Browse Archives
Check out news and opinion posts across the years
Science and Religion Can’t Touch Matters of the Soul
The latest science and the deepest theology do not suffice to address the existential elements of the human experience, such as love and loneliness, hope and despair, guilt and grace, even life and death itself....
Ministers Put Out Fires
Like firefighters, when ministers are called about a crisis, we often rush to the scene. But unlike firefighters, we don't have a water hose to put out the fire. We arrive on the scene knowing that when we leave, the...
Lao-Tze Urged Creative Simplicity
Lao-Tze reminds all who wish to govern, "The hard and mighty lie beneath the ground, while the tender and weak dance on the breeze above." These are not the words of a 20th-century politician. They are attributed to a...
More Homework Draws Parental, Professional Criticism
Increasing homework loads has some parents concerned about disappearing personal time for their children. A University of Michigan study found that in 1997 elementary students were spending 50 percent more time on...
Christians During Wartime: Pray, Remember and Prepare
What shall we do during war? The buildup to battle progressed at its own pace--agonizingly slow for some, breathtakingly fast for others. However, diplomacy and debate diminish in focus, if not importance, once the...
Plan for ‘Food for the Future’
Since 1955 the National Association of Conservation Districts has promoted an annual Soil and Water Stewardship Sunday. It has offered churches well-prepared and biblically sound materials to use in this observation....
Charities Watchdog Sets New Standards for ‘Seal of Approval’
A national watchdog for charitable organizations has set some new standards to hold these groups accountable to their donors. The new "seal of approval" from the Better Business Bureau's Wise Giving Alliance will help...
American Newspaper Editorials Explore Wide Range of War Issues
American newspaper editorials explored a broad range of war-related issues Sunday, including war technology and peace protesters. Cleveland's Plain Dealer said, "Not only is it the most technologically advanced assault...
Angelina Jolie in Sri Lanka, from the U.N. Web site.
Celebrity involvement in charity work has a long history, and it's sure to continue with a new crop of Hollywood stars who are lending their profiles to humanitarian causes. Actress Mira Sorvino announced her...
“Agent Cody Banks”
"Agent Cody Banks" isn't all that bad, but it's not all that good either. There is little imagination. It is a stock movie with some popular teenage stars drawing in kids. "Agent Cody Banks" is marketed and positioned...
Experiencing Jesus: An Interview With Frank Desiderio
"Christians have to be able to present images and messages throughout the media that are supportive of what they believe so they have a place in the culture,"said Frank Desiderio. "If you're not in the media, you don't...
Wrestle With Soul to Prepare for Easter
Jesus did not find answers to these questions in the crowd or among his disciples. Jesus found answers in the wilderness, on the mountain, in the garden, often in the late hours of the night or in the early hours of...
Preserve Free Speech, Even During Perilous Times
The incident might have been funny had it not been farcical. Perhaps it would have been silly had it not also been at least a little scary. In Guilderland, N.Y., Stephen Downs and his son, Roger, entered Crossgates...
What Constitutes Christian Citizenship in Wartime?
Before rallying around the flag chokes off critical thinking, let's review what constitutes authentic Christian citizenship, according to the teachings of Jesus. 1. Practice discernment. When Jesus commissioned his...
Playing God at the Beginning of Life
No aspect of medical practice has stirred more vigorous debate than interventions at the beginning of life. The vigor of the debate has stirred intellect, emotion, violence and prayer. People taking diametrically...
Baptist World Aid Renews Appeal for Middle East Support
Baptist World Aid (BWAid), the relief and development arm of the Baptist World Alliance, has renewed its appeal for funds to support relief programs in Iraq and the Middle East. "BWAid's appeal to the worldwide Baptist...
Christ’s Disciples Must Determine Their Wartime Path
Surely all of us may choose to cultivate a mindset of love, to pray for all people caught up in the current crisis and for God's kind of peace, and to seek to find our own sense of security in God and God alone....
America’s Foreign-Born Population Reaches All-Time High
Although the current number of foreign-born residents is at its highest, the rate at which people are coming to the United States has slowed. The Census Bureau estimated about 32.5 million foreign-born residents in the...
The Return of the Ring
I was standing in the hallway of the funeral home looking at pictures of Ora Ruth Taylor Dundon Gillespie when her son Bill appeared beside me. He pulled out of his pocket a black jeweler's box and opened it for my...
Peace Activists Populate the Web
Talk of war and peace is no longer relegated to the neighborhood diner. The Internet has become a happening place to gather information, meet fellow peaceniks, sign petitions, download peace posters, buy bumper...
Bread for the World Begins New Push to End Hunger
Bread for the World is challenging Americans to end world hunger through a new letter campaign it has developed for 2003. Bread for the World's Offering of Letters campaign, "Rise to the Challenge: End World Hunger,"...