Recent Articles
Look Back | Magic Words
Words have power. One could almost say they are magic. Let’s give attention and care to what we say so that our speech brings hope and healing.
February 5, 2021
In today’s curated news and analysis headlines: Biden, at Prayer Breakfast, Calls out ‘Political Extremism’; How Evangelicals’ Fundraising by Demonization Fed Capitol Violence; Gun Sales in January Set a New Record After Capitol Hill Insurrection;
Immigrants in Sanctuaries in Churches Hope Biden Offers Relief; and more
Lessons from ‘GameStopped’ Wall Street
A surge of individual investors buying stock in GameStop frazzled hedge fund managers and disrupted Wall Street last week. Such events should remind people of faith that in God’s economy, justice and equity abound.
When Things Make No Sense, Look for ‘Transmogrifiers’
Words can be ‘transmogrified’ by the people who use them, causing terms to take on a meaning that makes little sense to others. ‘Religious liberty’ is one concept that now has conflicted meanings.
White Christians Present Obstacle to End White Supremacy, Religious Nationalism
White professing Christians are the main obstacle to overcoming religious nationalism, white supremacy and racial injustice in the U.S. Despite such opposition, people of color are pressing ahead with efforts to dismantle systemic racism.
February 4, 2021
In today’s curated news and analysis: A Mix of Hope and Dismay as Religious Leaders Assess Biden; The Trump Administration was a Catastrophe for American Christianity; A Letter to the White Church in America; White Evangelicals Most Likely to Say They’ve Been Harassed Online for Their Faith: Pew Study; and more.
An Elegy for Myanmar
Myanmar’s military carried out a coup early Monday morning, placing State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi under house-arrest. People of goodwill should call for justice in Myanmar and provide a lifeline of encouragement to those from Myanmar presently residing elsewhere.
Fixing Things
From appliances to face masks, fixing things is much easier than changing people. If we want to see change, we have to make good decisions, love others and fix what is within our reach.
US Prison, Jail Population Dropped Sharply in 2020
The U.S. inmate population declined in 2020, driven by a yearlong drop in prison inmates and a partial year decline in jail inmates. Still, the nation incarcerates more of its residents than any other nation.
February 3, 2021
In today’s news and analysis curated headlines: A Black Pastor Received a Racist Letter When He Announced He was Leaving the SBC; Cults Often Claim a ‘Christian’ Connection; Tensions Mount in German Catholic Church Over Abuse Report; and more.
When I Saw Hank, I Saw a Black Man
“Hammerin’ Hank” Aaron (1934-2021) overcame barriers and racist systems to become one of the greatest baseball players of all time, breaking Babe Ruth’s homerun record in 1974. His life and legacy should inspire us all.
Pilate’s Question Continues to Challenge Today
‘Fake news’ claims, popularized under the Trump administration, have made Pilate’s question, ‘what is truth?’ an important query for the nation. We must seek and defend truth, but not as a settled, finished possession.
Reaction and Response: US to Re-enter Paris Climate Agreement
An executive order signed on Jan. 20, 2021, set the U.S. on a path to re-enter the Paris climate agreement. Several faith leaders offered their reaction and response to the decision.
February 2, 2021
In today’s curated news and analysis headlines: First Baptist Tulsa to Recognize Race Massacre Anniversary with Prayer Room Exhibit; The Real Rosa Parks Story is Better than the Fairy Tale; Sanctuary Movement Leaders Sue U.S., Claiming Religious Rights Violated; and more.
Seven Appeals to U.S. Evangelicals
To evangelicals in the U.S. who supported Donald Trump, let me appeal that you bring an end to the culture war, lay aside your other loyalties and return to your first love: the way of Jesus, the kingdom of God.
Cooking Fatigue: American-Style Pandemic Blues
A magazine article exposed economic inequality and unrecognized privilege. While many cannot find sufficient daily food, apparently some Americans are suffering from ‘cooking fatigue.’
