Recent Articles
Advent Lectionary | Why Mary Did, in Fact, Know
A popular song appearing at church services around Christmas is “mansplaining” at best. We need to turn the question around, asking ourselves if we’re willing to listen and learn from those who know more than we do.
U.S. Adults: Fair Trial More Likely for Whites Than Blacks
U.S. adults believe a white defendant is more likely than a Black defendant to receive a fair trial, a report found. Notable differences emerged when analyzing responses based on race and on political affiliation.
December 14, 2021
In today’s curated news and analysis headlines: NC Baptist Church Pays Off Student Loan Debt, Gives Brand New Cars for Christmas; Colorado Springs Faith Leaders Seek Solutions to Affordable Housing; ‘A Safe Place’: For LGBT Asylum Seekers, Westport Church Offers Them a New Shot at Life; and more
Why It’s Not ‘The Most Wonderful Time of the Year’ for Many
Lights, wreaths, presents, stockings, trees and more fill out sights during the holiday season. Amid the joy and celebration, don’t forget that for many people this isn’t “the most wonderful time of the year.”
New Resource Available to Help Churches Discuss Taxation and Justice
Five Christian organizations have jointly produced a taxation and justice resource for local churches. The “ZacTax Toolkit” draws its name from Jesus’ encounter with a tax collector named Zacchaeus.
How You Can Navigate Holiday Grief
Grief is always difficult to navigate, but particularly during the holidays. Here are 10 helpful practices to consider as we journey through the fall and winter holidays.
December 13, 2021
In today’s curated news and analysis headlines: The Humble Origins of ‘Silent Night’; After Tornado, Kentucky Residents Struggle with Loss (KHOU)
Supreme Court Ruling on Texas Law Was the Result of Decades of Pressure From Anti-Abortion Groups to Shape the Court; Despite Everything, Americans’ Opinions on Abortion Hasn’t Changed in 50 Years; and more
A Lament for Humanity on Human Rights Day 2021
“And it came to pass” is the biblical phrase used to introduce a momentous event, whether favorable or unpleasant. Here are several “and it came to pass” moments to consider on Human Rights Day 2021.
Renaming Advent Candles Can Give the Season New Meaning
Perhaps, this year, it is time to give a new name to the candles of Advent. Or, perhaps, this year you need permission to name each candle and burn them in honor of whatever it is you need to shine bright or burn to the ground.
Finding Joy During Advent
A family trip to Walt Disney World serves a reminder that the joy of Advent can be found in the familiar faces of children all grown up.
December 10, 2021
In today’s curated news and analysis headlines: Over 17,000 Christians Condemn Lauren Boebert’s Islamophobic Remarks, Demand Censure; The CEO of Epik, a Born-Again Christian, Uses the Language of Redemption to Explain Why His Company Provides Extremists an Online Platform; Children, Coping with Loss, are Pandemic’s ‘Forgotten Grievers’; and more
How to Not Pour Gas on Climate Fire
The reality of climate change is now clear to all. That human action is driving such change should not be up for debate. What needs to be done at the governmental and personal levels? Here are several suggestions.
A Life and Death Look at Human Rights
Do human rights end at the grave? This seemingly strange question is rarely, if ever, considered, but it raises the issue of how extensive human declarations about the quality and dignity of human life are.
Bill Jones to End ‘Weekly Baptist Roundup’
Bill Jones will end his “Weekly Baptist Roundup” that he has been publishing since May 2011. Dec. 18 will be the final edition of the Roundup, which provides links to articles and other resources relevant to faith and contemporary trends and issues.
December 9, 2021
In today’s curated news and analysis headlines: The Creative Resistance of Native American Christian Art; Supreme Court Conservatives Skeptical of Maine Policy that Blocks State Funding for Religious Schools; Driven by Religious Prohibitions, the ‘Dirty Soda Rush’ is on in the Mountain West; and more
Rights of Indigenous Peoples Declaration Reveals Church Complicity
Being presented with a human rights framework for reconciliation felt awkward, and a little bitter. Yet, this invitation exposed unspeakable hurt inflicted by Christians on Indigenous peoples in Canada and offered a path forward.
Resolutions Are Only Revolutionary If Implemented
A momentous occasion took place in October 2021 when access to a healthy and sustainable environment was declared a human right. Yet, such resolutions are only revolutionary if humanity makes changes to implement them.
Republicans Flip-Flop on Unemployment Benefits
The politicization of mitigating the COVID-19 pandemic is nothing new. But it has entered a new era of ridiculousness with GOP leaders flip-flopping on how their state handles unemployment benefits.
December 8, 2021
In today’s curated news and analysis headlines: Finding Religion in a Day of Infamy: Pearl Harbor was Turning Point, FSU Professor Says; After Decades of Surveillance, Muslims Struggle With How Much to Share Online; Iraq Puts on Display Ancient Artifacts Returned by U.S.; and more
Scattered, Smothered and Faithful
An overwhelmed diner staff received an unexpected gift in the form of customers pitching in to help. Why is this such an exceptional occurrence? And what would the world be like if it was more common?
Advent Lectionary | Let Your Joy Be Known
Jesus broke with long-established boundaries and norms. On this Advent Sunday in which joy takes center stage, how might we follow his example? Could a dance of defiance be in order?
Humans Right Day: A Proclamation of Freedom for All
Human Rights Day is often marked with commemorations of the progress made and recognition of the work still needed to be done in advancing freedom for all. Here is why such observances matter.
December 7, 2021
In today’s curated news and analysis headlines: Televangelist’s Death from COVID Highlights Christian Media’s Vaccine Problem; Lawyer: This Supreme Court Case Could Take a ‘Wrecking Ball’ to Separation of Church and State; ‘Global Empire of the US Christian Right’: Dark Money Fuels Attacks on Abortion Rights; and more
Peng Shuai’s Experience Reveals Treatment of Assault Victims
Three-time Olympian and tennis star Peng Shuai has been forced from the public eye after accusing a former Chinese official of sexual assault. This is what assault victims experience when they speak out.
Words Alone Won’t Secure Human Rights, Address Climate Crisis
As the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights approaches, we need more action, and less talking, to address the climate crisis. Translating the “whereas” and “therefore” of the UDHR into tangible actions remains a challenge 73 years on.
The Persistent Widow and the United Nations
Even top-level UN leaders focused on human rights have been unaware of religious freedom violations in places like Algeria and Sri Lanka. Without organizations like the World Evangelical Alliance, human rights abuses would remain unknown.
December 6, 2021
In today’s curated news and analysis headlines: Students are Fed up With Racist Slurs and Bullying. Now They’re Walking Out of Class.; Why ‘Sorcery’ Was the Fastest-Growing Search Term on Bible Gateway in 2021; Both Sides Planning for New State-by-State Abortion Fight; Civil War-Style, Nondenominational Christmas Church Service in Maryland; and more
People of Good Faith: Bruce Salmon
Bruce Salmon served for 33 years as pastor of Village Baptist Church in Bowie, Maryland, a suburb of Washington, D.C.
Listening Tops Gen Z List for Effective Evangelism
U.S. teens recently offered their views on the most effective approaches to sharing one’s faith. Rather than the apologetics common to earlier generations, they prefer listening, not lecturing.
Slight U.S. Majority Supports Death Penalty
A slim majority of U.S. adults support the death penalty, with support remaining largely unchanged in recent years. Current levels were the lowest since 1972, and well below the 80% who affirmed capital punishment in 1994.