Recent Articles
More Than Half of Americans Say U.S. “Losing Ground” on Illegal Drug Problem
More than half (52%) of Americans believe the United States is “losing ground” when it comes to illegal drugs, according to a Gallup report released on November 11.
Confessions of a Haunted Christian Ethicist
I am haunted by the number of groups who are complicit in creating the circumstances that have led to this war.
November 30, 2023
Historic NC A.M.E. Church to Build Affordable Housing in Black Neighborhood; Justice Department Gets Behind Southern Oregon Church Told by City to Stop Feeding Homeless Residents; Historian: America Once Valued Life More than Guns. How Did That Change? (and more)
The Seventh Pillar: Is a Cure for Loneliness Hiding in Plain Sight?
Of course, the two go hand in hand. Connection and the hope of reconnection make retreating into lonely places a more tenable practice.
With My Own Eyes
What we see and hear isn’t always what we think it is. We may love how it comes together to form an appealing image, and that’s wonderful when it’s a work of art.
Look Back | Critiquing Israel and Palestine: Lessons from the Interfaith World
Humans tend to compare the best in themselves with the worst in others. Here is what I believe to be true: there are no innocent parties in the Middle East.
November 29, 2023
Rosalynn Carter Honored by Family, Friends, First Ladies and Presidents, Including Her Husband; Rosalynn Carter Tributes Highlight Her Reach as First Lady and Humanitarian; Ex-Bush Official Blasts Trump’s Recent ‘Dehumanizing’ Rhetoric as a ‘Sickening Episode’ in the History of American Christianity (and more)
Author Nudges Readers Beyond Sentimentality Toward Mystery of Christmas
McGowin moves readers from the background of Christmas to its practices today — where family and faith traditions take various shapes. Some aspects enhance the spiritual significance while others distract from it.
Call It Fascism, Please
Fascism is a clear and present threat to life, freedom, democracy, and peace in the United States, Israel, Gaza, the West Bank and elsewhere in the world. I wish the folks who are warning about religious nationalism would recognize that threat before it is too late.
Do Americans Still Trust the Science?
Confidence in science and the belief in its positive impact has fallen among Americans, according to a Pew Research Report released on November 14.
November 28, 2023
The United Methodist Church in Oklahoma is Looking for Positives After Rifts and Exits; 60,000 People March Against Antisemitism in London, Including ex-PM Boris Johnson; How a Southern California Artist Created One of the World’s Largest Stained-Glass Windows (and more)
Take No Prisoners
No bars, no numbers and no orange jumpsuits, still, the world is full of captives. People confined to points of view and poor interpretations of identity, membership and belonging, we are either in or out.
Un-Explicit about Explicit Content: Grammys Move Christian Artist’s Album from CCM to Pop
If those are the metrics for warning folks of graphic content, where’s the “explicit content” warning on the songs about bathing in the blood of a murdered Palestinian Jew? Or does the upbeat acoustic guitar music make those songs palatable enough to forgo the warning?
Look Back | A Few Words about Two Words: Zionism and Antisemitism
Zionism and antisemitism are largely misunderstood terms. Here is a brief introduction and overview of the history of these concepts and their meaning.
November 27, 2023
Rosalyn Carter: The Carter Center Releases Motorcade Route; Hamas Releases Third Group of Hostages as Part of Truce, and Says It Will Seek to Extend the Deal; Saving Gullah Geechee Praise Houses Before Their African Lineage is Forgotten (and more)
A Thanksgiving Message from Good Faith Media
We are thankful for the Good Faith community and the many ways you continue to support our work.
“The Holdovers” Enters the Christmas Film Canon
“The Holdovers” is not “Dead Poets Society.” All its characters remain deeply flawed at the end of the film. Though there is a heroic turn in the story, there are no heroes in the conventional sense of the word.
From Gratitude to Authenticity
Among the many reasons we say such harmful things is pain. Our pain and other people’s pain make us uncomfortable, so we try to cheer them up and silver-line situations that don’t have any sparkle in them. We point to the sunny side by telling the person all they have to be grateful for.
Greenpeace Releases Its Dollars vs. Democracy Report and Offers a Look Inside the Fuel Industry’s Playbook
The fossil fuel industry plays a significant role in protest suppression and opposition, according to a report released by Greenpeace last month.
November 22, 2023
‘Extraordinary’: Tributes and Remembrances for Rosalyn Carter After Her Death; Thanksgiving is a Celebration of Indigenous Food and Native American Culture for Chef Walks First; This Film May Change Your Mid About Homosexuality and the Bible – If You Watch It (and more)
Identifying Narcissism and Seeking Out the Opposite
How others choose between a life of self-absorption, self-service and self-preservation — or a healthy self-esteem rooted in humility — deserves our attention and honest evaluation. Otherwise, we fuel their narcissism to the detriment of ourselves and others.
Red Letter Christians Hosts “Spiritual Formation & Nonviolent Organizing” Training
Red Letter Christians hosted a live virtual training, “Spiritual Formation & Nonviolent Organizing,” with Vonnetta L. West on November 16.
By the Way | Rosalynn Carter, Feminist
By the time the Carters reached the White House in 1977, they were full partners. Rosalynn was the first first lady to have an office in the East Wing, and she often attended Cabinet meetings.
November 21, 2023
‘A Battle Inside Us’: Hebrew Catholics in the Holy Land Wrestle with Challenges of War; Jerusalem Christians Rally Around Armenian Church Over Land Deal; California Church Crafts Online Worship Experiences Designed for Parishioners with Memory Loss (and more)
No Thanks to Suffering
It’s considered rude to not say, “Thank you.” The expression of gratitude is treated as a rule, used to measure if “your mama taught you better.”
When War Wages War, Everyone Suffers
Peace from war does not always mean escaping death. And if these numbers are accurate—which there is no reason to believe they are not accurate — then these are the even greater mass casualties from war that far outweigh deaths brought about by bullets and bombs.
Rosalynn Carter Showed Quiet Leadership and Deep Compassion
In an interview with then Baptists Today in the October 1999 issue, she shared how questions about the availability of mental health services surfaced decades ago when her husband was first running for governor of Georgia.
November 20, 2023
First Baptist Church Austin Turns Down Multimillion Dollar Bids, Will Redevelop Downtown Austin; Methodist Church Approves Split of 261 Georgia Congregations After LFBTQ+ Divide; Churches Become Wartime Homes for Gaza’s Tiny Christian Community (and more)
Lusting for Power: Speaker of the House Mike Johnson and His “Biblical Worldview”
Do you recall the few people who Jesus criticized? They were the conservative religious leaders, the wealthy and the powerful who discriminated against others. Sometimes those self-righteous folk called Jesus evil because he was way too kind and inclusive for their liking.
On Not Becoming What We Hate
The great travesty of Christianity is how it became a hyper-individualized religion focused on getting disembodied souls into some ‘other’ place rather than the Way to bring heaven to earth, redeeming the hells that we have created, transforming them into gardens of human flourishing.