Recent Articles
August 14, 2020
Today’s curated news and opinion headlines include: Democrats plan an interfaith service to kick off convention; a former slave market to be removed from a Georgia town; some evangelical colleges are addressing racial justice; and more.
8 Lessons Learned on My 50th Birthday
Turning 50 is supposed to be a milestone. I’ve learned a few lessons over the last 50 years. Here are eight of them I want to share with you. As 50 comes and goes, I welcome the future with enthusiasm, excitement and joy.
Good Faith Forum on Public Education on Aug. 18
The first of three Good Faith Forums on public education was held Aug. 11, and the next is scheduled for Aug. 18. This second forum will focus on public education as a cornerstone for democracy. Here’s how you can join in.
White Support for Black Causes Doesn’t Last
The overwhelming support from white people after George Floyd’s death has been more the exception than the rule. Often, white support lasts until the next event vies for their collective attention. Their support doesn’t last.
August 13, 2020
In today’s curated news and opinion headlines: Russian propaganda and Bible-burning; white supremacism still present in Charlottesville; Kamala Harris, Baptist; Serena Williams’ racial justice Bible study; and more
GFM launches Ernest C. Hynds Jr. Internships
A gift by the foundation of First Baptist Church of Athens, Georgia, will honor a church leader and professor emeritus of journalism at the University of Georgia, and support an internship program for Good Faith Media.
What’s Up – or Down – with Giving?
Not all churches are running financial shortfalls during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some are doing quite well. Maybe churches who are doing well with their finances can reach out and support those are struggling financially.
Pray for Our Kids, Those Putting Them in Danger
We should pray for God’s children who are being sent into the teeth of a lethal virus when they return to school. Then we must defy the orders of politicians whose disregard for science and whose lust and greed threatens us all.
August 12, 2020
In today’s curated news and opinion headlines: prevented from holding a political rally in a church Trump evangelicals meet in a casino instead; racial attitudes and churches; a church posts bible-themed signs to enforce social-distancing; and more.
The Long-Lasting Harm of Jerry Falwell
As the Moral Majority roared into life in the early ’80s, a young campus minister and a mission volunteer accepted an invite to hear Jerry Falwell. Today, Ol’ Jerry’s misguided call has greatly harmed this nation and the church.
Have We Lost Skill to Discern Fact from Opinion?
Most US adults blame the media for biased reporting and polarizing the nation, but the problem may be more fundamental. Have many adults lost the skill to discern facts from opinion? It’s a basic skill we must relearn.
When You’re Overwhelmed by Crisis After Crisis
With so many interlocking crises facing our nation, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. And there’s little hope we will get wise leadership from the federal government. Perhaps it’s time, as US Rep. John Lewis said, to get in good trouble.
August 11, 2020
In today’s curated news and opinion: the Christian devotion to a white America; the last temptation of Jerry Falwell; many evangelical colleges and universities are eliminating positions; and which is more popular in today’s America: binge television watching, or the Bible?
‘Who’s Gonna Clean Up That Mess?’
The process of doing the necessary work of government involves necessary dirty work. Governing is a very messy business. To reclaim the middle ground, we must clean up the mess and start washing away what has accumulated.
How Will US Respond to Its Day of Reckoning?
As we see in Jacob’s life, who faced his day of reckoning and was given a new name, a name means everything. The US faces its own day of reckoning after 400 years of lying, stealing and murdering. Will this rose smell sweeter?
US Parents’ Worry Spikes as School Year Nears
The number of US parents wanting in-person schooling for their kids this fall is decreasing, while worry about kids contracting COVID-19 is growing, a Gallup report said. Only 36% of all parents want the in-person option.
August 10, 2020
In today’s curated news and opinion articles: White evangelicals were promised they would have “power”; following racy photo Jerry Falwell forced to take indefinite leave as president of Liberty University; why Christian Nationalists are less likely to wear masks and socially distance; the last of the Zoroastrians; and more
People of Good Faith: Mitch Randall
The premier installment of the People of Good Faith series features Mitch Randall, CEO of Good Faith Media.
No Playing Politics with Our Kids’ Health
When legislators can’t ensure the safety of educators and students with real dollars, we can’t reopen our schools. Parents must stand with educators to demand more. Life, health and the common good are worth it.
Elementary Answer to Opening Schools Now
As the time for school openings draws near, two recent publications should be sufficient to give anyone serious pause about sending children into a face-to-face classroom setting. The answer is elementary.
August 7, 2020
Today’s curated headlines include: could changing one word in church transform America?; how the Catholic Church is wrestling with the Black Lives Matter movement; the Lincoln Project teams up with evangelicals; and more.
Public Education: The Cornerstone of Democracy
Public education is the cornerstone of a healthy and virtuous democracy, but it’s facing its greatest hostile attack. As right-wing religious and political elitists undercut education for all, the foundation of US democracy shakes.
Good Faith Forums to Focus on Public Education
Public education will be the focus of a new series of Good Faith Forums in August. The first forum will take place at 1 pm CDT / 2 pm EDT Tuesday, Aug. 11, followed by the other forums on the following two Tuesdays.
Sexual Abuse at Bellevue: No Consequences
A church staffer at Bellevue Baptist, a Southern Baptist megachurch, sexually abused a teen and showed her sexually explicit photos of her own mother. That’s only the latest in this church’s troubling history.
August 6, 2020
In today’s curated headlines: Some 100 people were infected with COVID-19 after one man attended a church service; Christian summer camps of the future; Pence stokes evangelicals; and more
University Salvages Buried Archaeology Program
Citing financial hardship from the COVID-19 pandemic, the president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary eliminated the archaeology program, firing its director and other faculty. There is a happy ending, however.
3 Tough Steps to Make Our Classrooms Safe
With COVID-19 continuing to spike in many communities, in-person school reopening simply poses too great a risk for school children, teachers and staff to return. While no path is perfect, we must take these three steps now.
Martha: A Biblical Case for Protesting
Martha’s protest to Jesus over the death of her brother declares the same message as the Black Lives Matter’s movement. It is why the church must stand alongside and listen to those on the frontlines marching for a better tomorrow.
August 5, 2020
Today’s curated news stories include: republican and democratic efforts to flip white evangelicals for Joe Biden; a New York church puts anti-racist convictions into action; how religion shapes gun ownership; Jerry Falwell unzips his pants into front of a camera; and more.
2020: A Lost Year or a Year of Losses?
Just past its midpoint, year 2020 has assured us already of its destructive, lasting impact. It came with no appointment and stands out unlike any other year most of us have known. Will this be a lost year or a year of losses?