Browse Archives
Check out news and opinion posts across the years
November 30, 2016
Soul Searching: Researchers Claim that Humans Have Souls Which Can Live on After Death (The Sun) Religious Thoughts Trigger Reward Systems Like Love, Drugs (CNN) For Some, Scientists Aren't the Authority on Science...
Freedom more than courage provides needed voice
By John D. Pierce After addressing a pertinent issue directly and boldly I sometimes receive much appreciated affirmation for being courageous. But the opportunity to write in such an open, unrestricted way is more the...
Which Matters More? What The Church Says or What It Does?
A heated debate broke out recently in my church. Pastor Phil Robinson and I were discussing our mission as a church by addressing two questions: 1. Should we emphasize proclamation or social action? 2. Which is more...
November 29, 2016
Georgia Baptists Take a Hard Line on Illegal Immigration (Atlanta Journal-Constitution) 'We've Never Had Anything Like This': Racist, Threatening Message Left on Door of Indiana Black Church (Washington Post) First...
On GIVING TUESDAY, please do!
Giving Tuesday (Nov. 29) comes on the heels of the busiest in-store and online shopping sprees. When Jesus said it is more blessed to give than to receive, he wasn’t referring to more sweaters and ties for those with...
Report: Hunger, Poverty Down; ‘Daunting Challenges’ Remain
Hunger and poverty are being addressed more effectively than any other time in history. Poverty has declined from 37.1 percent of the global population in 1990 to 9.6 percent in 2015, according to Bread for the World's...
How Your Pastor Can Stay Grounded in Ministry
I am a proponent of strong pastoral leadership. I don't believe in dictatorial, controlling leadership, but I do believe one of the reasons why churches struggle today is because of a lack of strong leadership from...
November 28, 2016
Trump's Education Secretary Pick Draws Religious Liberty Concerns (BJC) The Biggest Victim Under a President Trump? Freedom of Religion (The Hill) Wisconsin Sikh Community Raises Awareness of Religion After...
Recognizing Subtler Forms of Pride in Your Life
One of the wonderful features of young children is their emotional honesty. They don't hide their feeling or wants. They have no subtlety. When they want something, they simply demand it. They holler. They cry. They...
Does Your Church Turn Off First-Time Visitors?
Paul is obviously a troubled man when he writes to his Christian friends in Corinth. "So if the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues, and some who don't understand or some unbelievers come in,...
November 25, 2016
2 Mississippi Churches Transcend Racial Barriers After Arson (The Grio) Virginia Baptists Pass Resolution Opposing Anti-Muslim Views, Rhetoric (BJC) William Carey University Marks 110 Years in Hattiesburg (Clarion...
Translating with an agenda …
Scholars sometimes make mistakes because they are lacking understanding or adequate information. That is regrettable, but understandable. Scholars -- or persons who claim to be scholars -- may also err in order to...
How You Can Recover the Lost Art of Being Thankful
The origin of a story about an eccentric boy who never grows up is the subject of the movie, "Finding Neverland." Johnny Depp plays J.M. Barrie, a struggling writer who was inspired through a friendship with the Davies...
Being Thankful Even in Times of Great Desperation
How can you not like the story of the Pilgrims? They came to America to find religious freedom. They were "separatists," believing that the true church must separate itself from the corruptions of the world, in...
Behold An Open Door to EthicsDaily.com Readers
Revelation 3:8 was posted in large black letters on orange paper on the classroom's front bulletin board: "Behold, I have set before you an open door and no man can shut it." Over the course of those terrifying days of...
3 Ways to Help Your Kids Live a Life of Gratitude
Thanksgiving is a time to pause, take a deep breath, count our blessings and express our gratitude. We spend time with family, eat delicious food, kick off the Christmas holiday season, watch football and engage in any...
November 22, 2016
Rewriting the Biblical 'Curse' of Womankind (The Atlantic) FBC Columbus, Mississippi Selling Downtown Property (Columbus Dispatch) Mississippi Residents Unsure of Controversial Billboard' Intent (CNN) U.S. Holocaust...
7 Ways You Can Reach Out to Others This Thanksgiving
Are you thankful for all the ways that God has been good to you this past year? And do you want to acknowledge the needs of others, even as you enjoy the benefits of God's good gifts? Then make your Thanksgiving...
Awe: It Connects You With Others, Makes You Kinder
Awe was the focus of a Parade magazine article published in October. The author, Paula Spencer Scott, describes how the emotion of awe is getting more and more attention from researchers. "New studies show that it's a...
November 21, 2016
Evangelical Support for Trump Strains Relationships Among Believers (Waco Tribune) Steve Bannon, Trump's Chief Strategist, in Referencing 'Satan' Says 'Darkness is Good' (CNN) Donald Trump's Team Won't 'Rule Out'...
All over the map
Attending a meeting of SBL/AAR (the Society of Biblical Literature/American Academy of Religion) is not unlike strolling along San Antonio's famed Riverwalk: options abound, and all of them interesting, at least to...