Opinion
Why North American Church Has Work to Do
Inside our homes and turned inward during the pandemic, many of us reflected deeply on what the North American church is doing. Bungling social issues, like its silence on police brutality, the church has bodywork to do.
The 2 Big Contributors to Gun Deaths We’re Ignoring
Most Americans favor stricter gun laws to curb the 40,000 gun-related deaths each year. To address this, we should start with the suicide epidemic, which we have failed to take seriously for over a generation, and domestic violence.
Why You Need to Reconsider Death Penalty Now
It’s time to reconsider the death penalty. Some say it’s a deterrent, but no evidence supports that. On top of that, consider the racial bias in which African Americans and Latinos are more likely to receive the death penalty.
The Spiritual Benefits of Your Furry Companion
He had shaggy hair with sad eyes. My furry companion, Bowie, reminded me that we need each other. You and I need one another in times of great joy and times of great destruction. And, sometimes, it helps to just take a walk.
2 Immigrant Dads Seek to Be Kids’ Role Models
We all make mistakes, but it’s even harder when a little guy – or gal – is watching, a child who just wants to be like their dad. Here’s how two immigrant men are overcoming their poor choices to be better role models for their kids.
Kill the Indian to Save America
At the turn of the century, two Muscogee Creek children, Eloise and Ruby, were taken from their homes. The Chilocco Indian School believed that to save Indigenous people, one must kill the Indian inside. And they were not alone.
Pandemic Gave Mosque Unique Challenges
Seminary didn’t teach this: how to minister in a pandemic. Finding ways to connect to our faith communities while not meeting in person has been challenging. Here’s how our mosque met the challenge to stay open and safe.
Hearing Both Sides Now
Hearing from both sides is particularly important, especially if you have become more sensitive to racial disparities in our culture. We should take the time to listen. And it takes only one good ear to do it.
Pandemic Compelled Churches to Boost Technology
Sure, we have more rivers yet to cross, but the pandemic forced us to look at fresh ways to come together in worship, work and play. Compelled to expand beyond their ‘four walls,’ churches ventured into the vast ocean of technology.
Why True Freedom Actually Constrains You
We talk as if freedom is the absence of any constraint from doing whatever we might want to do. That is not real freedom, however. Freedom is never absolute or abstract. It’s always constrained by the realities of the situation.
Loyal and Critical: A Lesson Well Learned
Revisionists try to gloss over the real reason the Southern Baptist Convention was formed. Here’s a hint: It didn’t have anything to do with missions. Such whitewashing – even when repeated and repeated – gets nothing clean.
History is Not Dead and Buried
Three so-called residential schools for Indigenous children could possibly be the sites of mass murder, and churches may share in the blame. We don’t need more official statements. We need more shovels to dig up this dirt.
How Some Doctors Can Refuse to Treat You
Can medical professionals refuse health care services because they would violate their personal religious or moral beliefs? Some laws are allowing it. Two issues are competing here: access to services and respect for personal beliefs.
Most U.S. Christians Call Nation ‘Christian Country’
More than two-thirds of self-identified Christians in the US believe that ‘historically, the United States has been a Christian country,’ a report said. That’s four points higher than 2019 when 63% affirmed this view.
Look Back | July 4th Worship Requires Caution, Courage
Our country has a checkered history when it comes to conflating nationalism with Christianity, which often peaks during the week leading up to Independence Day. How do pastors plan a worship service? Proceed with caution and courage.
Good Faith Media: Year One
One year ago today, during a global pandemic, a social uprising for racial justice and a very contentious presidential election, Good Faith Media went live. Our successful first year was thanks to your support and generosity.
We All Have Power to Bridge Divisions
It’s a myth that Jews and Muslims have always been at odds. For hundreds of years, Muslims, Christians and Jews lived in relative peace in the Middle East. We share a deep, rich history. Islam and Judaism have much in common.
What It Takes to Reform Broken Prison System
The prison industrial complex in the US is peppered with limitations and failures. We need to shift from a crime-and-punishment model to one that’s more healing and transformative. To bring about change, 3 things need to happen.
That Wasn’t Kosher …
Jews aren’t allowed to eat pork, right? Archaeological sites associated with Israelite settlements typically contain very few pig bones, making a recent find all the more remarkable. An entire skeleton of a pig in Jerusalem.
Church Relaunches Tutoring Program During Pandemic
A Baptist church in North Carolina launched a volunteer-led tutoring program for neighborhood children several years ago. Then the pandemic hit, forcing the church to close the program. Here’s how they started it up again.
Why Many Adults Cite Religion for Vaccine Snub
Nearly one out of four (24%) US adults are resistant to getting the vaccine; a large majority of them say they are unlikely to change their minds. What’s going on here? Many of them object on religious grounds. Here are their reasons.
Not Knowing All Baptist Women Pastors Is a Good Thing
More women are in pastoral roles now than only a few generations ago when one could recite the few names from memory. While that’s good, barriers still remain, even within congregations that claim to support gender equality.
As Your Church Regathers, What’s Next?
During a long season of isolation during the pandemic, congregants have realized how crucial their physical presence with one another is to life in Christ and in the church. They should not neglect taking time to recover and learn.
Quitting Church for Practicing Business as Usual
Young adults are opting out of church as it used to be. They’ve been denied authentic, equal and full participation. Refusing to be treated like children, they’re looking for and creating a better and healthier faith tradition.
Dear Queer Soul: Here’s Why It Will Be OK
I thought of you sitting on your couches, sitting in church pews and armchairs. Wondering if you would be OK, if it would get easier. Rest assured, you are perfect the way you are. I pray you feel God’s hand grip yours tightly.
Forget Southern Baptists; We Have Our Own Issues
The Southern Baptist Convention dominated discussions again following its annual meeting. For those of us who have left the denomination, it’s time to shift focus and deal with our own sexism, racism and exclusion of LGBTQ+ folks.
Pride
For way too long, our LGBTQ+ colleagues and friends have suffered under an exclusionist theology and unjust legal system. Even though the greatest rejections came from the church, God loves and affirms LGBTQ+ individuals.
What It Looks Like When We Fight Like Christians
Music. Décor. The bulletin font. Christians fight over so many things that don’t matter. We need to get a grip and develop a sense of what really matters: loving neighbor and God with our whole being. Now, that’s worth fighting for.
Tell the Truth
When twisted ignorance and religious zeal combine, the result is particularly noxious. Take, for example, the mom who told her local school board that the COVID-19 vaccine ‘comes from the pits of hell.’ It’s absurd, irrational.
Pride: A Virtue All Underdogs Can Embrace
The word pride has never held much of a good reputation within Christianity. For those who hold all the power, pride is one of the worst sins. But what about the underdogs? For them, pride is a virtue to be embraced.