Browse Archives
Check out news and opinion posts across the years
World Baptist Leaders Meet with Ukraine’s President
European Baptist leaders met with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko last week. The delegation included European Baptist Federation (EBF) President Asatur Nahapetyan, Vice President Jenni Entrican and General...
September 1, 2016
An Author's Eulogy for 'White Christian America' (PBS Newshour) Trump VP Pick Mike Pence Met With Protests, Poor Attendance at Evangelical Virginia College (Christian Post) The Evangelical Left: 'We Think Everybody...
New finds from an old geezer
Tel Gezer (pronounced "geh-zer," not "geezer") has been in the news lately. Though it has been excavated off and on (and sometimes poorly) since the early 1900s, recent excavations offer tantalizing evidence that seems...
Defriending Gossip, Slander and Discourteous Talk
I enjoyed recently a wonderful break in Tiree, Scotland, where I not only enjoyed the quiet and natural isolation that the island brings but also was blessed by the absence of Wi-Fi and 4G signal. Ten days without...
Author: Work Force Adds to Economic, Social Stability
"Don't try to reinvent the wheel 'cause the wheel works just fine," says John Akhile Sr. of the power of trade to move people en masse out of poverty. Akhile, author of the book, "Unleashed: A New Paradigm of African...
August 31, 2016
Bachmann: God 'Raised Up' Trump to be GOP Nominee (Politico) The Long Search for the Missing Child Brides of a Mormon Polygamist Sect (Vice) ACLU: Christian Woman Forced to Remove Headscarf for License in Alabama (CBS...
Most ‘Nones’ Leave Religion Due to Lack of Belief
Seventy-eight percent of 'Nones' grew up in religious homes, according to a Pew Research Center poll, with 49 percent leaving religion due to a lack of belief. "Religious 'nones' are by no means monolithic," Pew...
August 30, 2016
9 Texas Colleges Rank Among 'Absolute Worst' for LGBT Students, Gay Rights Group Says (Dallas Morning News) Floyd Churches Band Together to Address Racism, Use Worship to Break Down Racial Divide (Northwest Georgia...
When You Are Your Sister’s Keeper
Ninety percent of war casualties were male soldiers around a century ago. Today, an estimated 90 percent of casualties are civilians, and 75 percent of these are women and children. In the early 1990s, I traveled with...
Catholic Bishops Call Attention to Work, Family Issues
U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a Labor Day letter focused on the challenges facing American workers and families. Labor Day will be observed on Monday, Sept. 5, this year. There are "deep trials in both the...
August 29, 2016
Macon Churches, Split by Race, Work to Heal Divide (Macon Telegraph, GA) What Southern Baptists Were Told About the Religious Right's Political Future (The Tennessean) For Hillary Clinton and Democrats, a Public Shift...
Avoiding alarmist anxieties
By John D. Pierce Our well-established, sprawling neighborhood has a Facebook page that serves a variety of purposes — ranging from helpful to annoying. Residents recommend painters, plumbers and other home repair...
‘Hell or High Water’
Billy Preston famously sang, "I got a story ain't got no moral, I let the bad guy win every once in a while." The antihero protagonist is not new in film. You can go back to "Citizen Kane" or even "Casablanca" to see...
5 Ways You Can Bless Your Child’s Teacher
"Back to school." What do those words mean to you? Certainly they bring memories and emotions, and those are very different for students, former students, parents and teachers. As a Christian and even as a church, how...
How Olympics Can Reignite Our Resolve for Justice
I was hopelessly hooked on this summer's Olympic Games, fueled no doubt by the blistering success of Team Great Britain. As medal winner after medal winner was paraded before an adoring public, it was hard not to want...
August 26, 2016
In Pennsylvania House of Representatives, Even Prayer Practices are Proving to be Controversial (PennLive) Atheists' Lawsuit is Financial Setback for National Baptist Convention (Sun Herald, MS) Southern Baptist Film...
August 25, 2016
Georgia County Fights Plans for Mosque (CNN) Catholic Church Groups Fight Bills to Revive Old Sex Abuse Cases (NPR) Amid Louisiana Flooding, Social Media Conveys Hope (Western Recorder) Religion in the Media: How Has...
Streams, ditches and other life lessons
By John D. Pierce Age doesn’t necessarily bring wisdom, but we can learn a few things over the years if we pay attention and are willing to consider new light. I claim no higher perch from which to speak than others....
Nigeria’s 1966 Genocide: Why Few Wanted to Hear About It
Genocide in Nigeria has escaped the radar of most North Americans. It garnered little attention here when it happened 50 years ago. It's the subject of our new documentary, "The Disturbances." When we - Robert Parham...
What Happens to Ethics in a Strong Political Wind?
A funny thing happened to ethics on the way to the polls. This process and discipline that seeks to translate values into responsible decisions, from personal morality to public policy - a special and delicate gift of...
Pew: Sermon Quality Tops List for Church Shoppers
Pulpit oratory sits atop the list of what U.S. adults look for in choosing a local church. The quality of sermons was a factor in choosing a local church for 83 percent of respondents, a Pew Research Center survey...