Kerby Anderson
Merrill Matthews was in my radio studio recently to make the case that the “Axis of Evil” is now bigger, bolder, and more evil than twenty years ago. Back in 2002, President George W. Bush identified three countries during the State of the Union address that he designated as the “Axis of Evil.” Those countries were Iraq, Iran, and North Korea.
Merrill Matthews suggested that we now identify the countries that should be listed as part of the “Axis of Evil.” Twenty years ago, those three countries were relatively small, failed states. His current list of countries is composed of countries that are much stronger and more dangerous.
China, for example, is the world’s second-largest economy and brings numerous financial and industrial resources to the network. Both China and Russia have huge natural resources. If you look at those countries, along with the other countries aligned with one or both, you are talking about a land mass that includes most of Asia. And their proximity to each other allows them to expand trade and even allows the movement of banned or sanctioned products (like weapons and drugs).
Not only do these countries have stronger economies, but they are also dedicated to expanding their territory. Neither Russia nor China is content with their borders. Russia is expanding through war (in the case of Ukraine). China is expanding through threatened aggression (in the case of Taiwan).
China has already absorbed Hong Kong and is now plotting how it will be able to take Taiwan. They have also built islands in the South China Sea that can be forward military bases. And it is worth mentioning that China has the largest army in the world and the largest navy in the world.
Twenty years ago, the “Axis of Evil” was dangerous. Today our world is more dangerous than ever before.

Kerby Anderson
Doubt is a perennial concern for Christians. Every Christian has feelings of doubt at one time or another. Unfortunately, many Christians assume that doubt is the opposite of faith. They assume that wandering among the hard questions of faith will lead us further from a belief in God.
Travis Dickinson is a professor of philosophy at Dallas Baptist University. His latest book is, Wandering Toward God: Finding Faith Amid Doubts and Big Questions. He was in my radio studio recently to talk about his book and provide hope and guidance for Christians who have questions about their faith.
Doubt is a natural phenomenon. He quotes from C.S. Lewis who said: “Now that I am a Christian, I do have moods in which the whole thing looks very improbable, but when I was an atheist, I had moods in which Christianity looked terribly probable.”
Part of the problem with the way many see doubt is that they assume we must have certainty. But even prominent atheists reject the idea of certainty. Bertrand Russell observed, “The demand for certainty is one which is natural to man but is nevertheless an intellectual vice.” Voltaire concluded, “Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is an absurd one.”
Travis Dickinson encourages us to ask big questions and then look for answers. There are so many theologians and apologists who provide clear and cogent answers to the many questions Christians and non-Christians are asking today.
In the concluding chapters, Dickinson gives us reasons for God and reasons why we can trust the Bible. He also addresses a few of the common questions raised against the gospel and Christianity: Is the God of the Bible Good and Loving? and Why is There So Much Pain and Suffering?
If you know people struggling with doubt about their faith, this is a book that will take them on a journey back to a biblical foundation.