Recent Articles
Life Satisfaction High Among Weekly Religious Service Attendees
U.S. adults who attend religious services weekly are more likely to express their satisfaction with life than those who attend less often. This was one of the findings from a recent Gallup survey.
February 9, 2022
In today’s curated news and analysis headlines: Woke War: How Social Justice and CRT Became Heresy for Conservative Evangelicals; Islamophobia and the Insurrection: Law Enforcement Focused on Muslims for Years, and Then …; Anonymous Group Calls for More Transparency from SBC’s North American Mission Board (and more)
Is Christianity More Than a Moral Philosophy?
Christianity has been defined and expressed in myriad ways. Here is why the moral philosophy of Jesus must remain central to any true expression of Christian faith.
HBCU Bomb Threats Continue Long History of Terrorism
Multiple bomb threats against historically Black colleges and universities were made on Jan. 4. Additional threats were made on Feb. 1, the first day of Black History Month. Such acts of terrorism have a long history.
U.S. Religious Life Diversifies Amid Overall Decline
Religious life in the U.S. remains vibrant and has diversified even amid an overall decline in religious affiliation. These are among the findings of a National Congregations Survey report published in mid-January by Duke University.
February 8, 2022
In today’s curated news and analysis headlines: Baptist Leader Calls Denial of Voting Rights ‘Evil’; Oklahoma Bill Would Fine Teachers $10k for Teaching Anything that Contradicts Religion; Gothard Ministry that Once Nourished Duggar Family Faith Falls from Grace (and more)
What Is History Teaching Us?
Some in the U.S. are afraid to discuss history, preferring to avoid or cover up the nation’s dirty laundry. How we teach history will determine if we really want to live in a free society.
U.S. Faces Crossroads on Reckoning With History
The U.S. is at crossroads yet again, facing a decision to acknowledge its full history, or whitewash the sordid elements once more. It’s a time of reckoning for which each new generation must take responsibility.
Whoopi Goldberg and the Need for Holocaust Education
Whoopi Goldberg’s serious misstatements about race and the Nazi Holocaust offer an opportunity to provide education. Let’s use this time to counsel, not cancel.
February 7, 2022
In today’s curated news and analysis headlines: Survey Finds Path to U.S. Citizenship for Migrants Has Majority Support; How the Critical Race Theory Debate was Fueled by Misinformation; Black History Month Founder Showed How Schools Should Teach About Race; The Dissenters Trying to Save Evangelicalism From Itself; and more
People of Good Faith: Lynn Brinkley
Lynn Brinkley is associate director of Baptist Women in Ministry.
U.S. Givers Plan to Maintain Giving Levels, Increase Selectivity
U.S. donors plan to maintain current giving levels while increasing their selectivity. This is one of several key findings from a new report on charitable giving from the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.
Look Back | An Interview with Bob Abernethy
Bob Abernethy (1927-2021) hosted Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly on PBS from 1997 to 2017. He spoke with Jodi Mathews about religion, ethics and journalism in a 2002 interview.
February 4, 2022
In today’s news and analysis headlines: Baptist Seminary of Kentucky President: ‘Stop Threatening HBCUs’; Missouri Republican Pushes Bill that Would ‘Make Murder Legal,’ Prosecutor Says; Meet the Indigenous Activist Who Toppled Minnesota’s Christopher Columbus Statue (and more)
How Houses of Faith Can Help Local Schools, Teachers
Teachers have often been too busy to reflect on the ways education has been, and will be, impacted by COVID-19, divisive politics and racial divisions. Here are five ways houses of faith, and people of faith, can help.
Why Does Grief Last So Long?
Grief is difficult for most folks and there are good reasons why this is true. Grief is also a journey, and there are good reasons for that as well.
‘Born Again,’ Evangelical Republicans Care Most About Trump’s Midterm Endorsements
“Born again” or evangelical Christians who affiliate with the Republican Party are most likely to say Donald Trump’s endorsement of 2022 midterm candidates is most important to them, according to a recent Yahoo News / YouGov survey.
February 3, 2022
In today’s curated news and analysis headlines: Is There a Place for Spirituality in Space Science?; Robert E. Lee’s Descendant Proves His Lineage and Pushes for ‘Honest’ History of Racism; ‘I’m Just Tired of Being Terrorized Like My Grandparents Were’: More Than a Dozen HBCUs Got Bomb Threats on the 1st Day of Black History Month (and more)
Old Brews in the News
Beer has been in production for centuries – perhaps even further back than previously thought, according to a recent archaeological find in the Levant. What does the Bible have to say about beer?
It’s Never too Late to Acknowledge and Repent of Racism
Charles Hale’s murder in 1911 in Lawrenceville, Georgia, was commemorated over MLK Day weekend 2022. His lynching brought to mind another troubling event in that town’s square that took place in 1995.
On Speaking and Keeping Silent
Casual conversation over meals with friends has become increasingly difficult in recent years. Knowing when to speak and when to keep silent is a difficult decision we all must make.
February 2, 2022
In today’s curated news and analysis headlines: A 98-Year Old Holocaust Survivor Built a Massive TikTok Following to Combat Deniers: ‘It Happened’; Christian Nationalist Pastor Greg Locke Organizes ‘Massive’ Book Burning; Religion References Frame Virginia House Debate on Republican Proposal to Stop Minimum Wage Increases; In Alabama, People of Color Comprise 35% of Population, Have 70% of Abortions (and more)
If I Were God …
What would I do if I were God? Other than eliminating February from the calendar, here are a few actions I might consider taking.
Loving Our Neighbors in South Asia
One year after the military coup in Burma (Myanmar), the situation in the South Asian nation has deteriorated. How can people of goodwill make a difference? Here are three possible responses.
“O Holy Night” and the End of Oppression
A social media debate about the best Advent and Christmas hymns resulted in “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” being selected. My choice was another well-known hymn, because of its focus on the end of oppression.
February 1, 2022
In today’s news and analysis headlines: St. Andrew United Methodist Church in Plano to Provide Free Prom Attire to High School Girls; Attorney: Waffle House Shooter Believed Patrons Were Government Agents Whom He Had Been Commanded by God to Kill ; Why is a Symbol of Christian Nationalism Hanging in the Arizona House? (and more)
Vax and Vaccine: Two Words That Divided a Nation
“Vax” was Oxford’s “word of the year” for 2021; “vaccine” was Merriam Webster’s. Why have these two words divided the U.S. so dramatically? Can people of goodwill do anything to change the situation?
How I Ministered to a Family Member With a Terminal Illness
When I learned that a family member had ALS, I knew enough about the disease to know it was a death sentence. Here is how I sought to minister to him in the final months of his life.
Theology and Spirituality – Writing About It or Writing It
Just as a piece of art is distinct from its creator, there is a difference between writing theology or spirituality and writing about these matters. Here is why the distinction matters.
January 31, 2022
In today’s curated news and analysis headlines: They Didn’t Leave the Church, the Church Left Them; Former Liberty University’s Jerry Falwell Jr. Says He’s ‘Not a Religious Person’ in Interview; Historic Michigan Chapter Enters New Church as AirBNB, Wedding Chapel; Confederate Flags, Conspiracies, and the Ghost of JFK Jr.: What I Saw at Trump’s Bananas Texas Rally; and more