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Check out news and opinion posts across the years
The Way of Grace
A sermon delivered by Michael Cheuk, Pastor, Farmville Baptist Church, Farmville, Va., on March 18, 2012. Fourth Sunday in Lent Ephesians 2:1-10; John 3:14-17 Look out in the world today and you will see the signs of...
For Spiritually Famous and Obscure, Their Moments Pass
"Public religion," the rubric for these e-columns and the Center that issues them, often gets reduced to "religion and politics," but "public" has a broader reach. Included are, for example, the arts, education, and –...
A Reminder That We’re Strong Together, Not Alone
Editor's note: This column is another of several EthicsDaily.com will carry from an initiative from Great Britain called "Beyond400.net – Baptists Imagining Life After 400 Years." On a cold but sunny afternoon...
How the Poor Teach Us About the Divine
My students and I were sitting on a dirt-floor hut in a squatter village on the outskirts of Cuernavaca, Mexico. Joining me were mostly white, economically privileged students who sought to learn about God from the...
Quitting church, or admitting it?
Much has been written lately about an apparent upward trend of people choosing to leave church. Last week, Christian Platt posted a number of reasons why he thinks younger adults quit church on Tony Campolo's Red...
Putting Human Rights Before National Sovereignty
One of the most moving letters I received in response to my last blog post was from a retired professor of philosophy, now living in a small town in Texas. "I have never seen U.S. politics in greater decline," he...
Georgia Bill Would Expel Undocumented from Colleges
Linda Jimenez made straight As, led her high school in the Pledge of Allegiance every morning, participated in extracurricular activities and never got into any trouble at school. Her first semester at Dalton State...
Why You Shouldn’t Need Your iPad for Lent
I've always been a bit of a dreamer. More than once, as both child and adult, I've been gently (or not so gently) encouraged to "get my head out of the clouds" and focus on whatever practical task was at hand. An...
Do You Make Time to Sense God’s Presence?
When I was in elementary school, our report cards contained a section on "class citizenship." We didn't just get grades on spelling and arithmetic; our teachers also evaluated our character. There was a list of...
Why Compromise is Healthy for Church, Society
Steve Inskeep interviewed Prof. Shankar Vedantam on NPR recently about compromise. Studies show that Americans have ambivalent feelings about compromise in politics. They vote for people who say they won't compromise...
How Will Churches Join Society in Moral Issues?
I go to the White House, and President Obama comes to Charlotte, N.C. Our planes must have passed in mid-air. Just my luck. But the goal of the "White House Briefing with Baptist Clergy Leaders" was not a photo-op with...
Designated rememberers …
I've always been a bit of a dreamer. More than once, as both child and adult, I've been gently (or not so gently) encouraged to "get my head out of the clouds" and focus on whatever practical task was at hand. An...
Why New Clergy Deserve a Chance in Your Church
A recentcolumn on the surge of churches calling pastors in their fifth decade evoked a wide range of responses. Many came from midcareer clergy who offered a hearty "Amen" and were grateful for the news that their...
Religious Rhetoric’s Volume Goes Up in Elections
Almost fifty times a year, the weekly Sightings column by Martin E. Marty appears. Almost every time it is based on documentation from print or digital or electronic media: newspapers, blogs, films, etc. This week is...
What Does the Term “Goodwill Baptist” Mean?
Before a delegation of some 60 Baptists metrecentlywithWhiteHouseofficials, White House officials apparently were unfamiliar with the term "goodwill Baptists." Why should that be a surprise? Most Baptists are...
Bowl me over; I didn’t know that
By John Pierce Somehow I missed it — despite my best efforts to keep up with the various shifts in American church culture. USA Today reports that church bowling alleys are becoming less common now. But...
The voice of God?
The weather-casters are calling for thunderstorms today, and that will be a familiar song as spring continues its onward march. Thunderstorms can be trouble, spawning tornadoes or battering crops or sparking fires with...
Few Leaders Grasp Outrage of Average Citizens
Last week, I had the privilege, along with about 60 other Baptist leaders, of spending several hours at a White House briefing and conversation about important domestic policy issues. The briefing took place in a...
The Predictions That Harold Camping Missed
Harold Camping, a 90-year-old radio evangelist based in North Carolina, created a bit of a controversy for himself lately by attempting to predict the future. According to a variety of sources, Camping predicted that...
Kaylor Wins Wilbur Award for “Confessional Politics”
Brian Kaylor, contributing editor for EthicsDaily.com and assistant professor in communications studies at James Madison University, has won a Wilbur Award from the Religion Communicators Council. The award recognizes...
Unprofitable Exchange
A sermon delivered by David Hughes, Pastor, First Baptist Church, Winston-Salem, Nc., on March 4, 2012. Mark 8:31-38; Luke 12:13-21 I’ve attended several Alcoholics Anonymous meetings in my life as a guest. And I’m...