Browse Archives
Check out news and opinion posts across the years
Could We Have a New ‘Word of the Year’ Next Time?
"Xenophobia" is Dictionary.com's 2016 "word of the year." This recent announcement probably did not surprise many, as this fear or suspicion of the "other" has been on full display throughout this volatile political...
December 13, 2016
Trump is Bringing Progressive Protestants Back to the Church (The Atlantic Dylann Roof Had List of Other Black Churches in His Car (CBS News) Pennsylvania Clergy Denounce Post-Election Bigotry, Racism in Schools...
6 Ways You Can Cultivate More Diverse Relationships
With all of the talk about how divided America is, I continue to believe that there is more that we have in common than what drives us apart. One fundamental need that all humans have is for deep, supportive...
How to Warm Up Your Relationships Gone Cold
I love this time of year, don't you? Even though the days are getting shorter, I love the cool, crisp air and the changing colors of fall. It's nice cutting the air conditioning down at home. Pleasant evenings find my...
Why Your Sermon Must Differ From Fake News Sites
There is a lot of useless information out there. Fake news sites publish fake stories and place them on social media where many of them quickly go viral. Because they confirm what people want to be true (or affirm what...
December 12, 2016
CIA Assessment Says Russia Was Trying to Help Trump Win White House (Washington Post) Christian White Supremacist: 'I Really Believe that Russia is the Leader of the Free World Right Now' (Business Insider) The Trial...
Pressing on …
The paucity of posts I've generated in the past few months reminds me of how hard it's been for me to generate blogs lately. I could claim a lack of time, but I've always had to squeeze blog-writing into what are...
December 10, 2016
Dylann Roof Laughed While Confessing to South Carolina Massacre (KTLA) Oklahoma Baptist University Replaces Confederate Battle Flag in Stained Glass Window (News OK) Mother Seeks Sanctuary from Deportation in Denver...
‘Loving’
Can a boundary be put upon love? Can someone decide who can love another? Is it the state's right to decide who has the right to marriage? These are the questions that "Loving" places before the viewer. It begins in...
The Dangers I See in Liberation Theologies
I understand liberation theology (in all its forms) as "protest theology" and an attempt to focus Christian thought on pressing issues of social injustice and oppression. I cannot accept it insofar as it is a...
Faith-Based Hospital Sends Message of Gratitude to “the Least” in Local Community
Lots of goodwill people are looking for ways to serve. Sometimes it just takes a small number of visionary leaders, along with adequate available resources, and people will jump in remarkable numbers to become...
European Churches’ Project Addresses Media Portrayal of Migrants
The World Association for Christian Communication-Europe (WACC Europe) and the Churches' Commission for Migrants in Europe (CCME) launched a project on Dec. 1 to assess media portrayal of refugees and address...
December 9, 2016
Top Ten Religious Liberty Stories of 2016 (Baptist Joint Committee) Evangelical Pastor Shunned for Welcoming LGBT People Has a New, Thriving Congregation (Huffington Post) Assisted Dying Wins Support Even Among...
From Bethlehem to Samaria with Embossed Letters KKK on a Pulpit Bible
No sooner will we leave Bethlehem than we will journey to Samaria. The sanctuary greenery and Christmas tree will be safely stored before we return to a culture in conflict. One wonders what message we will carry from...
Why I Support BCE/EthicsDaily.com with My Gifts
I am not a sailor, and have no direct experience with it; but the features of sailing often occur to me as metaphors for life and the journey of faith. When I am asked why I support the Baptist Center for Ethics (BCE)...
Global Baptists Urged to Observe Human Rights Day
Human Rights Day is observed on Dec. 10, commemorating the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Baptist World Alliance (BWA) is encouraging its members to participate in the annual observance on...
Understanding The Sacredness of Standing Rock
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers denied an easement permit to the developers of the Dakota Access Pipeline last weekend. This decision will prevent the pipeline from being routed near the water source for the Standing...
December 8, 2016
Inside the Churches That Are Leading New York's Sanctuary Movement (The Nation) Ohio Legislature Moves to Ban Abortion as Early as 6 Weeks After Conception (NPR) Dylann Roof's First Death Penalty Trial Set to Begin in...
‘The Disturbances:’ Inspiration to Face Evil with Gospel of Love
Written in sparse, nearly breathless prose, this story of heroism in the face of genocide brings to light a history long neglected by both those who lived it and those who normally document such tragedy. With current...
Fears that South Sudan Conflict ‘Could Evolve into Genocide’
The U.S. State Department expressed increasing concern that the ongoing conflict in South Sudan could become genocide in light of the recent violence in the Equatoria region. "Ethnically motivated hate speech, the...
Embodying the Only Story That Really Matters
Advent is about waiting for the coming of the Christ, but what difference does this coming really make? Before the coming of Jesus, the Hebrews knew that God loved them. They knew that God forgave sins and that God...