Browse Archives
Check out news and opinion posts across the years
Think again
The late Jerry Falwell and other Religious Right pioneers made a lot of political hay in the 1980s about the demise of American culture. One of their common scapegoats was the sensible judicial decision in the '60s...
Culture Clash: No More Taxes vs. Charity and Justice
Nothing is more exciting to a historian than living in a time when two great systems of thought collide. On one hand we have a great, animated, public debate about taxes. Outraged Tea Party folks capture images of the...
Christian Faith is Deeper Than Mere Reason
There's an oft-told story about Nikolai Bukharin, the Communist propagandist. Addressing a huge rally in Kiev in 1930 on the subject of atheism, he spent an hour ridiculing Christianity. It was a religion for...
“The Art of the Steal”
In 1922, Dr. Albert Barnes established the Barnes Foundation to preserve his significant art collection. He stipulated that his collection, housed in a mansion a few miles outside Philadelphia, never be sold, moved or...
The Hole In The Wall
A sermon delivered by Randy Hyde, Pastor of Pulaski Heights Baptist Church, Little Rock, Ark., on April 4, 2010. Psalm 118:14-24; John 20:1-18 We Baptists are not a creedal people. That means that Baptist churches...
The Easter Rush
A sermon delivered by Joel Snider, Pastor of First Baptist Church, Rome, Ga., on April 4, 2010. John 20:1-10 Meditation Text: In John’s account (of Easter)….everyone was busy running. The tempo has picked up...
The Unrecognized Jesus
A sermon delivered by Wendell Griffen, Pastor of New Millennium Church, Little Rock, Ark., on April 4, 2010. John 20:1-18 Most people of mature age—meaning most people of whatever age they happen to be when this kind...
Whom to appoint to ‘lustiest committee?’
As one who makes use of words and phrases on an ongoing basis, I am intrigued by CAPTCHA. CAPTCHA (an acronym for Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart) was created to reduce...
Burqa Ban Will Erode Mutual Understanding
In the last few years, we have witnessed a public backlash against the growing influence of Islam in Europe. Most recently was the Swiss ban on Muslim minarets. Another often talked about symbol of Islam, the burqa, is...
Activists: End Britain’s Detention of Children
There has never been a better time to hold politicians to a pledge to end the detention of children in immigration centers, according to an organizer of a grass-roots movement calling for those seeking asylum in Great...
Four Characteristics of New Church Model
When we think of "church," we generally think congregation – building, people, location, programs. This is the traditional faith community that most of us experience. However, a new model is emerging. This model has...
Righteous devils?
I cheer for my favored team, but I don't gloat. So, when the Duke Blue Devils ground out a two-point victory over the tenacious Butler Bulldogs, I briefly raised my hands and said "Yes!" -- but I didn't go on FaceBook...
A Cemetery Full of Hope
A sermon delivered by Robert Browning, Pastor of Smoke Rise Baptist Church, Stone Mountain, Ga., on April 4, 2010. John 20:1-18 How do you leave a cemetery with hope in your heart? I am no stranger to cemeteries....
Resurrection Joy
A sermon delivered by Keith Herron, Pastor of Holmeswood Baptist Church, Kansas City, Mo., on April 4, 2010. John 20:1-18 A pastor quizzed a group of preschoolers about the meaning of Easter and a precocious...
Remembering a Really Good Day Five Years Ago
When David Morgan and his residents crowded into my room on an early morning five years ago this week, I announced that I was ready to go home. A day or so earlier, he had said or nodded or done something that had...
Denzel Washington Talks a Second Time about EthicsDaily.com’s TV Documentary
Movie actor Denzel Washington has spoken publicly for a second time about EthicsDaily.com's documentary "Different Books, Common Word: Baptists and Muslims." In a feature story titled "The Faith of Denzel Washington:...
Ministers Must Examine Their Own Lives, Too
My seminary-student son recently told me about a Web site called soulpancake.com. Specifically, he mentioned a thread of responses to the question, "What do you lie to yourself about?" When I went to the site and began...
It’s hard to top the resurrection, but it doesn’t keep some from trying
The wonderful Easter celebrations we enjoyed this past Sunday should give us hope throughout the year. It is simply the greatest news imaginable.One would think the Resurrection of Jesus would be enough to gain and...
Baptizing Ken Starr into Baylor (Part Two)
Editor's note: This is the second part of a two-part series. Judge Ken Starr has not been noticeable in the Baptist community. From his youth, he has been a part of the Churches of Christ, a historic adversary...
Breaking Point? Working to Restore Civility
The lack of civility in our society has reached an alarming level. National political leaders refuse to condemn the over-the-top language and the call for violence. Words are powerful and they have consequences often...
Fewer Ministers Plan to Serve in Churches
While researching another project, I came across an interesting study completed a few years back by Auburn Theological Seminary in New York. The study suggests that churches in America may be facing a dramatic shortage...