What’s Ahead in 2026 for Faith and Freedom

Commentary

As 2025 draws to a close, there is much to be thankful for, as we have seen many positive developments for faith and freedom.

Pregnancy resource centers are booming while Planned Parenthood clinics are closing their doors. It looks like we are beginning to see a spiritual revival among young adults as they reject the emptiness of the culture they see around them. And several states have passed common-sense age verification laws, upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court, to protect innocent children from accessing graphic pornography online.

So what is ahead for 2026? What policy advancements can we make to sustain this positive momentum toward faith and freedom?

On the pro-life front, it has been nearly four years since the U.S. Supreme Court finally overruled the tragic Roe v. Wade decision and returned the issue of abortion to the states. But there is still much work to be done. In 2026, we need to work toward ending all taxpayer funding for abortion, as well as increasing restrictions on the distribution of the abortion pill in as many places as possible.

Another point of encouragement has been the increased scrutiny on the legalization of marijuana in numerous states, as scientists and policymakers are discovering that it is not an “unharmful” drug but has long-term negative personal and public health and safety consequences. In 2026, it is essential that citizens continue to fight the expansion of legalized marijuana through engaging in state-based educational efforts on its inherent dangers for children, teenagers, and society.

While the passage of age verification laws in numerous states is making it more difficult for children to access hardcore pornography on their smartphones, tablets, and computers, they are only the first step that needs to be taken to ensure that our children are safe from online harm. It is imperative that legislation be passed at the federal and state levels that holds social media companies accountable for failing to protect children from those who seek to endanger them online, while offering parents the tools they need to monitor and limit their children’s exposure to such harms.

We also need to make sure that artificial intelligence (AI) does not become our master but instead is just seen as a tool to increase productivity. While there is much about AI that can be beneficial, it can also become a weapon to increase online threats to children and the sexual exploitation of all people.

We are also finally seeing pushback against the radical transgender agenda, which has taken a wrecking ball to women’s sports and promoted harmful “gender reassignment” surgeries for confused children. In 2025, President Donald Trump issued several executive orders to stop this madness, and it is hoped that in 2026, these orders will become permanent.

We are also beginning to see a trend back toward embracing marriage among young adults, and I hope we can continue to encourage marriage and the creation of families in the new year. Strong marriages and strong families lead to strong societies as couples and children both flourish and thrive in such an environment.

So many of our current social troubles can be traced back to the breakdown of the family, and thankfully, many individuals on both the right and the left are raising the alarm on what has happened. They are realizing that Dan Quayle was right after all: Boys and girls need both fathers and mothers if they are to succeed in life.

Finally, in 2026, we will be celebrating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, which created the freest nation in the history of the world. Let’s pray that this anniversary will spark a renewal of civic unity, spiritual revival, and patriotism among our fellow citizens.

That is my hope and prayer for 2026 and beyond—that we will return to the values that founded this nation and made her a shining city on a hill for the world to see. The steps I mentioned are just a start toward making such a day possible.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.