Browse Archives
Check out news and opinion posts across the years
Stop Your Deadly Words Before They Spread Like Wildfire
Deadly wildfires are in the news again. In central Portugal, a large forest fire claimed more than 60 lives before it was contained. At first, the fire was thought to originate with a lightning strike, but a BBC report...
State Department Outlines Path to Combat Trafficking
Comprehensive anti-trafficking laws with severe consequences for violation, coupled with effective prosecution, is necessary to combat human trafficking worldwide, according to the U.S. State Department's 2017...
June 28, 2017
Focus on Diversity, Excellence and Being Global are Key to Fellowship’s Future, Paynter Tells CBF Governing Board (Cooperative Baptist Fellowship) Supreme Court Rules on Two More Church-State Separation Cases (USA...
June 27, 2017
The Supreme Court’s Four Big Announcements Monday on Religion (Washington Post) Supreme Court Decision in Trinity Lutheran Case ‘Upends Precedent and Adds Confusion’ (Baptist Joint Committee) The Supreme Court Strikes...
Rational responses to nationalistic worship don’t work
By John D. Pierce Thoughtful Baptist theologian Roger Olson of Baylor University, in his commentary at ethicsdaily.com today, addresses again the troublesome practice of Christian congregations conducting worship...
How You Can Phase Out Nationalistic Worship and Survive
Just a few blocks from my house stands a very large and active mainline Protestant church. I'll leave the denomination unnamed. Throughout the year, it sponsors and hosts numerous special events including seasonal...
When Pastors Must Balance Between Good Cop, Bad Cop
Parents play different roles at times in most families. Some call it "good cop, bad cop," which I suppose is just another way of describing "grace and justice." In my family, the roles were pretty well prescribed. My...
Barna: Southern U.S. Cities Remain Most ‘Bible-Minded’
The most "Bible-minded" U.S. cities continue to be located in the south, according to research by the Barna Group sponsored by the American Bible Society. Barna defines "Bible-minded" as "those who report reading the...
June 26, 2017
Supreme Court Will Hear Case of Colorado Baker Who Refused to Make Wedding Cake for Same-Sex Couple (Los Angeles Times) Religious Leaders Fiercely Criticize Senate Health Care Bill (Huffington Post) The Trump...
2 BCE / EthicsDaily.com Events at CBF Assembly
Baptist Center for Ethics / EthicsDaily.com will have two events on June 29 during the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship's 2017 general assembly in Atlanta. A workshop from 3 to 4 p.m., co-sponsored by CBF Global...
Old Wolf of Racism Appears in Alt-Right Sheep’s Clothing
Alt-right racism is both like and unlike the old racism. How they're alike: Both see the white race as superior and in need of protection. How they're different: The alt-right is generally educated, secular and young....
June 23, 2017
Early Reviews are Negative on Senate Republicans’ Health Care Bill (National Catholic Reporter) Shifting Dollars from Poor to Rich is a Key Part of the Senate Health Bill (New York Times) Right-Wing Christian...
Pottery tells the tale
Archaeology has many facets, and all of them are important as we seek to interpret what we're finding and how that speaks to us about a given site. In some cases, we can gather some information from texts such as the...
Finding Strength in Your Vulnerability
Once there was an astounding castle owned by the Castlereagh family, one of the most princely residences in Ireland. But the ancient home fell into decay, and the usual happened: When peasants wanted to repair a road...
What Orthodox Culture Can Teach You About Grief
Grieving is part of the cost of loving and takes time. It is generally reckoned that the grieving process can take anywhere between two to five years, and in some cases even longer. Clearly, the latter part of the...
UN: Forced Displacement Reaches Record Level in 2016
The number of displaced persons increased by 300,000 in 2016, bringing the global total to 65.6 million, according to the United Nation's annual "Global Trends" report. This record level of displacement results from...
Gospel’s ‘Miracle Message’ Frees Ingrained Thinking
Racism and xenophobia continue to have residual influence even after their overt expressions are rejected. This points to the power of deeply rooted assumptions in a culture of socially focused and limited privilege....
What You Know About the Reformation Might Be Wrong
During this 500th anniversary year, the so-called Strangers Churches in London have planned a series of events telling something of the story of the Reformation and of its continuing liveness in their life and practice...
Christianity Flourishes in Increasingly Urbanized China
Ian Johnson, Beijing-based author of "The Souls of China: The Return of Religion After Mao," has given considerable thought to the reasons that Christianity and other religions are growing in China. At a recent Council...
June 22, 2017
Christians Find God in U.S. National Parks (RNS) The Grizzly as Religious Icon (High Country News) Why Cash Remains Sacred in American Churches (The Conversation) Tulsa Church’s Proposed New Sign Stirs Controversy...
Profiles in Goodwill: Hannah McMahan
Hannah McMahan is executive director of the New Baptist Covenant. 1. Where did you grow up? North Carolina. 2. What is your favorite verse, book or story in the Bible? Why? Barnabas is an interesting character to me....