Browse Archives
Check out news and opinion posts across the years
Some See the Beast in the Bar Code
"And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the...
Bob Jones University Dumps ‘Fundamentalist’ Label
Bob Jones University president is abandoning the term "fundamentalist" in exchange for what he calls a more positive label to describe his school's theological slant. "'Fundamentalist' evokes fear, suspicion, and other...
White Supremacists Market Hate through Video Game
The newest hate video game, "Ethnic Cleansing," has players killing blacks, Jews and Hispanics, according to the Dallas Morning News. The game's final victim is Ariel Sharon, Israel's prime minister. Produced by the...
Think Before You Speak
A couple of years ago, a friend gave me a desk calendar for Christmas. It was one of those page-a-day calendars where you peel off a page each day of the year. This type of calendar comes in many varieties. I have seen...
What Is Congregational Leadership?
Congregational leadership can be defined in two primary ways, namely in terms of office and in terms of function. When we seek to define congregational leadership by focusing on the "office of the pastor," several key...
Whose Religion is Peaceful?
The religious motives of Osama bin Laden and the Sept. 11 terrorists have created a popular image of Islam as a religion that condones violence against innocent people. A recent expression of this view came from...
Number of Unchurched Americans Growing
Nearly 30 million Americans said they had no religion, according to a recent survey. The American Religious Identification Survey 2001, conducted by the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, indicated...
Oscars Overlook Some Star Performers
On Feb. 12, many in the movie community awoke with stars in their eyes. Others awoke with stunned looks on their faces. The Oscar race had begun. Some were glad, some sad, others had to be downright mad. You know who...
The Unexpected Teachings of Jesus: Encountering the Gospels All Over Again
John Coleman has written a delightful and inspirational book in The Unexpected Teachings of Jesus: Encountering the Gospels All Over Again. Coleman's treatment of the teachings of Christ brings fresh and practical...
Thinker With a Vast Impact: Conference Assesses the Theology of John Howard Yoder
NOTRE DAME, Ind. - Mennonites today are viewed as more than an antiquated sect, and the Anabaptist peace witness is seen by a global audience, due in part to the influence of John Howard Yoder. So believes a group of...
The Snack Attack: Sloooooow Food vs. Fst Food
Define "snack." For better or worse, I've always said it's food eaten with one hand and no utensil. That differs from Webster's dictionary, which defines snack as "food eaten between regular meals." For better or...
Single Mothers Losing their Stigma
What do Katie Couric, Nicole Kidman, Camryn Manheim, J. K. Rowling and about 18 million American women have in common? They are single mothers. Couric, of "Today" on NBC, was widowed when her husband died of colon...
Lessons Learned from a Transformed Deacon
I met Charlie Bris-Bois about five years ago in Winston-Salem while doing a seminar on preparing the church for the 21st century. Charlie voiced skepticism about some of my ideas and even confessed he "liked things the...
British Official Fights to Keep Farrakhan Out of the UK
British Home Secretary David Blunkett appealed to his country's Court of Appeal to keep Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan out of Britain. Farrakhan has been banned from Britain since 1986 because previous home...
Choosing a Bible Is Partly a Matter of Faith
"It's in the Bible!" But which one? The good book is available in an unprecedented number of translations, versions and forms. Leaving aside translations into most of the world's languages, English versions alone are...
Creation-Care: Three Women Pioneers
Women's History Month is a fine time to highlight three women who impacted creation-care in the United States. When it comes to environmental history, many have heard of John Muir, veritable founder of the U.S....
Christians Finding their Soul Mates on the Web
Christians may not be willing to subject themselves to the likes of TV's latest dating shows, "Elimidate," "5th Wheel," "Blind Date," "Dismissed," "Change of Heart" or "Temptation Island." But, when it comes to finding...
Graham’s Anti-Semitic Remarks Affirm Need for Interfaith Dialogue
Billy Graham's anti-Semitic conversation in the White House with President Richard Nixon in 1972 is another stain in the often soiled relationship between evangelicals and Jews. According to tapes released by the...
Bad Time for a Nap
Airline passengers were asked to disembark from planes, exit the airport, then re-enter through the security checkpoint a second time. The lines were long. Most passengers tried to be cordial and cooperative but some...
The Gift of Trees
Thousands of rural churches have celebrated Soil and Water Stewardship Sunday annually since 1955, when the National Association of Conservation Districts first published resources to support this observance. Thousands...
Offensive Prayer Causes Walk Out in Colorado Senate
A controversial, five-minute opening prayer in the Colorado Senate forced lawmakers to walk out and sent legislative staff members to rewrite guidelines for morning prayers. Last Tuesday, David Meek, pastor of the...