Recent Articles
Black People Are Subjected to More Botched Executions than Any Other Group
A new report by researchers at the nonprofit Reprieve organization determined that Black people endure botched lethal injections at a much higher rate than people of other races or ethnicities.
Tennessee Trusts Teachers with Guns, Not Teaching
Tennessee is where John Scopes was famously found guilty of teaching evolution. The same state has now concluded that teachers who are not trusted to stick to the curriculum should be armed to protect their students from gun violence.
April 25, 2024
The Conservative Who Turned White Anxiety into a Movement; Former Southern Baptist Pastor, Christian Nationalist, Election Denier Leads CO Springs Christian Right Activist Group; Evangelicals with Ties to ‘The Family’ Met Mike Johnson and Zelenskyy Ahead of Ukrainian Vote (and more)
The New Evangelicals: A Conversation with Tim Whitaker
I recently met Whitaker at a coffee shop in Washington, D.C., two blocks north of the White House. We discussed how overthinking is both our superpower and kryptonite, the danger of Mark Driscoll relative to other evangelical personalities, and those front-porch beginnings of The New Evangelicals (TNE).
Watching the Next Biden Administration Unfold Through Palestinian and Haitian Eyes
If elected in 2024, Donald Trump will usher in an era of fascism unlike anything imagined in U.S. history. But we need look no further than Palestine and Haiti to know what to expect if Joe Biden is re-elected.
Effective Altruism and the Fall of Sam Bankman-Fried
It would be foolish to assign the blame for the FTX catastrophe to one or two causes, but one place to start is with Effective Altruism, the core philosophy that Bankman-Fried promoted.
April 24, 2024
Tennessee GOP-Led Senate Spikes Bill Seeking to Ban LGBTQ+ Pride Flags in Schools; Religion Professor: How Religious Freedom Could Help Liberals Win the Abortion Rights War; Florida Joins Texas in Adopting School ‘Chaplain’ Option Denounced by Chaplains; The Most Popular Greek Traditions of Easter and What They Symbolize (and more)
By the Way | The Cross and Red, White and Blue—and Orange
The underlying irony behind all this talk about Christian Nationalism is the fact that faith and religion have flourished in the United States as nowhere else precisely because of the First Amendment.
Baylor University Hosts “Disability & Church: A Conversation”
The Baylor Center for Developmental Disabilities (BCDD) hosted “Disability & Church: A Conversation” on Wednesday, April 17. The event was an initiative of the new Baylor Collaborative on Faith and Disability (BCFD).
Lord, I Want To Be Like Jesus
Instead of fussing with Christianity, we should boil it down to our roots. We need to become Children of God again.
April 23, 2024
US Employers Must Accommodate Abortions, Birth Control Under New Rules; New Hampshire’s GOP is Taking a Stand – Against the Polio Vaccine; In Zimbabwe, Faith Leaders Set Religion Aside to Fight Cholera, Polio (and more)
If the Truth Be Told
I sometimes wonder what foundational lies would come crashing down in our world if the truth be told. If all the dyads got together, black/ white, male/ female, haves/ have nots and the like, and after the oppressed told their story, the response was, “Ain’t that the truth.”
Earth Day Reflection | Fish, Plastic Rubbish and the Lord’s Table
When we share the bread and the wine, we are called to share our lives and resources with each other and those suffering because of injustice, environmental pollution and the carelessness of fellow humans.
Earth Day Reflection | Is “Beauty” a Symptom of a Sick Earth?
Can something that causes so much harm be beautiful? Or have we simply been conditioned to call it beautiful?
April 22, 2024
How the United Methodist Churches Split Over LGBTQ Policies Has Unfolded in North Texas; Chicago’s Response to Migrant Influx Stirs Longstanding Frustrations Among Black Residents; ‘Our Future Was Here’. Christians in Gaza are Paying an Unholy Price Israel-Hamas War (and more)
When Neighbors Are Enemies and Enemies Are Neighbors: An Atypical Reflection on A24’s “Civil War”
This isn’t a normal film review. Instead, it’s a story about my trip to the cinema to see “Civil War.” What follows is a story about what I saw, heard, and felt, both on and off the screen.
Justice Native: Sanchi Rohira Reflects on the Joys and Challenges of Activism
If you are feeling tired, disillusioned or attracted toward conformity and routine, that is by design. They want you to feel like that.
Seeing Beyond Knowledge
Many people know “Mars Hill” because of the podcast “The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill,” which documents the scandals of Mark Driscoll and the church he once pastored. Yet, how many people know the biblical context of Mars Hill?
April 19, 2024
In Segregated Roanoke, Black and White Churchgoers Gather to Study the Bible—and Find Ways to Improve the City; Q&A: Researchers Discuss How Claims of Anti-Christian Bias Can Serve as Racial Dog Whistles; Ryan Burge Explains ‘Casual Dechurching’ (and more)
Loma Linda University Conference Explores LGBTQ+ Spirituality
The conference aimed to integrate two fields that are sometimes seen as at odds: spirituality and behavioral sciences.
Most U.S. Catholics View Pope Francis Favorably
Most U.S. Catholics view Pope Francis favorably, according to a recent Pew Research Center report.
‘For Such a Time as This’: Swimming Against the Anti-immigrant Tide
Anti-immigrant sentiment is at such a fever pitch in this country that each major political party is anxious to show they are more prepared than the other to exclude refugees at the border.
April 18, 2024
More Pastors are Leaving Ministry Over Church Conflict; Conservatives Clash With Trump on Leaving Abortion up to Voters; Here’s What a Massive Exodus is Costing the United Methodist Church: Splinter Explainer (and more)
Americans United for Separation of Church and State Hosts 2024 Summit for Religious Freedom
Americans United for Separation of Church and State hosted its second Summit for Religious Liberty in Washington, DC, from April 14 to 15. President and CEO Rachel Laser welcomed the crowd by reminding attendees, “The wall (of separation between church and state) protects us all.”
The Great Bible Shelving and How to Reverse It
The American Bible Society (ABS) issued its “State of the Bible” report last week, and even for those accustomed to reporting about secularization and the shrinking of the American church, it’s a doozy.
New Visions from Macedonia: Intergenerational Engagement
I remember having a vision of my future. I saw myself as a successful lawyer, battling for the progress of capitalism and defending the need for huge buildings and the advancement of corporate life. But when I started working in church as a 15-year-old volunteer, my vision changed.
April 17, 2024
‘Bad Faith: Christian Nationalism’s Unholy War on Democracy’ Review: A Scary Look at the Potential Soldiers of the Second Trump Regime; Houston Pastor Ed Young Calls Biden ‘Godless’ in Anti-Immigration Sermon; Interfaith Group Makes Bolder $20M Ask of Greenville Leaders for Affordable Housing (and more)
A Form of Christianity and the Raceless Gospel
I have been leaving toxic environments since I was twelve years old. Prepared for the coming of Jesus as a new convert, I’m surprised my list now includes the segregated North American church.
The Apocalyptic Effects of AI Military Decisions
Earlier this month, +972 Magazine and Local Call published the accounts of six Israeli intelligence officers claiming Israel was using an Artificial Intelligence (AI) system known as Lavender to assist in the selection of targets for military strikes in Gaza.
Fund Summer EBT and Invest in a Healthier Future for Alabama’s Children
As lawmakers wrap up this year’s legislative session, Feeding Alabama and Alabama Arise urge them to include funding for a Summer EBT program in the state’s 2025 budgets.