Recent Articles
May 4, 2022
In today’s curated news and analysis headlines: Supreme Court Draft Opinion Would Overturn Roe v. Wade Published by Politico; ‘Like the Pentagon Papers’: Legal Experts Shocked at Supreme Court Clerk Leak; Grooming and the Christian Politics of Innocence; In Mexico, an Entire Town Has Its Cross to Bear (and more)
Count Each Day
An Amish cemetery’s unique headstones serve as a reminder to count each day of our lives. Gratitude and a keen awareness of time provide needed perspectives for both daily living and remembering lives well-lived.
Emerging Voices | LGBTQ+ Youth Inclusion in the Church
Religious involvement reduces suicidal ideation in most youth; for LGBTQ+ youth, religious involvement increases suicidal ideation by 38%. The way churches and families respond is a matter of life and death.
Social Media Platforms and Climate Dis/misinformation
Social media platforms are not doing enough to curb or counter climate change mis/disinformation, a recent Greenpeace report found. A recent UN report cited “the deliberate undermining of science” as a key issue in addressing environmental concerns.
May 3, 2022
In today’s curated news and analysis headlines: A Conservative Christian Quietly Battles Against Right-Wing Hysteria; Supreme Court: Boston Can’t Deny Christian Flag if it Flies Other Flags on City Hall Pole; Long-Serving Pastor George Mason of Wilshire Baptist Church Delivers Last Sermon; Rare ‘Wicked Bible’ that Encourages Adultery Discovered in New Zealand (and more)
Faith Seeking Understanding | Interfaith Dialogue Vital to Spiritual Growth
Helping plan and facilitate an interfaith event in late March was insightful and encouraging. I was grateful to see a diverse group of students and faculty engage in respectful, civil discourse about their faith traditions.
The Land Grab That Wasn’t
Context is everything. It determines whether two historical situations which may seem parallel to each other share any similarity.
‘Unprecedented Drop’ In Bible Engagement Among U.S. Adults
The number of U.S. adults who read the Bible saw an “unprecedented drop” in early 2022, an American Bible Society report found. This was the first significant drop in polling history.
May 2, 2022
In today’s curated news and analysis headlines: Sunday School Paused During the Pandemic: Will it Come Back?; ‘It’s Christ or Chaos’: Idaho’s Newest Family Policy Center and its Biblical Beliefs; Interfaith Trolley Offered Tour of Religion in America (and more)
People of Good Faith: Rachel Ain
Rachel Ain is rabbi at Sutton Place Synagogue in midtown Manhattan, New York.
Catholics Outpace National Average in Affirming Belief in Astrology
More than one-in-four U.S. adults (27%) say they believe in astrology, according to a new report. Catholics outpace the national average.
The Secret Hidden from the Amoral
There’s a secret that’s hidden from the amoral, known only by the virtuous. What is it? And what guidance does it provide about how we live out our days?
April 29, 2022
In today’s curated news and analysis headlines: How Race and Religion Have Always Played a Role in Who Gets Refuge in the US; Can Liberty University be Saved?; Conservative Catholic Group Calls Greene a ‘Disgrace’ Over Comments About Church (and more)
Good Faith Media Update
The Good Faith Media board of directors met this week in Nashville, Tennessee. It was the first in-person meeting for the organization since its launch in July of 2020.
Season 3 of The Raceless Gospel Podcast Focuses on ‘Body Language’
Season three of The Raceless Gospel podcast will be released on May 5. Employing 1 Corinthians 12:12-27 as a prescriptive lens, each episode addresses a member’s issue while highlighting the need to accept all limbs.
Four-in-Ten U.S. Protestant Pastors Considered Quitting in the Past Year
Nearly half of all Protestant pastors in the U.S. have contemplated leaving full-time ministry in the last year, a report found. Job stress was the most common reason cited for this consideration.
April 28, 2022
In today’s curated news and analysis headlines: Sanctuary Leaders, Immigrant Rights Groups, Church Reinstate Lawsuit Against ICE; Why Being Science Anti-Science is Now Part of Many Rural Americans’ Identity; Marjorie Taylor Greene Clarifies How ‘Satan is Controlling’ Catholic Church (and more)
A Place at the Beach
An annual preaching opportunity on the North Carolina coast offers the benefit of a beach vacation. Interesting signs on the beach-side homes were one of several amusing encounters.
The Contract and Slender Threads of Life
We all received a contract of life at birth; it’s part of the gift of existence. It’s only in looking back that we begin to see the slender threads of an unseen hand at work.
Annual Religious Freedom Report Highlights Deterioration of Rights in Afghanistan
The Taliban’s extension of control across the country following the U.S. troop withdrawal has led to a serious deterioration in religious freedom, the 2022 USCIRF religious freedom report emphasized.
My PCD Explains a Lot, at Least to Me
Ever heard of PCD? I’m fairly confident that I have it. So, here is a quick primer on what it is – and why it can be important for faith communities.
What People of Faith Can Do While Waiting for a Truce
The Pope’s call for an Easter truce leading to peace talks regarding Ukraine and Russia went unheeded. It is time for people of good faith to pick up this mantle and consistently urge an end to the invasion.
Zakat Given by U.S. Muslims Approached $2b in 2021
Muslims in the U.S. gave $1.8 billion in zakat in 2021, according to a report from Indiana University’s Lilly Family School of Philanthropy published April 14.
April 26, 2022
In today’s curated news and analysis headlines: Coalition of Local Faiths Vows to Advocate for Affordable Housing, Address Systemic Woes;mBook Challenges Mount in Florida Schools, Including the Bible; Teachers Tried to Convert Me to Christianity: TN Student Complain; Review: A Novel with Recipes Pokes Fun at Church Politics (and more)
Faith Seeking Understanding | My Journey to the Raceless Gospel
A faith that cannot be questioned cannot claim to have all the answers. In following the principle of ‘faith seeking understanding,’ I found the Raceless Gospel.
RaDonda Vaught and Medical Neglect
A former Tennessee nurse was found guilty of medical neglect. Her case raises questions about medical ethics and public understanding of the health care system. The verdict could create new problems for health care workers and their patients.
U.S. Pastors See Missions as Mandate for All, Parishioners Divided
Most Protestant pastors in the U.S. see missions as a mandate for all Christians, while their parishioners aren’t as certain, a recent Barna Group report revealed.
Why It’s Time for Churches to Set Aside Their NDAs
If the story of Easter teaches us anything, it is that what happens in darkness will come to light. The tendency of churches to require ministers to sign NDAs needs to end, so healing for all can occur.
God’s Awesome Creation
A recent trip to Islamorada revealed the awesomeness of God’s creation. But you don’t have to travel to the Florida Keys to appreciate the world’s beauty – just step out your door and pay attention.
Look Back | Reading the Green Bible
The Bible has been described in many ways, but have you heard it called “God’s green book”? Here is why you should consider this descriptor and what it would mean for your day-to-day life.