Browse Archives
Check out news and opinion posts across the years
July 8, 2015
Missouri Minister Launching Network for Busy, Isolated (Baptist News Global) Baylor University Quietly Drops 'Homosexual Acts' From its Sexual Misconduct Policy (Huffington Post) Thomas Road Baptist Church Will Never...
3 Observations about Supreme Court’s 5-4 Decision
The Supreme Court of the United States, in a historic decision, handed down a verdict that makes it legal for same-sex couples to marry in all 50 states. In the first 24 hours following the announcement, news outlets...
Pope’s Encyclical Deserves More Than Polite Silence from Baptists
Moral certitude was in no short supply among Baptists in the United States following the shooting deaths in an African-American church in Charleston, South Carolina, with the subsequent flash debate over the...
Why Your Church Should Observe World Refugee Day
We were invited to remember World Refugee Day, Father's Day and International Yoga Day two weekends ago. No need to guess which was the most popular. Crass commercialism rules. And the greatest tragedy for me is the...
July 7, 2015
Editorial: To Countless Baptists, James Dunn Was an Instrumental Influence (Baptist News Global) Newseum: Only 19% Know 1st Amendment Guarantees Freedom of Religion (CNS News) Religious Denominations Unite at...
The real dirt …
The real dirt on sifting is that the dirt is on you. The glamor side of a dig is the digging: after someone else has conceived the plan, designed the dig, surveyed the squares, lined them with sandbags, and worked...
Bible Rebukes the Powerful Who Dismiss, Ignore the Hungry
The Bible has quite a lot to say about food - who has it and who hasn't, who deserves it and who doesn't. The Bible, that most political collection of books, history, letters, speeches, prayers, prophetic oracles and...
Could Christian Worship Be Regarded as Hate Speech?
It seems unthinkable to followers of Christ for the terms "Christianity" and "hate speech" to be linked to one another. Yet a recent Internet search for the phrase "Christianity as hate speech" brought a noted response...
Stopping Terrorist Recruitment of Stranded Minority
For all of its bad ratings and lousy plot points, the movie "Waterworld" with Kevin Costner had a creative premise. Costner plays the Mariner who must fight for his life on his ship within a (literal) sea of villains...
July 6, 2015
James M. Dunn: 1932-2015 (Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty) James Dunn, Robust Advocate for Religious Liberty, Dies July 4 (Baptist News Global) Charleston's Black Leaders Want to See Justice as Much as...
Remembering James Dunn
By John Pierce Fresh out of seminary in the early ’80s, it didn’t take long for me to discover the highlight of attending the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting. It was simply listed in the extensive program as...
Necessities
A few miscellaneous thoughts as we depart from a refreshing weekend at the terrific Ramat Rachel Hotel in Jerusalem, and returning to the Fourth Expedition to Lachish. Yesterday was the fourth of July, but we had to be...
4 Ways to Practice Hospitality with Immigrants
Essential to our identity as followers of Jesus are the practices of hospitality and loving strangers. These practices are rooted in God's extravagant and gracious love (John 3:16, Romans 15:7, 1 John 3:1). In the Old...
Don’t Neglect to Exercise Your Freedom to Worship
July 4 is a time for U.S. citizens to give thanks for our unrivaled freedom and a great time to highlight and celebrate our religious liberty. Religious liberty refers to the right to worship freely without fear of...
What’s the Next Step After Confederate Flag’s Removal?
I have a pretty strong personal history of wrestling with the memory of the Confederacy. Having lived all over the South, I grew up hearing stories from relatives about the "Lost Cause" and how the Yankees took...
July 3, 2015
Churches Face Reality on Gay Union (Rocky Mount Telegram) How Gay Marriage Ruling May Impact Christian Colleges (Michigan Live) BJC Says Same-Sex Marriage Ruling Unlikely to Affect Tax-Exemption (Baptist News Global)...
The dawn patrol
Life on an archaeological expedition feels a bit like being in the army, with a regimented schedule that brings order to the day and makes sure everything gets done. In Israel, the weekend is Friday and Saturday, since...
Racism’s Roots Found in Prejudices Learned at Home
It's done. Death penalty and it's over. Dylann Storm Roof, fueled by hate groups in which he participated, walked into a Wednesday night Bible study and prayer meeting. The 21-year-old Roof was greeted warmly. The...
Humanitarian Aid Efforts Often Overlook Migrants in Crisis
Confusion exists over three terms appearing in daily news headlines - migrants, refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs). Refugees are persons who leave their country due to unsafe, uncertain conditions, while...
3 Issues Every Bivocational Minister Needs to Know
The life of being a bivocational minister is really a work of art. There is no set formula for bivocational. It is a navigation that changes with time. It ebbs and flows through the entire history of a missionary. It...
July 2, 2015
Oklahoma Supreme Court Says Ten Commandments Must Go from Capitol Grounds (The Oklahoman) Oklahoma Supreme Court Orders Removal of Ten Commandments from Capitol Lawn (Baptist News Global) Black Church Fires Raise Fear;...