Browse Archives
Check out news and opinion posts across the years
Confidence in Church, Organized Religion Continues to Dip
While the church and organized religion ranked fourth in Gallup’s Confidence in Institutions report, they dropped another 3 points to an all-time low of 38 percent.
July 10, 2018
Self-described Nazis and White Supremacists are Running as Republicans Across the Country. The GOP is Terrified. (Vox) Scott Pruitt’s Battle to Bring More Religion to the ERA Has Come to an End (World Religion News)...
2 Reasons Those Name-And-Blame Arguments Don’t Work
When people discuss political, social or religious issues on social media, it frequently turns into a name-and-blame argument. We need to stop the personal attacks and stick to the point.
‘Kill the Indian in the Child’
Canada’s First Nations schools sought to civilize children from indigenous people with their mission to “kill the Indian in the child” – a story so common to many cultures that one can grow numb.
The Reason Half of U.S. Protestants Would Switch Churches
Protestant churchgoers in the U.S. do not change membership often. However, more than half said that a change in doctrine would be the likely reason they would make a switch.
July 9, 2018
CBF Advocacy Team Statement of Values and Principles for Immigration Reform (CBF) Women Say Ex-Fort Worth Youth Pastor Abused Them as Teens. 37 Years Later, He Finally Resigns (Fort Worth Star-Telegram) ‘Religious...
BWA finds fellowship in Zurich
The Baptist World Alliance wrapped up its Annual Gathering on Friday after meeting in Zurich, Switzerland July 2-6. Three hundred and twenty Baptists from 46 countries gathered for the annual time of fellowship,...
The Other Anthem: ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing’
“The Star-Spangled Banner” has been sung and played often in the past few days, including at many churches. Another song, often called the “Black National Anthem,” calls us to join hands and work together.
A Peachy Lesson if You Think You’re Better Than Others
What is it within us that has us hungry for power and dominance, even if we never explicitly act on it? There is the gnawing need to be right, the aggressive drive to be first and the lurking fear that stands in the way of admitting mistakes.
July 6, 2018
The White House is Tearing Down the Wall Between Church and State (New York Times) An ICE Raid Leaves an Iowa Town Divided Along Faith Lines (New York Times) Can Christians Lie? How Conservative Evangelical Bible...
Refugees Aren’t Statistics; They’re Children of God
Anyone who thinks the immigration issue is simple is not paying attention. This is a complex, difficult challenge for which there are no easy answers. Immigration has always been fraught with complication.
The Danger of Never Wanting to Change Your Mind
It was often at a time of crisis when people changed their mind and embraced the narrow way that Jesus was offering. How about congregations and faith communities? Can we change our minds? Does it always take a crisis for this to happen?
The Time to Descend from the Caves Has Come
A group of Radical Reformers, known as Anabaptists, found themselves facing a penalty of death at the hands of the Protestant government in Zurich, Switzerland, during the 16th century. Escaping their death sentence, Anabaptists fled to the foothills of the Alps.
Profiles in Goodwill: Aaron Weaver
Aaron D. Weaver is communications director for the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, where he is editor of fellowship! magazine and the CBFblog. Where did you grow up? Vidalia, Georgia, on the nearby campus of...
How You Can Deal with Anger Constructively
I found myself sitting in front of an ordination committee five years ago as I was seeking to become an ordained minister. It had been a long and difficult experience for me. While I had finished my educational program...
From the Pews: We’re Heading the Wrong Way
My 2½-year-old and I went to dinner with a friend recently. On the way home, I turned the wrong way. His perceptive ears heard me say, “Oops! That was the wrong way,” and then I heard his copycat voice from the back...
Why You Need to Explore Your Kid’s Social-Media World
I joined a group from our church recently to walk through the streets of Lexington, Kentucky. This was for the Lexington Mural Challenge Scavenger Hunt in which participants had to find specific murals out of the...
Politics Influences How You View, Work to End Poverty
A person's political leaning influences their perspective on poverty and how they work to address poverty, according to a Barna Group report released on June 19. U.S. adults who self-identify as political liberals were...
Intentional Interactions
By: Ginger Hughes As Mom and I walked toward the door of the Cancer Center, a woman greeted us with the most beautiful smile and warm “hello.” Her eyes radiated joy and somehow, I felt her empathy and compassion...
Bob Maddox reflects on a faith journey driven by freedom over fear
By John D. Pierce Decades ago my friend-since-college Tommy McDearis (now pastor of Blacksburg Baptist Church across from Virginia Tech) introduced me to Bob Maddox who became my friend as well. An excellent pastor and...
‘Won’t You Be My Neighbor?’
Fred Rogers worried at the end of his life if he was a sheep. That worry was grounded in Jesus' telling of judgment in Matthew 25 where he speaks of the judgment as being the separation of the sheep from the goats. The...