Browse Archives
Check out news and opinion posts across the years
Attributing Authorship to Anonymous
Every time I read something wise or wonderful and see that it was written by "Anonymous," I cringe. It's often a cop-out for not finding and crediting the person who actually wrote the piece. The most flagrant example...
Americans Question Betting on College Sports
Talk today may not only be centered on the new National Collegiate Athletic Association men's basketball champions, but how much was won and lost on the game. In Nevada, the only state where it is legal to bet on...
The Seduction of Christian Spirituality
The resurgence of interest in spiritual practices signifies renewal in the church. But as Augustine recognized centuries ago, there is no value so good that it escapes the possibility of its own distortion. Spiritual...
Forgetting Ourselves on Purpose: Vocation and the Ethics of Ambition
One would be hard-pressed to find a subject more central to the spirituality of modern life than ambition. Look at the newspaper: The front page reports that efforts to protect incumbents in redistricting will make...
EthicsDaily.com Named ‘Website of the Week’
The Dallas Morning News named EthicsDaily.com "Website of the Week" for the week of March 16. "The Baptists behind this website thought it regrettable that Christians should be known more for what they oppose than for...
A Conversation with Roy Medley
Q. You bring into this position a very specific and articulated vision, "Centered in Christ." It calls American Baptists—and the general secretary—to live out a ministry that involves a personal faith commitment,...
Inclusive Bible Speaks Clearly
My family helped me with an experiment. I read some Bible verses and asked if they had anything in common. After about half a dozen verses, our 8-year-old daughter, Abigail, said, "They're all about boys and men."...
Transformational Leaders Must Be Advocates
Transformational leadership does not see results overnight. This may be one of the most frustrating aspects of any activism. How does one remain optimistically focused on a goal in the face of strongly rooted obstacles...
Easter: Varied in Celebration, United in Belief
Christmas is always on Dec. 25. Why isn't Easter on the same date every year? Some years, Easter comes in late March when the weather is still wintry. Other years, Easter comes in late April after the redbuds, dogwoods...
What Every Campus Needs Is a Little Provocation
The street preacher is back at school today. He gathers a crowd at the center of things. He clutches his Bible and shakes his fist and declares that every sinner is bound for hell. "Have you been fornicating?" he asks...
Starter Marriages: Gen X Giving Up Too Early?
"Just Married, Just Split Up," and "Young, Hot and Divorced" headlined two recent articles in different popular magazines. In September 2000, Entertainment Weekly included "divorcing in your 20s" on its list of "in"...
Heather Entrekin Named Pastor of the Year
Heather Entrekin, a regular contributor to the "Ethics Sermons" section of EthicsDaily.com, has been named 2002 Pastor of the Year by the Academy of Parish Clergy. The Academy is an international, ecumenical,...
It’s Time to Act Against AIDS
The Mennonite Central Committee volunteer introduced me to several staff and patients at the Missionaries of Charity hospice in Nairobi, Kenya. Many patients were dying of AIDS. My guide gave me a "heads up" before the...
“The Rookie”
Like other "baseball movies"—"The Natural," "Eight Men Out," "Field of Dreams"—"The Rookie" is only superficially about America's game. It's really about dreams, second chances, family and faith. Baseball—a sport where...
Big Lake, Baseball and a Bet: An Interview with Jim Morris
"God brought everything back around full circle, and when I was least expecting it is when everything happened," Jim Morris, the oldest rookie pitcher to play major league baseball in 40 years, told EthicsDaily.com. A...
Biblical Action Figures: Acting Out the Faith or Creating New Stories?
What's the coolest action figure since G.I. Joe? The Jesus Action Figure, according to online retailer Archie McPhee. The Jesus Action Figure, according to online retailer Archie McPhee (www.mcphee.com). "Each hard...
Wacky Religious Gadgets Finding Market on the Web
Christians are getting better and better at cooking up their own sanctified books, movies, music and television programs. But imagine a world where even everyday objects are marked with religious significance. But...
Tennessee Counties Rally for Ten Commandments
Tennessee may be the grassroots epicenter of the movement to post the Ten Commandments in county buildings thanks to June Griffin, who has crusaded across the state urging counties to display the document in public...
EthicsDaily.com Named ‘Website of the Week’
The Dallas Morning News named EthicsDaily.com "Website of the Week" for the week of March 16. "The Baptists behind this website thought it regrettable that Christians should be known more for what they oppose than for...
Understanding ‘Toxic Religions’
The "Heaven's Gate" UFO cult horrified the world on March 27, 1997, when 39 members committed suicide. The shockwaves stirred memories of earlier incidents such as the 1993 Branch Davidian debacle in Waco and the 1978...
“Contact”
"Contact" (1997) examines the intersection of faith and science. It tells a great story and allows for meaningful interaction between characters without being too preachy. "Ellie, still waiting for E.T. to call?" ...