Opinion
Echoes of Enlightenment on an Ordinary Day
Amid stories of immorality and injustice are examples of courage and commitment to ethical conduct and the ongoing work for justice. Is the moral law within each of us beginning to find more visible expression?
Faith Seeking Understanding | Less Condemnation, Greater Humility
The dominant impression of Christians in popular media isn’t very flattering. Christians can be stereotyped, just like any other group. But often those who are most vocal about their Christianity seem to live up to the stereotype.
What Will It Take for Faith-Based Institutions to Change?
Confidence in institutions is dwindling, and that includes religious institutions. In search of their own personal relationship with Jesus, many are leaving the church to answer God’s calling.
Do Merton’s Observations on American Myth and Frontiers Apply Today?
Thomas Merton proposed that a widely accepted U.S. myth was that ‘America is the earthly paradise’ in his 1965 book ‘Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander.’ What insight do his observations hold for us today?
The Trauma of Colorism
Conscious discipline helps people learn to better control and regulate their emotions. I needed to use what I’d learned from CD programs when a comment during a panel discussion was an unexpected trigger for me.
Why the Church Should Celebrate Disability Pride Month
July is Disability Pride Month. Beyond celebrating the members of the world’s largest minority, Disability Pride Month commemorates the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, signed into law on July 26, 1990.
‘When You Say Jesus, You Say Justice’
The Baptist World Alliance held its first hybrid annual gathering in Birmingham, Alabama, this week, taking on the issue of race as an institution. Activist Allan Boesak emphasis that Jesus and justice are synonyms.
What Young People Can Teach Us About Faith-Based Advocacy
I work at the intersection of faith and politics, advocating for church-state separation and faith freedom for all. Here is why it is possible for responsible, faith-based activism to shine in the public square.
A Proud Jew In American Society: Engaging In Moments of Challenge
What makes America, America, is its potential to be incredible when the vision and values of our ‘Founding Fathers’ are expanded – and, yes, critiqued – to include many voices.
(Don’t Get) Stuck on a Feelin’
My life as an openly queer pastor has led me to some interesting conversations. A dialogue with one woman I knew took an interesting turn, revealing a problematic disconnect between belief and actions.
Confessions of a Christian Poser
“We’re fakes.” Those were the first words from my mouth as my colleague Mitch Randall and I departed a June 29 conversation in Dallas with Lorenzo Ortiz. Here’s why.
Focus on Conversation, Not Conversion
Many Christians today demonstrate the belief that it is up to themselves to “save” their non-Christian neighbors at the expense of loving and civil conversation. Here are several examples of another, better approach.
SCOTUS Prayer Meetings Report Saddening, Not Surprising
A Rolling Stone report that some justices have been involved in prayer meetings on Supreme Court grounds with folks from Liberty Counsel is saddening, but not surprising. Such acts are more common than many realize.
Traumatizing Times Raise Myriad Questions
Footage of the horrific death of 25-year-old Jayland Walker has been released to the public, but I cannot watch it. I can barely say his name. Here is why this is unusual for me.
What Is a Christian Who Wants to Be a Citizen to Do?
The church has struggled throughout its history without coming to any settled conclusion about what we owe the state. How then do I reconcile my loyalty to Christ with my obligations as a citizen?
A Good Faith Response to SCOTUS EPA Ruling
The U.S. Supreme Court decided against the EPA in ‘West Virginia v. The Environmental Protection Agency.’ What is a good faith response not only to the ruling but also to the existential threat of climate change?
Faith Seeking Understanding | How We Talk About Choice
I knew of the word “virgin” before I knew what it meant, but I knew it was an important piece of the Christian narrative. That set a precedent that needs to be questioned and changed.
Is Abortion a Theological Dilemma?
The U.S. Supreme Court ruling in ‘Dobbs v. Jackson’ has evoked wide-ranging emotions. Is abortion a theological dilemma? If so, how can Christian theology help us know what to do?
‘Sawubona’ and Learning to Truly See People
The most common greeting in the Zulu tribe is ‘Sawubona’: “I see you; we see you.” It’s a way to make the other person visible and to accept them as they are with their virtues, nuances and flaws.
Mixed Messages
A sign on a local store during a recent vacation offered an amusing mixed message. This brought to mind an abundance of mixed messaging both within the U.S. and across the world.
A Heart for the World
In the wake of the U.S. celebrating its independence, Christians must remember that we are called to proclaim an inclusive message to the entire world. Our highest loyalty is first and foremost to Jesus Christ.
SCOTUS Ruling Could Allow Insurers to Offload Patients
In addition to worrying about the inflation of everything from groceries to health care expenses, a recent Supreme Court ruling offers a new area of concern — the possibility of private insurers pushing customers off their plans and onto Medicare.
One Nation … Under God?
The U.S. Pledge of Allegiance has included a controversial clause, “under God,” since 1954. Much debated and litigated, do the lectionary texts for July 3, 2022, offer insight into what that phrase might mean for people of faith?
Women, Inequality and Feminism
Some people, particular in Western democracies, believe that women now enjoy full equality with men. Is that true? Others see feminism as a pejorative, politically-charge term. What’s to be said about this?
We Can’t Let People With Evil Intentions ‘Take the Wheel’
The House of Representatives select committee charged with investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection heard a startling testimony this week. One act of defiance detailed in the hearing reveals the nature of radical right-wing theology and politics.
We Must Stop Stigmatizing Diseases
MPX, or monkeypox, is an orthopoxvirus similar to smallpox that has historically been seen in Africa. A recent outbreak in other countries has led to a public health challenge of communicating risk without stigmatization.
Is an Assumption of ‘Good Intentions’ Still Valid?
I am in search of a narrative following the reversal of ‘Roe v. Wade’ and the subsequent diminishment of the rights of body and life autonomy for women. How much “assumption of good intentions” approach can I maintain?
Why Amnesia Is No Virtue and Nostalgia Is No Use
Bodily autonomy’s centrality to the existence of liberty is genetically encoded in my very being. Last week, I joined millions in grieving the loss of that autonomy by half of my congregation and half of my nation.
Recapturing the Lost Art of Civil Discourse
While everyone is mourning the death of civil discourse, a group of college students is recapturing this lost art. Discarding the maxim, “Don’t talk about religion or politics,” they’re engaging both topics in a safe, respect-filled space.
Common Courtesy Not So Common
Common courtesy is no longer common. Kindness doesn’t preclude calling out destructive forces and countering falsehoods, and courtesy isn’t an admonition that expires as we grow older.