Browse Archives
Check out news and opinion posts across the years
“Different Books, Common Word” Screening Announced for Houston, Planned for Judson and Duke Universities
The third paragraph was updated on Jan. 29, 2010, to confirm the participation of Farhana Swati on the Houston panel. An interfaith documentary airing on ABC-TV stations across the country will be screened at the...
If You’re Going to Preach, Be Like Buster
My grandfather never owned a Bible. In fact, he could not read. He never attended a church, didn't sing any hymns and never prayed – out loud anyway. He also seemed to have a certain contempt for preachers. Although he...
Sermons May Be Popular But Rarely Lead to Action
Sermons are not doing enough to motivate congregations who listen to them. That's the key finding of a survey carried out for the College of Preachers, commissioned for its 50th anniversary. Of the nearly 200 people...
A cold miscalculation
As our daughter's friends turned 16 last year they typically received new cars on, or sometime before, their birthdays. Being among the youngest in her class we made sure she didn't reach any false expectations — since...
Faithful Oregonians Advance Tax Fairness in Statewide Ballot Measures
Updated at 9:15 a.m. CST on Jan. 28, 2010, to include quote from David Wheeler. Faithful Oregonians ran with perseverance the race for justice, helping to defeat those opposed to tax fairness in favor of corporate...
Standing Up to Extremists in Islam and Christianity
The ABC documentary "Different Books, Common Word" – produced by the Baptist Center on Ethics, better known by its Web site, EthicsDaily.com – featured stories of positive communication and cooperation between Baptists...
Why Aren’t There Any Niebuhrs Today?
"I'm amazed," wrote David Brooks a few years ago, "that Reinhold Niebuhr hasn't made a comeback since September 11. After all, he was one of America's most profound writers on war and international conflict." Recently,...
Power in the box
By now most folks have heard about the U.S. Airways jet that diverted from its flight path last week and landed in Philadelphia because an Orthodox Jewish boy was using phylacteries in a morning prayer ritual. The...
Called to Help Those Who Suffer in Haiti and Beyond
On the terrible August day in 2005 when Hurricane Katrina struck the Louisiana and Mississippi coasts, the daughter of a friend of mine was living in Waveland, Miss., and decided she would ride out the storm at home....
Why a Journal on Race, Ethnicity and Religion?
Editor's note: EthicsDaily.com asked Miguel de la Torre, editor of the new Journal of Race, Ethnicity and Religion, to offer readers his perspective on why the journal is necessary. Religion scholars of color have an...
An Accurate Look at Timothy McVeigh’s Beliefs
Since Joseph Farah at WorldNetDaily maligned me for saying there are "extremists" within the Christian faith, a number of right-wing bloggers have echoed his statements over the internet. In addition to denying...
The Power of God
Sermon delivered by Howard Batson, pastor of First Baptist Church in Amarillo, T.X., on January 17 2010. 1 Corinthians 1: 18-27 Now, just answer these silently in your mind. Please don’t raise you hand. How many...
Questions about the movies
Why do people still go to movie theaters? That question has been on my mind for a while. Is it an affinity for over-priced junk food? Crying babies or yakking teens? Air condition overload or floors glazed over by cola...
The B-I-B-L-E
Sermon delivered by Randy Hyde, pastor of Pulaski Heights Baptist Church in Little Rock, A.R., on January 24 2010. Nehemiah 8:10; Luke 4:14-21 As we have mentioned before, when the people of...
Unity in Diversity
Sermon delivered by Bob Browning, pastor of Smoke Rise Baptist Church in Stone Mountain, G.A., on January 24 2010. I Corinthians 12:12-31a Do you still write letters? I’m not talking about notes, which are...
Coming Together in the 21st Century: Excerpt Four
Editor's note: The following article is the fourth of four excerpts from Curtiss Paul DeYoung's "Coming Together in the 21st Century: The Bible's Message in an Age of Diversity." If we are to practice the discipline of...
The Parts of King’s Dream Our Nation Forgets
The United States has made Martin Luther King Jr. a national icon by sanitizing his legacy and by erasing from its memory his importance as a prophetic voice. Most commemorations of King's birthday concentrate on his...
Where Is God When We Suffer?
I received considerable response recently regarding what I wrote about Pat Robertson's alleged conversations with God. So clearly, going after him now for saying that the earthquake in Haiti was the result of a Haitian...
That’s the Spirit!
It's been a year and a half since I've mentioned Spirit and Opportunity, two mechanical rovers that celebrate their sixth anniversary on Mars this month.Six years -- imagine that. When launched, NASA scientists hoped...
The Purpose-Driven Jesus
This sermon was delivered by Wendell L. Griffen, pastor of NewMillenniumChurch in Little Rock, Ark, on January 24 2010. Luke 4:14-21 Luke 4:14-21is essential reading for anyone who desires to understand...
The Calling of the Prophet
Sermon delivered by Joel Snider, pastor of FirstBaptistChurch in Rome, Ga., on January 17, 2010. Isaiah 6:1-8 Meditation Text: The Bible and saints who have gone before us give ample evidence of God’s consistent call...