Recent Articles
Racial Discrimination Informed ‘War on Drugs,’ Fueled Opioid Crisis
The U.S. is facing an epidemic in opioid abuse and overdose deaths. Racial discrimination has historically resulted in minorities not receiving needed pain medications, while whites were overprescribed opioids and, thus, developed addiction at higher rates.
Reaction and Response: U.S. Divided on Revisiting Nation’s Racial History
A slim majority of the U.S. affirms the increased focus on racism and slavery in the nation’s history, but there is a strong partisan divide on this matter, a survey found. Several faith leaders offered their thoughts on the findings.
August 27, 2021
In today’s news and analysis headlines: Why Some White Evangelical Republicans are So Opposed to the COVID-19 Vaccine; The Mississippi Clinic at the Center of the Fight to End Abortion in America; The New Chief Chaplain at Harvard? An Atheist; Jewish Bibles Not Obsolete, Rabbis Tell Pope After Sermon Ignites Centuries-Old Feud; and more
What is Truth?
Truth can seem elusive, ever-evolving through time and perspective. However, truth is rooted in our honest pursuit of it and an agreement on factual evidence.
Why You Should Trust Your Doctor, Not Your Facebook Feed
The pandemic has revealed many troubling trends, one of which is the tendency for people to treat themselves medically based on anecdotal evidence. Trust your physician, not your Facebook friends.
What Does True Repentance Require?
If victims were the only ones who understood oppression, who would help them? It’s a question worth pondering, with the Hebrew people’s liberation from Egypt offering insight into possible answers.
August 26, 2021
In today’s curated news and analysis headlines: A More Secular America is Not Just a Problem for Republicans; Catholic Charities Say Texas Order on Migrant Transportation Violates Religious Rights; Will America’s Christians Welcome Afghanistan’s Refugees?; Charleston Church Shooter’s Death Sentence Upheld; and more.
Refugees Never Lose Longing for Home
Refugees are seeking to make the best of the bad hand they have been dealt. No matter how good the conditions might be in the country into which they are received, the longing to return home never leaves them.
Balancing Trees
Watching a neighbor’s trees being removed, I wondered what metaphorical trees might need attention in my life. Some will likely need to be removed, while others just require pruning.
Baptist Pastor Recognized for Lifetime Contributions to Cuba
Raúl Suárez received the Orden Félix Varela, one of Cuba’s highest honors, from President Miguél Díaz-Canel Bermúdez on Aug. 6. This recognizes his lifetime working for religious liberty and social justice.
August 25, 2021
In today’s curated news and analysis headlines: Scientization of Politics Has New Battles, So Evolution is Now More Accepted Than in the Past; ‘God Separating Sheep from Goats’’: Trump Supporter on Being Unvaccinated; White Christian Nationalist Author Advocates for a Biblical Worldview that Does Not Include Jesus; In Shift, Israel Quietly Allows Jewish Prayers on Temple Mount; and more
Choosing the Right Path
Little in Americanized Christianity resembles what Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount. Each day, we have a choice to follow a power-driven religion or to follow the path Jesus set before us.
‘Pray Away’ Reveals Trauma Inflicted by Conversion Therapy
A new film demonstrates the trauma and abuse inflicted upon the LGBTQ+ community by religious-right evangelical groups through so-called conversion therapy. ‘Pray Away’ is currently streaming on Netflix.
Pandemic Lessons from a Century Ride in the Alabama Heat
A century ride in Alabama in late July offered an important lesson in the kindness of strangers. Let’s be sure we welcome people who are struggling into the ‘tent’ for respite and care.
August 24, 2021
In today’s curated news and analysis headlines: Baptists Worldwide Uniting to Offer Aid to Haiti as Challenges Mount; Who Will Win Ohio’s Evangelicals?; Truth and Justice: On the Cruelties Against Indigenous People; and more.
Building Community Is Hard, But Essential Work
A new school year is upon us, even as COVID-19 continues to plague us due to the rapid spread of the Delta variant. Building community is difficult, but vital work to model a better way for future generations.
What Christians Owe the World When Neighbors Fight
Moral obligation is difficult to discern due to limited resources. With the collapse of the democratic government in Afghanistan, the obligations are before us and it falls now to the body of Christ to open its hands.
Should Christians Claim Religious Exemptions from COVID-19 Vaccinations?
Exemptions to vaccine mandates are granted for religious and other reasons. But should Christians cite their religious beliefs as the basis for not receiving a vaccine that can save both their life and those of their neighbors?
August 23, 2021
In today’s news and analysis headlines: NC Doctor: God Gave Us This Vaccine, My Evangelical Friends; Colorado Springs Evangelical Christian Groups Less Political, But Even More Powerful Economically; Frustrated with Biden, Evangelical Leaders are Tightening the Screws, Calling Resettlement of Afghan Refugees a ‘Moral Urgency’; and more
People of Good Faith: Cally Chisholm
Cally Chisholm is a graduate student at East Tennessee State University, pursuing a Master of Arts in Liberal Studies. She served as an Ernest C. Hynds Jr. intern with Good Faith Media for the summer of 2021.
Rich-Poor Gap Seen in Global Vaccine Distribution, Access
Wealthy nations are starting to roll out booster shots for the vaccinated, even as low-income nations struggle to obtain a sufficient number of initial vaccines. This is both greedy and shameful.
Why You Should Leave the Bible Out of Dating
The church doesn’t have a great track record ministering to adult members who are single, and an even more awkward history when it comes to single clergy. Leaving the Bible out of dating could bring about positive changes.
What We’ve All Suffered We Should Not Inflict
It is right and proper to pause and reflect on the souls lost or damaged because they sought to exercise the freedom of conscience. It is tragic that it has been necessary to formalize such an observance.
The Perils of Conversion Therapy
Good Faith Media released a series of interviews this week with survivors of conversion therapy. This project focuses not on biblical interpretation but on the results that conversion therapy has upon participants.
More than Words, Observances Must Accompany Declarations
Declarations and annual observances focused on human rights must move from lips to hearts for transformative change to take place. Despite our failings, let’s continue to have hope, faith in humanity to seek justice for all.
Gov. Abbott Needs to Tell Lone Star State, ‘Don’t Mess with COVID’
COVID-19 is ‘messing with Texas’ due, in large part, to Gov. Abbott’s anti-mask mandate stance. Having tested positive for the virus, he needs to change his attitude and approach for the good of all people in his state.
Seeking Light Streams Amid Genocide’s Darkness
People of good faith must follow Jesus’ example by expanding their circle of empathy. Then, let’s urge our elected leaders to work for the good of all people, striving to end genocide and violence against religious minorities.
Mushrooming Change
There’s no more time to waste in order to avoid the worst impacts of Earth’s changing climate, a new UN report emphasized. Not only government policies, but also personal habits and practices must change.
Remembering the Realities of Faith Freedom for All
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution protect the exercise of religious belief (or non-belief) freely and ensure that it is a reality for all, including those who subscribe to minority religions.
To Be Anti-Zionist Is Not to Be Anti-Jewish
Many U.S. churches need an awakening when it comes to Israel and Palestine. Influenced by dispensational theology, too many do not realize that to be anti-Zionist is not to be anti-Jewish.