Browse Archives
Check out news and opinion posts across the years
Christian Children’s TV Network on Air in Middle East
An estimated 50 million children in the Arab world woke up this Monday to an early Christmas gift--a new Christian television station with 24-hour program designed just for them. SAT-7 KIDS is the third channel offered...
Inerrancy for politicians
I tend to avoid politics, but couldn't help but take note of Republican Mike Huckabee's recent rise in the polls, which has brought the same sort of media spotlight to his background as a Southern Baptist pastor that...
BSCNC exploring new “women’s ministry”
Woman's Missionary Union of North Carolina (WMU-NC) has yet to leave the building, but the Baptist State Convention's (BSCNC) executive committee has already voted to establish a task force to explore the development...
Clergy Pedophile Suits Against Florida Mega-Church Tossed Due to Statue of Limitations
Judges have thrown out two of six child-molestation lawsuits against a Florida Baptist mega-church, saying they were filed after a statute of limitations had expired.An attorney for Trinity Baptist Church in...
Megachurch Probe Challenges All Church Ministries
Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) dropped a bomb on a small segment of the church world in the United States on Nov. 6. But it has the potential of creating shock waves that may have long-term effects for many...
The Golden Compass: Pointing Kids to Atheism?
A really dangerous series of books has become popular. The first book is so innocuous that many people give it to their children. The tale begins with a couple of innocent kids exploring the simple goodness of the...
The Golden Compass and the Good Book
Fantasy is not my favorite genre in books and movies. So I have little interest in the ongoing discussion about whether to avoid or enjoy the recently released movie, "The Golden Compass."Some suggest watching the...
‘The Golden Compass’
One of Garrison Keillor's stories drew large amounts of mail because it had no ending. He responded that many stories in his life have yet to end. No ending is usually bad for a movie, and "The Golden Compass" (now...
E-mail Hoaxes, ‘Forwards’ Fly Among Presidential Campaigns
Democratic and Republican presidential candidates alike have been targeted by recent e-mail hoaxes and what might be termed the "dirty forward." Republican candidates Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney, as well as...
Huckabee’s 1992 Statement on HIV/AIDS Policy Raises Disturbing Questions
In 1992, Mike Huckabee was running for a seat in the United States Senate. As part of that process, he filled out the questionnaire sent to candidates by the Associated Press, which they use to develop background...
Paul Pressler Endorses Fred Thompson
Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson picked up a rare endorsement from a religious leader--a Southern Baptist layman credited with rescuing the nation's second largest faith group from what he and others...
Gore’s Peace Prize Lecture Tethered to Moral Authority
Al Gore delivered this morning an intensely brilliant lecture bathed in prayer and tethered to his moral heritage as a Baptist. He quoted the Bible, valued truth-telling, uplifted responsibility for neighbor, confessed...
Unanswered questions
The war of words regarding the past, present, and future relationship between Woman's Missionary Union of North Carolina (WMU-NC) and the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina (BSCNC) continues.On the evening of...
Gore’s Peace Prize Lecture Tethered to Moral Authority
Al Gore delivered this morning an intensely brilliant lecture bathed in prayer and tethered to his moral heritage as a Baptist. He quoted the Bible, valued truth-telling, uplifted responsibility for neighbor, confessed...
A Parable of Christmas for Our Time
I have been trying to come up with a parable for the Christmas season. I wanted to write a story that would capture the mood of this strange religious time we live in. But before I could even get my imagination...
Pastor Accused of Domestic Violence Resigns
A Southern Baptist pastor charged last month with domestic violence after a fight with his wife resigned from his Atlanta-area church on Sunday, according to media reports. "God has shown me that I need to step down,"...
New Baptist Covenant Celebration Must Avoid Appearance of Partisanship
I am a supporter of the Celebration of the New Baptist Covenant. I hope the meeting will enhance Baptist relationships and Baptist witness. Still, I see a potential problem with the political image it may present. Many...
Grassley probe draws mix responses
According to an Associated Press story, only two of the six big-time ministries met the Thursday deadline for turning over requested financial records to a U.S. Senate panel headed by Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa (in...
Blogging for credits
Every course I taught during the fall semester at Campbell University Divinity School has been both enjoyable and challenging, none more so than one we call "The Ministry of Writing." Believing that better writing...
Romney Misfires in Faith Speech, Offers Building Blocks for the Future
When presidential candidate Kennedy addressed his Catholic faith in September 1960, he spoke directly to Protestant ministers about their worries related to papal control and political autonomy. Kennedy then faced...
Reviving the Real War on Christmas
I am originally from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, home to Bunker Hill, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Emily Dickenson and Mary Baker Eddy. I am proud son of Massachusetts, so it shouldn't be a surprise...