Browse Archives
Check out news and opinion posts across the years
Exorcizing the Demons
We don’t call him an exorcist, probably because the term is so out of fashion; but that’s actually what he is. Instead, we call him the U.S. attorney for the northern district of Illinois and, once in a while, special...
The Pill: Boon or Bane?
Was the invention of the birth control pill a good thing or a bad thing? Most people, I suspect, have never considered the options. In a world of limited resources that continues to be threatened by overpopulation,...
Following
Sermon delivered by Jerry Mahan, special assistant for church relations at Mercer University, at McAfee School of Theology in Atlanta, Ga., on Feb. 10, 2009. Matthew 4:12-22 Now when Jesus heard that John had been...
Lost art of pick-up games
A smile comes across my face each time I drive by the Clark family's home in our neighborhood and a game of some sort is going on in their wide front yard. What was an almost daily routine in my youth is a rarity now —...
What’s the Truth about “Clean” Coal?
A 60-second TV commercial by America’s Power tells us that clean coal is about belief. Faith in American energy resources, technology and ingenuity is what is needed for us to have clean coal, which will reduce...
The Problem with the Melting Pot
The problem with melting pots is that the scum usually rises to the top while those on the bottom get burned. This happens because the melting pot paradigm reinforces oppressive structures presently existing within...
Superstition Returns Friday the 13th
When Friday the 13th comes along, some of us surmise something unfortunate might happen. Distant friend and confidant Wu Pu-yi says that such superstitions are world-wide. Fear of the number 13 is one of the most...
Hope Still Floats: Lessons from a Falling Plane
My eyes were glued to the news story dominating the networks on Jan. 15 when US Air Flight 1549 collided with birds, disabling both engines, and yet the aircraft made a successful emergency water landing on the Hudson...
What would you do with $60,000?
A FoxNews.com report tells us that Randall Price, director of the "Center for Judaic Studies" at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va., is trying to raise $60,000 so he can uncover Noah's ark atop Mt. Ararat.Charging...
Authentic Discipleship is Both Costly and Liberating
This past Wednesday, Feb. 4, would have been Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s 103rd birthday. Bonhoeffer’s story is familiar to many: a story about his resistance to a Hitler-controlled Germany and his participation in the plot...
CBF of North Carolina Pursues Luke 4 in Missions
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- You might say that Larry Hovis started his new job as the coordinator of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of North Carolina in the fall of 2004 with a mission about missions. “From Day One,” he...
Watching “Slumdog Millionaire”
He’s poor, this one. No advantages, nothing but his wits and determination. But he’s going to achieve his dream. And get the girl. Because that’s how this story works. It’s a familiar narrative in American life--every...
Please don’t feed the clergy
The pastor of Highland Hills Baptist Church in Macon, Ga., entered the coffee shop early Wed. morning and placed his breakfast order. Then he reached into his vacant back pocket."I forgot my wallet," he...
Congregations Prepare to Observe Evolution Weekend
Nearly 1,000 congregations across the country have announced plans to participate in Evolution Weekend Feb. 13-15 in order to spark serious discussion and reflection on the relationship between religion and science....
Baptists in Search of Unity
This past Saturday nearly 1,200 Baptists representing several diverse Baptist groups gathered in downtown Birmingham searching for a common, unifying purpose. The meeting was part of the New Baptist Covenant--an idea...
Thomas E. Corts: Believer, Healer, Servant, Mentor
Dr. Thomas E. Corts was the kind of man I wish I were. Even thinking that makes me realize just how far from reality the likelihood of that could ever be and how rare an individual he really was. Tom Corts was a...
“Milk”
“My name is Harvey Milk, and I’m here to recruit you!” That was the rallying cry of America’s first gay civil rights leader. Harvey Milk (Sean Penn) was the first openly gay man elected to public office. Director Gus...
Obama Strikes Right Note at National Prayer Breakfast
President Barack Obama gave his personal testimony and issued an altar call to follow the Golden Rule in a clear, brief statement about faith in politics at Thursday morning’s National Prayer Breakfast in Washington,...
Growing Pains
Sermon delivered by Howard Batson, pastor of First Baptist Church in Amarillo, Texas, on Jan. 25, 2009. Luke 7:18-29; 9:9 His clothes were made of animal skins. As one author put it, his walls were the mountains and...
Slow to Anger
Sermon delivered by Heather Entrekin, senior pastor of Prairie Baptist Church in Prairie Village, Kan., on Jan. 25, 2009. Jonah 3:15; Mark 1:14-20; Psalm 62:5-12 Last summer, two of my nephews, Nathan and Daniel,...
Confessions of an Interfaith Baptist Preacher
Why would a Baptist be heavily involved in an interfaith organization? Aren’t we known for our unreserved advocacy and commitment to Christian conversion? Shouldn’t our energies be focused on the advancement of gospel...