Browse Archives
Check out news and opinion posts across the years
From the Pews | Unanswered Thoughts and Prayers
Politicians once again offer symbolic thoughts and prayers following two more mass shootings. Their unanswered thoughts and prayers allow the culture of gun violence, divisiveness and hatred to continue to invade our country.
The Ongoing Moral Dilemma Your Pastor Faces
Pastors need to address the issues of our day, but that’s not always easy in our divided culture, especially when you’re employed by a church who can terminate you at the drop of a hat. This is the moral struggle pastors face.
#Peacemakers2019: Time to Build a Movement to End Gun Violence
With each mass killing by domestic terrorists, we are quick to offer thoughts and prayers but slow to offer significant changes that could prevent such evil from spreading. We must all rise up to meet this crisis head on.
Seeking True Repentance for Western Christians’ Colonialism
Colonialism generally brought misery and destruction to human beings made in God’s image. Many mission agencies made grave errors aligning with the project of empire. The Western Christian world collectively must repent.
Why Canadian Baptist Group Apologized to Indigenous People
Canadian Baptists have sought to faithfully walk alongside and accompany “the other” wherever we’ve been called to serve. As a result, we issued a formal apology in 2016 to our First Nations brothers and sisters.
August 8, 2019
‘It Feels Like Being Hunted’: Latinos in U.S. in Fear After El Paso Massacre (New York Times) Texas to Loosen Firearms Laws, Allowing Guns in Churches and on School Grounds (CNN) White House Rebuffed Attempts by DHS to...
August 7, 2019
FBI Opens Domestic Terrorist Probe Into Gilroy Shooting (CNN) Former FBI Agent: Hypocritical Talk, Worse Action: Trump Dismantled Tools to Fight White Supremacist Terrorism (USA Today) Domestic Terrorist Attacks Stir...
A Lament for El Paso and Mexico
A gunman who slaughtered 22 people in El Paso claimed in an online forum he wanted to stop a ‘Hispanic invasion.’ Anyone who would shoot our Mexican and other Latinx brothers and sisters would shoot into the heart of God.
Profiles in Goodwill: Marion Carson
Marion Carson is a freelance writer and lecturer. She serves as pastoral support coordinator at Glasgow City Mission in Scotland and is adjunct faculty at the International Baptist Study Centre in Amsterdam.
Most Migrants Forced to Flee Violence, Desperate Conditions
We often view migration as the search for the American dream. In reality, it’s a life-or-death decision as many are forced to flee violence and desperate conditions. Will churches show God’s love to the least of these?
Society Won’t Wait for Slumbering Church to Find Prophetic Voice
African Americans die while in police custody. A culture of sexual harassment and assault runs rampant. Yet the North American church remains silent and sacrifices its prophetic witness. So society marches on without them.
Emerging Voices | Social Media Changes Church Life, Relationships
Social media has evolved the ways we live in community. We often express love, affection and admiration to the posts, tweets and shares of the other. However, what happens in virtual space does not transfer to the real world.
Survivor Combats Racism Through Reconciliation, Forgiveness
As a teenager, Carolyn McKinstry survived the bomb that went off in 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1963. Today, she combats racism by following her calling to reconciliation and forgiveness.
August 6, 2019
El Paso Shooting Suspect’s Manifesto Echo’s Trump Language (New York Times) Trump Blames Everything But His Own Words for Hate in America (CNN) Trump Blames Video Games and ‘Mentally-Ill Monsters’ for Mass Shootings –...
Christian Nationalism Contradicts Ideals of Christianity, US
Christian nationalism in the US conflates a distorted view of Christianity and a political ideology that romanticizes parts of the nation’s history. Christian nationalism betrays our national motto, “e pluribus unum.”
Emerging Voices | Be Free: Embrace Cuba’s Spirit of Dance
Cuba has a history of slavery and injustice. The people have learned to be resilient and to sing and dance even amid hardships. As we journey through life, may we not be afraid to embrace freedom and dance even when life is hard.
Wendell Berry: A Prophetic Voice for Our Environment
Wendell Berry, who turns 85 today, is my favorite living farmer. More than that, this wordsmith and environmental activist challenged us to “think little” to achieve a healthy environment. May we heed his prophetic voice.
August 5, 2019
We Can No Longer Ignore Trump’s Role in Inspiring Mass Shootings (The Intercept) Conservative Christian Writer: God Allows Mass Shootings So We’ll ‘Return to Him in Prayer’ (Patheos) El Paso Shooter Authored Manifesto...
Rather than trying to revise history later, just do what’s right now
By John D. Pierce The tendency of many is to stay entrenched in support of systems of injustice — offering “biblical” rationalizations unrecognizable by Jesus — until the larger culture forces social change. Then, much...
Christian Nationalism Slams Door on Those Seeking Refuge
Christian nationalism seeks to close the doors to migrants and refugees. In today’s toxic religious and political environment, Christian nationalism aligns more closely with those who opposed Jesus, not those who followed him.
Why You Must Repel Insidious Lies of Christian Nationalism
Indonesia and the US are diverse countries, both undermined by nationalism. In the US, the insidious lies of Christian nationalists are that God only favors Christians and that those who are not must be converted or sent back home.