Browse Archives
Check out news and opinion posts across the years
President Bush, Evolution and the Bible
Over the last eight years there have been many points at which I have disagreed with President Bush. And there have been some points where I have agreed with him. His comments about God and evolution on “Nightline” in...
Distinguished layman Griffin Bell dies
Then U.S. Attorney General Griffin Bell spoke at my graduation from Berry College in the spring of 1978. I don't recall his message but his strong, clear Southern voice was pleasing to the ear.Judge Bell died yesterday...
Looking for better leaders?
Participants at the Jan. 5-6 North American Baptist Fellowship executive retreat heard a lot about leadership. The event was hosted by the Duke University Divinity School, which has used large grants form the Lilly...
BWA Responds to Letter from Muslim Leaders
Washington, D.C. (BWA) -- The Baptist World Alliance (BWA) has issued a formal response to "A Common Word Between Us and You," a letter written by 138 Muslim leaders and scholars that appealed for Christians and...
Gaza’s Only Baptist Pastor Comments on Attacks
A Baptist pastor—the pastor of the only Protestant church in the Gaza Strip—has spoken about the plight of Palestinian Christians and others in the wake of the recent attacks. Hanna Massad, pastor of Gaza Baptist...
Bold Claims for a National Reformation
On New Year’s a friend e-mailed a proposal for peace by popular author Deepak Chopra. This friend used to be normal: a grandmother, a secretary, the organist in a Baptist church. Somewhere along the way a passion awoke...
Congress Gives Itself Another Raise
Our courageous, dedicated and selfless Congress has jumped all over the CEOs for their outlandish perks and bonuses. The Senate and House committees all took the stage to let the home folks know how concerned they were...
Edward R. Murrow’s ‘Big Dreams’ for TV Go Unfulfilled
“It’s a Wonderful Life” was on television again, and the Jimmy Stewart classic may have been more relevant now than ever given the state of the economy. But consider this, too: The film was directed by Frank Capra in...
Tradition and traditionalism
One of the more intriguing things I've heard today, during a meeting with leaders of the North American Baptist Fellowship, came in a presentation about a new leadership initiative ("Leadership Education at Duke...
Missing in action?
I'm late getting anything posted today because (a) I spent the morning with a dentist whose anaesthetic apparently lost it's punch over the holidays, and (b) I'm currently attending the North American Baptist...
Ministry Leaders Must Contextualize
Recently, I wrote that an effective ministry entrepreneur needs to acquire specific knowledge, cultivate certain values and develop competent skills to be effective in ministry. Two of these skills are being able to...
Anti-Public School Movement Campaigns with ‘Dunkirk’ Imagery
A group dedicated to getting Christians to leave public schools has launched a new offensive. This time, it’s A Call to Dunkirk. The Exodus Mandate Project, which helps Christian families exit the public school...
The Constitutional Convention and “Christian America”
Religious Right advocates of Christian America make two claims, which they most often confuse. First, they assert that the American people and their social and cultural institutions have been profoundly influenced by a...
You just have to be there
I've had this image in my mind for a while, since first seeing it on the "Astronomy Picture of the Day" website: it was taken at dawn near the summit of Nemrut Dag (Mount Nemrut) in southeastern Turkey. An astronomer...
Honk If You Love Jesus
Late last month a federal judge issued a temporary order against the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles for issuing a faith-based car tag with the words "I Believe" featured prominently. The judge is of the...
Nashville Faith Leaders Oppose English-only Campaign, SBC Leaders Are Silent
Many of Nashville’s faith leaders are expressing opposition to an effort to make English the only language in which the city government can offer services, considering it to be unjust, inhospitable, and...
One prediction
The New Year is here, but I'm not inclined to reflect much on the past annum, which was loaded with big stories, or to prognosticate much about the coming year, which many folks have done, including Johnny Pierce.Some...
Billy’s one bad example
It's hard not to admire Billy Graham. From the time I watched his televised crusades with my great-grandmother back in the early 1960s until now, I have appreciated his earnest faith and evangelistic zeal. When I...
Baptist of the Year: David Coffey
David Coffey is EthicsDaily.com's pick as Baptist of the Year for 2008. The president of the Baptist World Alliance has pushed for constructive engagement between Baptists and Muslims, sought to advance religious...
Memo to Obama
The January/February issue of Tikkun magazine, one of the most important journals of the spiritual left, features a series of "Memos to Obama" from a host of innovators, philosophers and holy rascals including yours...
Bits and bytes from biblical archaeology
While executive editor Johnny Pierce takes a few days off, I'll be posting an extra blog or two. Today I thought I'd point to some important archaeological finds that may not make it into the popular press.In Israel,...