Reaction and Response | Conspiracy Theories Common in U.S. Protestant Churches
Conspiracy theories are heard frequently in nearly half of U.S. Protestant congregations, a report found. Four Protestant leaders shared their reaction and response with Good Faith Media.
February 1, 2020
In today’s curated news and analysis headlines: Religion Professor: Christian Nationalism is a Threat, and not Just from Capitol Attackers Invoking Jesus; How the NRA Helped Foment an Armed Insurrection at the Capitol; Religion and Psychology Use Similar Methods to Reduce Stress; Will the U.S. End its Support for the Apartheid Israeli Regime?; and more
January 29, 2021
In today’s curated news and analysis: ‘The Capitol Insurrection Was as Christian Nationalist as it Gets’; Christianity on Display at Capitol Riot Sparks New Dialogue; Study Reveals Half of Pastors Say They’re Hearing Conspiracy Theories in Their Churches;
Idaho Church Featured in Sundance Film About Reconciliation After School Shooting; and more
People of Good Faith: Jessica McDougald
Jessica McDougald is a third-year master of divinity student at Campbell University Divinity School and youth minister at Millbrook Baptist Church in Raleigh, North Carolina. She is currently serving as an Ernest C. Hynds intern at Good Faith Media.
Pandemic Strengthened U.S. Faith More than Other Nations
U.S. adults were more likely than citizens of 13 other advanced economies to say that their religious faith, and that of the nation as a whole, has been strengthened during the global pandemic, a report found.
Look Back | When the ’60s Were Bad
Perspectives change as people age. Many who once lamented societal changes in the 60s, now look back fondly on this era. The changing present and unknown future often alarm these folks.
How COVID-19 Reshaped My Faith
I have a personal confession. The world has undergone significant changes, and so have I, since the first COVID-19 cases were reported in the US a year ago. So I’ll enter the confessional and explain how COVID-19 reshaped my faith.
Climate Change Mitigation Vital to End Global Hunger
Climate change is threatening three decades of progress to curb global hunger, a report said, with as many as 100 million people entering into extreme poverty due to climate impacts unless we enact sufficient mitigation efforts.
Your Recipe for Gladness – Even When You Don’t Feel Like It
Political division. COVID-19. The economy. There’s not much to make you glad when you turn on the news. Yet during these long days of restriction and loss, you must look for reasons to be glad – even if you don’t feel like it.
January 28, 2021
In today’s curated new and analysis headlines: Rioters Followed a Long Conspiratorial Road to the Capitol; Homeland Security Bulletin Warns Americans About Violence by Grievance-Fueled Domestic Extremists; SBC Pastor Calls Vice President Kamala Harris a ‘Jezebel’ Two Days After Inauguration; In Korea Outbreaks in Christian Schools Drives Surge in COVID-19 Cases; and more
In Praise of the Pig
A research article posted in a recent issue of Science Advances reports that the oldest known example of representational art has been identified on the wall of a cave in Sulawesi, Indonesia – and it’s the portrait of a pig.
The Growing Moral Context of the Impeachment Trial
The impeachment process is no longer only a trial on an article of impeachment of a former president, based on certain deeds and consequences. It is now an impending referendum on our national character as a constitutional republic.
Reaction and Response: US Blacks’ Sense of Political Powerlessness Increases
Blacks in the US feel more politically powerless now than they did two decades ago, a report found. Several Black faith leaders, however, questioned the survey’s conclusion that Blacks actually feel more politically powerless.
January 27, 2021
In today’s curated news and analysis headlines: Episcopal Executive Council Eyes Plans for Pandemic Aid to Dioceses, Commits Church to ‘Deradicalization’; Where Were They Radicalized? No Answer is Complete Without Addressing Evangelical Churches and Schooling; Individuals Taking Sanctuary at Local Churches to Call on Biden to Free Them; The Long Road to Sorting Out US Refugee Settlement; and more