Browse Archives
Check out news and opinion posts across the years
Baptists Send Cheese, Letter about Religious Liberty to POTUS
A Baptist congregation sent President Thomas Jefferson a cheese wheel to congratulate him on his election. More interesting is the fact that it was delivered by John Leland (1754-1841) on New Year's Day 1802. Leland...
April 2, 1865
Bruce and the Bible: Inside the Rutgers Course on 'Springsteen's Theology' (NJ.com) The South: The Present Past (The Economist) Disciples of Christ Cancels Indy Convention Over 'Religious Freedom' Law (Indianapolis...
Why Ethicists Should Talk About Human+ Movement Now
Transhumanism is a movement to promote the fundamental transformation of humanity, individually or collectively, through technology. This is not merely the promotion of human physical and mental enhancement but...
Lenten Fast Like Juice Cleanse of Spiritual Toxins
When Lent begins early, as it did this year, calls to prayer and fasting come right up against the New Year's barrage of juice-cleanse ads promising atonement for holiday indulgence. From pulpits and religion blogs,...
Nurturing faith in children
Beyond our homes, there are many caring congregations that gladly and thoughtfully assist in the important responsibility of helping nurture faith in children. Through our Nurturing Faith publishing venture, Baptists...
April 1, 2015
Indiana Republicans Were Warned About Their Anti-Gay Bill (Daily Beast) Indiana Gov. Mike Pence Either Confused or Misleading Everyone About Controversial Law (Huffington Post) Indiana Law Draws Republican White House...
Profiles In Goodwill: Jaclanel Moore McFarland
Jaclanel Moore McFarland is a state district court judge in Houston and is a board member of the Baptist Center for Ethics. 1. Where did you grow up? Dawson, Texas. 2. What is your favorite verse, book or story in the...
How TED Talks Differ from Your Pastor’s Sermon
I like good oratory and I teach public speaking regularly. I locate great examples from various professions and watch the best of them over and over, making notes on why they work. I review videos almost frame by frame...
Family, Patriotism Strongly Influence Self-Identity
Religious faith is a distant third behind the influence of family and patriotism on self-identity in the U.S. "Adults are most likely to point to their family as making up a significant part of their personal identity...
March 31, 2015
Indiana Religious Freedom Act: What's Behind the Law and the Backlash (Los Angeles Times) Democrats Call for Repeal of Religious Objections Law (Chicago Tribune) Ga. House Panel Cancels 'Religious Freedom' Bill Meeting...
Why Some Successful Pastors See Themselves Negatively
How comfortable are we with our success? How competent do we perceive ourselves to be? What strange questions to ask, you might be thinking, given the Christian emphasis on humility. Isn't it wrong to understand...
Presidential Campaigns Distract from Common Good
A tidal wave of Republican presidential candidates is right behind Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who has announced his candidacy for the presidency of the United States. The only likely candidate for the Democratic nomination -...
Ministering to Homeless by Restoring Right to Choose
So much of what I call the "homeless industrial complex" revolves around power and control. If you look for it, you will find that it is everywhere. In the food pantry: "Stand here, in this line. Here, take this food,...
6 Ways for Ministers to Build Trust, Transparency
Ministers are accountable to God for the exercise of their ministry (see 1 Corinthians 4:1-4; Galatians 1:10; Hebrews 13:17). Therefore, they have a responsibility to exercise their ministry in a way that is responsive...
March 30, 2015
Indiana Governor Defends 'Religious Freedom' Law (CNN) Indiana Backlash: Opposition to Anti-Gay Bill Grows (CNN) University Presidents Decry 'Religious Freedom' Law (Indianapolis Star) Why Were Indiana's 'Religious...
Restoring Creation Care to Our Theology
At each stage of creation in Genesis 1, God likes what he has created. He declares that the world is good. When it's all done, he declares that the creation is very good. And then something goes very wrong. First, the...
Can You Still Be Social in This Social-Media Era?
The 1990s are having a "culture resurgence," according to a recent interview in the New York Times. A young actress named Sarah Goldberg was featured in a brief interview about a TV show she is starring in on VH1....
Profiles In Goodwill: Bill Pitts
Bill Pitts is professor of church history at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. Bill's articles that have appeared on EthicsDaily.com are available here. 1. Where did you grow up? Duncan, Oklahoma. 2. What is your...
March 27, 2015
Arizona Senator: Church Attendance Should be Mandatory (KPHO) Upstate S.C. Atheists Want to Give Secular Invitation at Greenville Co. Council (WSPA) NCAA Concerned with Indiana Religious Objections Bill (Washington...
‘Festering’ alienation
By John Pierce It is easy to understand that there are those who oppose the swift-moving cultural acceptance of same-sex marriage in American society. What I struggle to grasp is why those in opposition find this legal...
God Doesn’t Want Us to Live as Walking ‘Selfies’
Have you ever heard of a "selfie stick?" This past Christmas I was surprised with the gift of one, and a favorite one at that. For the uninformed, a "selfie" is a rather new word that refers to taking a self-portrait,...