Browse Archives
Check out news and opinion posts across the years
January 25, 2019
Virginia Senate Approves Guns-in-Church Bill (WRIC 8News) Suit Alleging Religious Coercion of Louisiana Students Settled (The Tribune) Evangelical Pastors Defend Trump’s Border Wall Stating it’s the ‘Christian Thing to...
How Conservatives, Liberals Produced Two Christianities
Can differences of degree become so great they become differences of kind? Conservative and liberal Christians, unable to find a center, have become so increasingly polarized it appears they have produced two Christianities.
What the Akkadian Empire’s Collapse Means for You Today
A natural climate change event some 4,200 years ago ended the Akkadian Empire. It’s a chilling reminder that another climate change, spurred by human activity, could have a devastating cost for our planet’s 7.7 billion people.
Look Back | Baptists Explore Ministry to Women in Prostitution
A weeklong International Consultation to Women in Prostitution conference raised awareness among Baptists of the issue of sexual exploitation. Here is how they’re making a difference.
Doggone Theology: 6 Life Lessons from Shadow
We had to say goodbye to our family dog, Shadow, a part of our family for 11 years. Our best little buddy taught me some “doggone theology” during his life. Here are 6 lessons.
Why We Must Have the Difficult Conversation About Our Past
Looking back on our nation’s role in slavery and racism, communities are struggling with how to memorialize and interpret the past. Sometimes, to enter well into the future, we need to own our past.
Views of Gene Editing Morality Depend on Proposed Usage
Views on the morality of gene editing vary widely based on its intended usage, a report found, with 60 percent saying it was morally acceptable to use gene editing to prevent an incurable or fatal disease.
January 24, 2019
Bible Classes in Public Schools? Why Christian Lawmakers are Pushing a Wave of New Bills (USA Today) LDS Church Won’t Stand in the Way of a Tougher Utah’s Hate-Crimes Law (Salt Lake Tribune) Ocasio-Cortez Invokes Bible...
Profiles in Goodwill: Jakob Topper
Jakob Topper is senior pastor of NorthHaven Church in Norman, Oklahoma.
Seminary’s Report Recounts Its Shameful Support of Slavery
Southern Baptist Theological Seminary penned a 70-page report on the seminary’s shameful complicity in slavery, Jim Crow and white supremacy. While the clear-eyed report is not enough, it is a strong start.
Texas Leaders Extol Bipartisanship, Faith Partnership to End Trafficking
State representatives, advocates and leaders of faith-based organizations in Texas gathered on the capitol steps for a human trafficking awareness and prevention rally.
January 23, 2019
Advocates Slam Thousands of Child Marriages in U.S., Demand Congress Act (NBC News) At MLK Service, SC Pastor Targets Politicians for Failing to Support Black Community (The State) Bibb County Faces Some of the Worst...
In search of better exports
By John D. Pierce My mother never traveled overseas but her one global connection was a Dutch pen pal relationship formed when the two were schoolgirls. They never met (or talked by phone to my knowledge) but enjoyed...
My favorite Jack Harwell story
By John D. Pierce A tiny black-and-white image of Jack Harwell — in his younger, bespectacled days — was a weekly visitor to my family’s home in northwest Georgia. It was set within his allotted words on the editorial...
When You Finally Realize It’s Not All About You
One of the most significant causes of conflict – whether between individuals or among nations – is the conviction that reality revolves around ourselves. But God’s creation does not uniquely revolve around us.
What to Do About Your Sleepy Church Members
The American lifestyle’s frantic pace leads inevitably to exhaustion. Healthy clergy will recognize that the church is often one of the culprits in the overfilled schedules of its people. Here’s what you can do about it.
UN: Human Trafficking Reaches ‘Horrific Dimensions’
Human trafficking has reached “horrific dimensions” in areas of conflict, a U.N. report revealed. The average number of trafficking victims per country has spiked nearly 70 percent in six years.
January 22, 2019
Martin Luther King Jr. Day at Ebenezer Baptist Church: A Call to Action (USA Today) 50 Years After His Assassination, MLK’s Legacy Thrives in His Hometown Church (Inquisitr) First Baptist Church Huntsville Gives...
January 21, 2019
Ebenezer Baptist Church Gathers Food for Furloughed Workers (Fox 5 News) Virginia ‘Wood Ministries’ Chop, Season and Deliver Wood to Those Who Need It (Fauquier Times) New York Unitarian Church, Embracing Activism, to...
Editor emeritus Jack U. Harwell, 86, led two Baptist publications
By William T. Neal Jack Upchurch Harwell, prominent Baptist journalist in Georgia, died Jan. 18, at Emory Hospital in Atlanta. He was 86. A native of Mobile, Ala., he had lived in the metro Atlanta area for most of his...
When Celebrating MLK Day, Don’t Forget Coretta Scott King
Had it not been for the visionary and tireless advocacy of Coretta Scott King, we would not have Martin Luther King Jr. Day. She fought for justice her entire life and had the vision to bring us this day.