Browse Archives
Check out news and opinion posts across the years
December 7, 2016
Muslim NYPD Officer Threatened, Told 'Go Back to Your Country' (CNN) Florida Church Vandalized with Swastikas, Trump Campaign Slogan (Tampa Bay Tribune) Minnesota Church Leaders Vow to Protect Immigrants Seeking Refuge...
History matters; so do our words and deeds
By John D. Pierce The renaissance of downtown Chattanooga in recent decades has brought much to enjoy from the North Shore to the Southside — making the choices challenging when deciding where to eat and what to do on...
Why I Support BCE/EthicsDaily.com with My Gifts
I came to the Home Mission Board staff of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) in July 1968. In the previous month, at its annual meeting, the SBC passed a "Statement On The Crises in Our Nation." SBC agencies were...
Substance Abuse ‘A Major Public Health Challenge’
Substance abuse is "a major public health challenge," according to "The Surgeon General's Report on Alcohol, Drugs and Health." Substance abuse or misuse is "the use of alcohol or drugs in a manner, situation, amount...
December 6, 2016
The Dakota Access Pipeline Isn't Just About the Environment. It's About Religion. (Washington Post) US Church Sprayed with Bible Verse About the Killing of 185,000 Assyrian Christians (Christian Today) Roaring Fork...
The Dangers in Being a Warrior Prophet
Daniel Berrigan wrote, "A prophet makes a vow of love, not of alienation." Those words need to be highlighted today when a lot of very sincere, committed, religious people self-define as cultural warriors, as prophets...
Keeping Pride at Bay Can Be Tricky
Many Scripture passages condemn pride. Proverbs is filled with warnings about pride. For example, Proverbs 16:5 says, "The Lord detests all the proud of heart" and Proverbs 16:18 says, "Pride goes before destruction, a...
December 5, 2016
Breaking Up With Your Church Over Politics (Wall Street Journal) Florida Man Made Pulse-Like Massacre Threats Against Church That Welcomes 'Sick Homosexuals' (Washington Post) As Its Flock Shrinks, Historic First...
December 3, 2016
Supreme Court to Decide Whether Church-Affiliated Hospitals Can Underfund Pensions (Los Angeles Times) Why Physics is a Friend of Religion More than Other Sciences (Big Think) Texas Will Require Aborted Fetuses to be...
‘Arrival’
Science fiction literature offers a wonderful platform for creative engagement when it comes to dealing with moral and philosophical issues that impact our humanity and our belief systems. Unfortunately, thoughtful...
Do You Need a Fresh Supply of Hope? Just Ask
Hope perches in the soul of every human. Thank you, Emily Dickinson, for the lovely imagery. Like breathing itself, hope is an intrinsic practice that sustains life. When reflecting on Paul's trilogy of faith, hope and...
December 2, 2016
This Climate Scientist Wants to Reach the Faithful on Climate Change (Seeker) CBF and Tennessee CBF Request Donations to Aid Victims of Gatlinburg Fires (CBF) In Court, Church Shooting Defendant Both Confident and...
Mosquitoes, Mustard Seeds Have Huge Transformative Impact, So Do Our Readers
If you think you are too small to make a difference, you haven't spent a night with a mosquito. A well-known truth is that small things, insignificant things, can have a huge impact. Growing up in Nigeria, we slept...
Why I Support BCE/EthicsDaily.com with My Gifts
One of the songs in the cantata our choir is singing this year is about Joseph promising Mary that there is an inn awaiting their arrival in Bethlehem. Of course, we know that when they arrived, there was no room for...
British Faith Leaders to Gov’t: Help Besieged Syrians Now
Baptist Union of Great Britain General Secretary Lynn Green has joined other faith leaders in urging the United Kingdom's government to take immediate action to deliver aid to civilians in besieged Aleppo. The plea...
6 Lessons Your Church Can Learn from Sea Glass
Our grandchildren discovered sea glass on our family beach trip this past summer. For our five preschoolers, it was like finding treasure. In fact, that's what they called it. "Let's go find some more treasures!" You...
December 1, 2016
Tornado in Alabama Destroys Church and Daycare (Christian Science Monitor) In Montana, an Unease Over Extremist Views Moving Out of the Woods (NPR) Two Preachers Recall Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s (WV Public...
Turning 200: Historic Augusta church plans yearlong celebration
By John D. Pierce “It will be a year of remembering and celebrating God’s faithfulness to this church,” said Janet Hudson, chair of the 200th anniversary committee, as First Baptist Church of Augusta, Ga., readies for...
10 Tips to Make Wise Decisions about Holiday Giving
The holiday season is here once again, and with the festivities come multiple invitations to give to worthwhile missional causes. Determining which ones to give to can be painstaking and time consuming. Because of the...
Churches Needed That Are Highly Aware of Their Calling
We are constantly declaring what we actually believe it means to be disciples who follow Jesus and gather as a church. Every time we make a move, every time we make a decision, every time we gather, every time we speak...
7 Options to Survive the Coming Pastor Shortage Test Article
I assisted dozens of churches as they sought a new pastor during my 14 years serving as a judicatory minister. It was always a challenge to find a pastor for smaller churches, and it became increasingly more difficult...