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Check out news and opinion posts across the years
Martha Stewart Supporters Turn to SaveMartha.com
Supporters of Martha Stewart are defending the domestic diva—under scrutiny for alleged insider trading—on the Internet. Save Martha! at www.savemartha.com was launched on July 8 amid negative publicity Stewart was...
Franklin Graham Criticizes Islam in Book Tour
From Washington, D.C. to Minneapolis to Charlotte, Franklin Graham is promoting his new book and criticizing Islam. Graham, son of evangelist Billy Graham and heir of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, said on...
Habits of the High-Tech Heart: Living Virtuously in the Information Age
For a wise word on technology's tangles with truth, read Quentin Schultze's latest book, Habits of the High-Tech Heart: Living Virtuously in the Information Age. Schultze, professor of communication arts and sciences...
He Touched Me: The Sacred Elvis
The most irreverent book I own is a satirical little softcover called The Two Kings: Jesus-Elvis. It catalogues the messianic "parallels" between these two world historic figures. Examples: "Jesus was a Capricorn....
The Ethics Gap: Worldcom Opened Board Meetings with Prayer
Worldcom's founder and former CEO, Bernie Ebbers, began every board meeting with a public prayer. "Let's open with a word of prayer," he said at the start of a 1999 meeting. "Our Father, we come to you today to thank...
A Time of Change among the Amish
We tend to think that certain people are immune to the disarray that characterizes, for most of us, the landslide of modern society. This immunity is comforting proof that, even after 9/11, a few sacred symbols remain...
Religious-Freedom Ruling Has Helped Preserve Way of Life
It all began in 1968, when three Amishmen - quiet farmers who lived near New Glarus, Wis. - were arrested and convicted for refusing to send their children to a public high school, as required by compulsory education...
“Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams”
Robert Rodriguez is one of those young directors greatly influenced by the old movies on the racks at Blockbuster. We see those influences in his latest movie, "Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams." This is the...
Hinduism Was Wellspring of Gandhi’s Ethics
Western writers have sometimes dismissed Hinduism as "otherworldly," but the life of M.K. Gandhi illustrates the world-transforming potential of Hinduism. Far from being otherworldly, Gandhi was a politician,...
Smyth & Helwys Owner Runs for Congress
Cecil Staton, founder and owner of Smyth & Helwys Publishing, a publishing house for moderate Baptist Sunday School materials and books, is running for the Republican nomination in the 11th congressional district...
Because He Lives: Baptists and Elvis
When Elvis Presley was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the Gospel Music Association on Nov. 27, 2001, not all Baptists (or other Christians) were pleased. "Elvis Presley stood for everything rock 'n' roll stands for:...
The Concept of a Just War
Momentum seems to be building for a war with Iraq. The Bush Administration has been strategically leaking information for some time now. These leaks serve several purposes, one of which is to measure public opinion...
The Gospel according to The Simpsons Leader’s Guide
Last September, Mark Pinsky's The Gospel according to The Simpsons: The Spiritual Life of the World's Most Animated Family hit shelves. It landed on Publishers Weekly's Top 10 Religion Books best-seller list in October...
More Americans Drinking Alcohol
A higher percentage of Americans drink alcohol today than they did in 1939, according to a Gallup poll analysis. A July poll found that 66 percent of Americans drink alcohol, compared to 34 percent who abstain. In...
When We Hear ‘No’
"Nooo!" The young girl's sobs could be heard all over the shopping mall. "Nooo! Want the rabbit! Want the rabbit!" My daughter, wife and I were in front of a pet store in Florence, Ky., during a "one-day car trip"...
Choosing a Memorial Gift
After the death of a loved one or friend, individuals often want to offer a memorial gift to acknowledge their sympathy to the surviving family members and to honor the memory of the deceased. There are many different...
A Wall Is Breached, a Wall Is Erected
Construction of the Berlin Wall began on Aug. 13, 1961. Erected almost overnight to prevent East Berliners from defecting to the West, the wall became the most conspicuous symbol of the Cold War's division of Europe....
Interpretation Matters: Baptists, the Bible, and Muhammad’s Words
How are Christians to understand the words of Muhammad as preserved in the holy writings of Islam? What will Muslims find in the Bible? The method of interpretation matters. Most people know by now that Jerry Vines,...
The Road Back to Integrity Must Begin in Our Churches
The value of character and integrity looms largest in their absence. Thank Wall Street for that important lesson. If you doubt it, think for just a moment about some of the names in the news this year--Adelphia, Arthur...
Approaching God with Confidence
Is it easy or hard to pray? Many Christians have experienced both: times when prayer is as natural as breathing, and times when it seems hard, even impossible. We suspect that for more Christians than care to admit it,...
Becoming a Healing Community
While we were driving through a popular vacation village, I noticed a sign near the entrance that boasted it to be "One of the Top 100 Retirement Communities in the U.S." The homes did look attractive and the sign gave...