering down the faith and making it less intimidating.The heavy load that burdened Catholics — that is, the expectation of celebrating and participating in a service that was true, beautiful, and good — would be lifted, or at least lightened. In practical terms, this meant simplifying the liturgy, dumbing down the theology, and substituting superficial fashions for timeless traditions.Never has it been so easy, yet so uninspiring, to be a Christian. Besides transforming Christianity into something cheap and unattractive, the changes wrought in the name of lowering barriers effectively drained the Church of its vitality. For many Catholics, including myself, it is not so much the tacky felt banners and cheesy hymns that bother us, but the general lethargy and mediocrity that underlie such choices. Everything seems to be done out of a sense of familiarity and obligation, not a desire to make something excellent.In light of the brilliant show that I just saw at my high school, I can see all the more clearly what it is that pushes away young people from the faith. Most of them want to create something significant, but churches no longer let them do this. So many parishes have relaxed standards so much that being a practicing Christian hardly feels like anything.RELATED: The Pentagon is trying to restore the Boy Scouts to their former glory William Gottlieb/CORBIS/Corbis/Getty ImagesOlder adults contending with the challenges of raising children, making a living, and participating in their local communities might appreciate these concessions. Younger adults, however, will invariably channel their aptitudes and abundant enthusiasm to singing in a musical, playing in the marching band, or competing in a sport.Moreover, they will even cultivate a quasi-religious zeal in these endeavors. I only half-joke with my students when I tell them they are caught up in a cult. In a certain sense, they are.These extracurricular programs often determine their community and give them a raison d’être. To adults, these shows and games might be wholesome pastimes that help build character; for the students, they offer the kind of fulfillment and meaning that should be coming from their Christian faith.None of this is to argue against the existence of such programs — I hope to attend more musicals with my kids, after all — but for the restoration of these programs’ virtues in Christianity. In order to bring back the youth and reinvigorate today’s dwindling churches, pastors need to bring back the rigor required to realize the true, the good, and the beautiful.Fortunately for Christians, they have a rich tradition of art and scholarship from which to draw and apply such rigor. They only need to overcome their own misgivings and exert themselves as far as they can, doing more both inside and outside worship. Once they experience the joy and satisfaction that come out of it, they will finally understand why such traditions exist in the first place and just how wonderful is our God.

The attorney for a 62-year-old grandmother who was arrested for wearing an inflatable phallic costume to a No Kings protest says her constitutional rights were violated.Police bodycam video showed Renea Gamble trying to walk away from a police officer before he grabs her and tosses her to the ground at a protest in Fairhope, Alabama, on Oct. 20, 2025. Gamble's attorney argued that her right to wear an inflatable phallic costume to protest the president was enshrined in the Constitution.The Fairhope Police Dept. said the officer requested that she take off the costume, which was deemed offensive in a public setting, and she allegedly refused."I'm not going to sit here and argue with you," Col. Andrew Babb says in the video. "If my kids had to come by and see this, how would you explain it to them?"Gamble was holding a U.S. flag as well as a sign with another phallic reference."This is a family town, and I'm not going to have somebody out here dressed like this. You understand?" Babb added. Police said she was initially charged with misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct as well as resisting arrest. They later added a charge of giving officers a false name because she allegedly told police her name was "Aunt Tifa" when asked to identify herself. She was also charged with breaking a city ordinance related to disturbing the peace. Gamble's attorney argued that her right to wear an inflatable phallic costume to protest the president was enshrined in the Constitution. The bodycam footage was released by Gamble's legal team and published by WKRG-TV in its news report.RELATED: 55-year-old protester who slapped the mask off ICE officer receives stunning sentence At a later protest, a woman wearing a purple eggplant costume appeared and made a reference to the fake name used by Gamble. When her attorney was asked whether Gamble was out protesting again before her court hearing, he did not confirm or deny the report. "Several people were dressed in eggplant costumes," attorney David Gespass said to AL.com. "My only concern about people exercising their First Amendment rights is authorities violating them. That is why the National Lawyers Guild has its legal observer program."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

A Philadelphia-area male is accused of stabbing a Planet Fitness worker multiple times amid an altercation last week that reportedly occurred after he was banned for an unpaid bill.Just after 12:30 p.m. Thursday, Cheltenham Police and emergency medical services responded to a Planet Fitness at 1000 South Easton Road in the Wyncote section of Cheltenham Township after a report of a stabbing, police said.Officials said bail was denied, and Massey was taken to the Montgomery County Correctional Facility pending further court proceedings.A male suffering from multiple stab wounds was found and taken to an area trauma center for treatment for life-threatening injuries, officials said.A preliminary investigation determined that the victim is an employee of the Planet Fitness and was stabbed during an altercation with an individual who previously had been banned from the gym, officials said.Responding police officers caught a suspect a short distance away, officials said.Arrested in connection with the incident was 28-year-old Davier Massey of the 7600 block of Rugby Street in Philadelphia, officials said.WPVI-TV reported that Massey was banned Wednesday over an unpaid bill but returned to the gym twice Thursday and caused a disturbance.Investigators told the station it was during the second visit that the altercation escalated, and the employee was stabbed multiple times.Massey was charged with first-degree attempted murder, aggravated assault, recklessly endangering another person, possession of an instrument of crime, simple assault, terroristic threats, criminal mischief, harassment, and disorderly conduct, officials said.RELATED: Unhinged female absolutely pummels male employee at Planet Fitness in Florida Officials said bail was denied, and Massey was taken to the Montgomery County Correctional Facility pending further court proceedings.The Cheltenham Police Department is continuing to investigate the incident, officials said, and those with information or who may have witnessed the incident are asked to contact Cheltenham detectives at 215-885-1600 or policetips@cheltenhampa.gov. Tipsters can remain anonymous, officials added.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

President Donald Trump said someone leaked sensitive information about a downed pilot in Iran, and the administration is going to hunt that person down.The president made the announcement while speaking from the White House on Monday about the rescue of two pilots of an F-15E Strike Eagle that was hit and crashed in Iran.'We think we'll be able to find it out because we're going to go to the media company that released it, and we're going to say, 'National security, give it up or go to jail.''The president said the rescue of the pilots was a major victory for the U.S. and a humiliation for Iran, before making the comments about the alleged leaker."As you probably know, we didn't talk about the first one for an hour, and then somebody leaked something," the president said."Which, we'll hopefully find that leaker. We're looking very hard to find that leaker. ... They basically said that, 'We have one, and there's somebody missing.' Well, [Iran] didn't know there was somebody missing until this leaker gave the information," he added.The pilots were successfully rescued over the weekend, and the incident was reported Friday."So whoever it was, we think we'll be able to find it out because we're going to go to the media company that released it, and we're going to say, 'National security, give it up or go to jail,'" Trump continued."And we know who and you know who we're talking about," he added. "'Because some things you can't do because when they did that, all of a sudden the entire country of Iran knew that there was a pilot that was somewhere on their land that was fighting for his life."He said the leak made it much more difficult for the team sent out to rescue the second pilot.RELATED: Iran is plotting drone strike against the West Coast, FBI warns The Hill reported that among those who first reported the leaked information were the New York Times, Axios, and Fox News.Some noted that the rescue of the pilots coincided with the Christian religious calendar, both in the downing on Good Friday and the rescues reported on Easter Sunday.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!