Browse Archives
Check out news and opinion posts across the years
Supporters of Higher Cigarette Taxes Call the Move a “Win-Win” Solution
In the wake of economic hardship, many states are looking to raise taxes on cigarettes, a plan that supporters call a "win-win" solution. Associated Press reported last week that 22 states are considering proposals...
Big Tobacco vs. Anti-Tobacco Filters Tough Questions
It's difficult to see through the smoke surrounding Lorillard Tobacco Company's recent lawsuit against the anti-smoking American Legacy Foundation. Lorillard, the nation's fourth largest cigarette maker, sued ALF in...
“We Were Soldiers”
"Behind Enemy Lines." "Black Hawk Down." "Hart's War." And now "We Were Soldiers." Soon we'll be watching a spoof called "We Were Soldiers Behind Enemy Lines When Hart's War Took Black Hawk Down." Teeny-bopper flicks...
The Bible Is a Man’s Book
The Bible is a man's book. How can a book "of the men" and "by the men" be anything other than "for the men"? Moses, David, Jesus and Paul are a few men whose stories fill the biblical text. Women like Rebecca, Esther...
Is War Looming Between Generations?
Every month 800,000 people around the world turn 65 years old. A report from the U.S. Census Bureau and the National Institute of Aging called this rate of aging "unprecedented." It also predicted that the world's...
Southern Baptists and Race: A Historical Perspective
Southern Baptists split from Northern Baptists in 1845 when they realized that slaveholders were not going to be allowed to be missionaries. For most of Southern Baptist history, one part of the denomination's identity...
Buckner Ships 14,000 Pairs of Shoes to Children in Afghan Refugee Camp
DALLAS--More than 14,000 pairs of new shoes and 6,400 pairs of socks are headed to the largest refugee camp in Afghanistan through a partnership between Buckner Orphan Care International and Feed the Children. The...
Robertson Decries Islam, EthicsDaily.com and Others Respond on ‘TalkBack Live’
Robert Parham, executive director of the Baptist Center for Ethics and EthicsDaily.com, joined with other religious leaders yesterday on CNN's "TalkBack Live" to discuss televangelist Pat Robertson's recent remarks...
Lost in Wonder, Love & Praise
A seasoned, senior minister was once heard to say, "I'd rather read books of prayers from God's people, than to read books about prayer, the how-to of praying. Prayers of the great souls of God provide me with mentors...
Global Obesity Spreads, Threatens Poor Countries
Obesity is emerging as a worldwide health problem, not one confined solely to affluent, industrialized nations. At the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, scientists said that...
Baptists and Booze: A European Perspective
A U.S. sociologist once teasingly shared that the difference between evangelicals in Europe and the United States is that the Europeans tend to be more relaxed about alcohol, while the Americans are more uptight about...
Purim: Celebrating Freedom from Oppression
Purim is a joyous Jewish holiday rooted in liberation from oppression. Its themes are a piquant mixture of festivity and frivolity with profound theological reflection upon persecution and providence. Purim is observed...
Americans Know They Need Sleep but Few Get Enough
A 24/7 society may offer endless opportunities for activities, but according to the National Sleep Foundation's 2001 Sleep in America study, it may also encourage "unhealthy and sometimes antisocial lifestyles." The...
Can Christians Engage Social Issues and Remain Faithful?
NORTH NEWTON, Kan. - A cultural philosophy centered on Christian ethics requires a delicate balancing act, according to a Bethel College religion professor. Duane Friesen's Artists, Citizens, Philosophers: Seeking the...
Teen Suicide in the Movies Can Promote Awareness and Conversation
Depictions of teen suicide aren't unique to Hollywood. Shakespeare, for example, crafted an enduring scenario in Romeo and Juliet. But Hollywood has portrayed teen suicide in a number of ways, from the serious to the...
Suicide is “Solution” for Many Troubled Teens
The teen years are a confusing time for most and tumultuous for many. Mix confusion with depression and insecurity, and the result could be deadly. Suicide is the third leading cause of death for 15- to 24-year-olds,...
Armed With Stats and Advice, Web Sites Hope to Prevent Suicide
Among hundreds of Web pages on suicide prevention, the message is eerily common: Friends and relatives of suicide victims often miss the warning sings due to lack of knowledge about how to react. Over the past few...
What Does “Baptist Hospital” Mean Ethically?
Baptist, Presbyterian, Methodist and Lutheran churches were at the forefront of modern hospital development. They based their endeavors on a long tradition of Christian investment in healthcare dating to the...
Please Pay Attention!
Parents say it to children. Teachers say it to students. And the Bible says it to us. "Please pay attention." Inattention will get you into trouble. Inattention will get you into trouble. If you are inattentive you...
E-mail Survey Established for SBC Missionaries Faced with Signing 2000 Baptist Faith & Message
DALLAS--A confidential e-mail address has been established to collect information from Southern Baptist Convention missionaries who are concerned about signing an affirmation of the 2000 Baptist Faith & Message....
Belly Buttons, Navels and Yankee Shots: The Ethics of the Bare Midriff
"I don't mind if other people feel the need to get their belly buttons pierced. What I mind is when they feel the need to show me." So said a friend at supper last week when conversation turned to body piercing....