Browse Archives
Check out news and opinion posts across the years
Jesus just ain’t mean enough
By John D. Pierce For some professing Christians Jesus just ain’t mean enough. They claim him as their savior but consider him a wimp when it comes to “real life” experiences. They impose a strictly literally...
Breaking the Complicity of Silence for the Wounded
Sexual abuse decimates its victims and shatters their families. Those ripples extend out into a family’s community. How a community responds has enormous impact on the ultimate health of that child, let alone their family.
Before Enacting Biblical Literacy Classes, We Need Biblical Integrity
State bills are being proposed and enacted to teach the Bible in public schools. It may sound innocent, but it’s an effort to subvert the First Amendment’s anti-establishment clause. Perhaps we first need biblical integrity.
Wage Theft Robs Our Most Vulnerable Workers of Billions
Wage theft is all around us – some estimates say billions of dollars a year unpaid – falling hardest on the most vulnerable, particularly black workers. However, what is wrong can be made right.
February 21, 2019
Southern Baptists Should Investigate Churches that Cover Up Abuse, Says SBC President (RNS) Against Governor’s Wishes, Indiana Senate Republicans Modify Hate Crimes Legislation (Eagle Country) Mississippi: The...
Profiles in Goodwill: Joe Phelps
Joe Phelps is the new justice coordinator for Earth and Spirit Center and co-chair of Empower West, a Louisville, Kentucky, black-white clergy coalition. He served previously as pastor of Highland Baptist Church in Louisville.
Creating Sacred Space for Conversations on Abortion
The noise of the religious and political fight on abortion stifles the stories of those who have experienced them. With its “pro-voice” stance, Exhale offers a safe and confidential space to all women who have experienced abortion.
Who Gets In? Who Doesn’t? The Law Has Nothing to Do With It
Some folks may prefer otherwise, but the ability to follow the rules isn’t the defining factor for being welcomed into God’s kingdom because following the law can’t make a person acceptable before God.
February 20, 2019
Alabama Newspaper Editorial Calls for KKK to Hang Democrats (Daily Beast) Women More Likely to Take Bible Literally, but that Might be Tied to Intimacy, not Gender (Phys.org) Catholic Mom Sues After Trump-Backed Foster...
Walter Rauschenbusch: Social Gospel’s Most Compelling Advocate
Trained as a Baptist minister, Walter Rauschenbusch, consumed with a passion for social justice, thought America had made great economic strides forward but was still far behind in its moral responsibility. What would he say today?
Why Your Church Must Stand with Sexual Assault Victims
When it comes to sexual assault in our churches, too many Southern Baptist leaders claim they want to find a middle ground. There isn’t one. We must always stand with the victims.
The Cruel Practice of Using Language to Dehumanize Others
The use of demeaning language is a first step to dehumanize people, which ultimately leads to suffering and possibly death. It’s been true in our history and is still true today.
February 19, 2019
SBC President on Report About Sexual Abuse in Southern Baptist Churches (Faithwire) Al Mohler Says He Was Wrong About C. J. Mahaney (Baptist News Global) A Pair of Christian Colleges Quietly Cracking Down on LBGTQ...
Why Social Justice, the Kingdom of God Go Hand in Hand
Although many conservative white evangelicals decry social justice, using terms like “social justice warrior” as a pejorative, it’s impossible to separate it from the Kingdom of God. Let’s explore what the Bible means by justice.
Why Neurology Predisposes You to Love Your Neighbor
When Jesus commands us to love our neighbor as we love ourselves, he is urging us to nurture our innate, neurological capacity for empathy. However, when it comes to those who aren’t like us, many of us resist this innate ability.
U.S. Protestant Pastors Envision Hopeful Future for Churches
Protestant pastors in the U.S. have an optimistic, hopeful vision for the future of their congregations, a new report said. What concerns many of them is reaching the next generation.
February 18, 2019
Two Topeka Churches Take First Step Toward Racial Reconciliation (Topeka Capital-Journal) Texts Show Collusion Between Police and Hate Group ‘Patriot Prayer,’ Oregon Official Says (NBC News) Lawmakers from Multiples...
Beyond #ChurchToo: A Path Forward for Evangelicals
For decades, Southern Baptist and other evangelical clergy have sexually abused women and children, and all the while, other religious leaders have turned a blind eye. Here’s how that status quo can come to an end.
Examining the Claim Our Public Schools Don’t Stack Up
Every few years, headlines proclaim that U.S. students don’t stack up well compared to international students, reinforcing a charge that our public educational system is broken. A closer look reveals that claim doesn’t hold water.
‘They Shall Not Grow Old’
Director Peter Jackson’s “They Shall Not Grow Old” takes black-and-white archival footage from World War I and transforms it into vivid color, bringing the war to life with all its horrors. It’s a masterpiece.
February 15, 2019
Where do Most Christian Singles Live? (Christian Post) George Washington’s Faith Under Scrutiny After Sale of ‘God Letter’ (Religion News Service) Why Does the Catholic Church Keep Failing on Sexual Abuse? (The...