Recent Articles
Wisdom Wherever You Find It: Another Fine Mess
“Honesty is the best politics.” In a world in which fungible facts and alternative truths are commonplace, Stan’s observation seems more naïve than funny. These days, honesty is terrible politics.
Plain Folk, a Plainly Memorable Experience
The deadline is approaching for this year’s Amish Experience on October 11-14 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
September 6, 2023
H.B.O. is Tackling Religion in the Most Remarkable Way; What Really Happens When Americans Stop Going to Church; Mob Attacks on Christian Churches and Homes in Pakistan Set Off by False Implications, Police Say (and more)
Sowing Grievances Produces Violence
It’s not a new idea: We reap what we sow.
Remote Workers Connection to Companies Is Fading
U.S. remote employees’ connection to the company’s mission and purpose is declining, according to a Gallup report published August 24.
September 5, 2023
GOP Sen. Mike Lee Muses About Burning Man Attendees Converting to Christianity Following Disaster: ‘God’s Judgment is Real’; Highways are the Next Antiabortion Target. One Texas Town is Resisting. Washington; Little Richard Struggled With His Sexuality and His Christianity. It Was a Lesson for Many (and more)
U.S. Suicides at All-Time High
September is Suicide Awareness Month. Suicides in the United States hit a record high last year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
What is a public school chaplain? Texas school children may soon find out.
districts the option to hire religiously affiliated chaplains. However, the bill provides no definition, job qualifications, program standards, or guidelines.
Labor of Love
As Labor Day approaches and Americans prepare to celebrate the virtue of working hard, I started questioning the Protestant work ethic’s contribution to the worship of work in today’s capitalistic society.
We Should Not Disregard or Disrespect Cornel West’s Candidacy for President of the United States
Whether you agree with West or not, why should you refuse to consider his candidacy as a prophetic and politically sensible alternative to any of the other candidates?
August 31, 2023
The Christian Home-Schooler Who Made ‘Parental Rights’ a GOP Rallying Cry; The White Supremacist Jacksonville Shooter Killed a Devoted Dad, a Beloved Mom and a Teen Helping Support His Family; 1 in 6 Churchgoers Have Had, Paid for or Encouraged an Abortion, Survey Finds (and more)
‘Barbie’ and Feminine Depictions of Incarnation
More than just a blockbuster movie, “Barbie” is a piece of art that reflects on the story of Jesus. Throughout the movie, Barbie is a bright pink feminine version of the incarnate Christ.
Congregants Express Growing Fear About the Nation and the World
Seven in ten pastors (69%) say their members have a “growing sense of fear” about the future of the nation and the world, according to a Lifeway Research study released earlier this month.
Authoritarian seduction reaches pews and polls
White Americanized Christians are easily seduced. They are drawn in large numbers to authoritarian personalities like squirrels to a freshly-filled bird feeder.
Journeying Through Hozier’s Inferno
In “Unreal Unearth,” the singer/songwriter follows in Dante’s and Virgil’s footsteps through the nine circles of Hell, and we listen from Hozier’s perspective as he wrestles with love, heartbreak, betrayal, and the pressing issues that burden our world.
August 30, 2023
Houston Christian’s Dunham Bible Museum Examines Impact of ‘the Most Important Book in the World’; For Christian Nationalists, Eastern Washington is the Promised Land; Pope Francis Blasts Reactionary American Catholics Who Oppose Church Reform (and more)
August 29, 2023
After the Fires, Native Hawaiians Seek Revival Through Ritual; ‘I’m Disgusted’: Pastors Slam Southern Baptist Theological Seminary for ‘Hidden’ Marker Noting Ties to Slavery; Archaeologists Find 3,000-Year-Old Priest’s Tomb in Peru (and more)
King’s ‘I Have a Dream’ Speech Remains a Prophetic Demand
In 1963, people gathered at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. to envision and catalyze change. Sixty years later, Martin Luther King, Jr.’s dream remains unmatched in its prophetic demand.
Sixty Years After the March on Washington: Americans’ Views of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Legacy
The Pew Research Center asked Americans their view on racial equality in a report released on August 11.
Tomorrow Belongs To Oliver Anthony?
Who’s Oliver Anthony? He’s not hard to find these days. Crashing onto the scene last week with his tune “Rich Men North of Richmond,” he now boasts several songs in the top ten U.S. iTunes charts.
Protection Is the Main Reason for Most American Gun Owners
Most gun owners in the U.S. say they own a gun for protection, according to a Pew Research Center report released on August 16.
February 25, 2023
Where Do Socioeconomic Classes Mix? Not Church, Not Chili’s; Birmingham Church that Hosted First Civil Rights Meeting Gets Preservation Grant; In Federal Court, a Baptist Weighs the Future of US Immigration
Baylor University Misses the Mark, But They Still Can Do the Right Thing
Baylor’s most recent actions are concerning for a variety of reasons. However, the blatant disregard for how much its positions against LGBTQ+ students harm them and place their health in jeopardy is quite alarming.
Care and Feeding of the Public Trust
Betraying the public trust” is a phrase long used to describe persons who have acted contrary to the confidence and intentions of those who put them in a place to do so. It can happen in large “publics” like national life, and in small ones, like a church, club, or other association where trust is an essential component.
Good Faith Media Releases ‘Second’ Narrative Podcast Today
“A Second Language” is a six-part narrative podcast – releasing today – about Second Baptist Church in downtown Little Rock, Arkansas.
God Is Good
Maybe God is good because we only read those biblical passages which present us with a benevolent deity. But for those of us who have carefully read the entire text, a disturbing depiction emerges.
August 24, 2023
Pride Flag Killing Suspect Appears to Have a Long History of Anti-LGBTQ Social Posts; Varied Regional Culture May Affect Individual Expression of Religion; San Francisco Archdiocese Announces Chapter 11 Bankruptcy (and more)
Remembering Ben and Joe
No, they weren’t two of the four Cartwright men whose adventures on the Ponderosa were watched so faithfully decades ago. But these two men — Ben and Joe — were stalwarts in their own rights.
When Black History Becomes a Crime
There was a time not all that long ago (indeed, my parents were children) when it was illegal for Black students to attend my alma mater, Little Rock Central High School. Now, thanks to actions by my home state’s ambitious new governor and her rubber-stamp legislative supermajority, it may be illegal for students there to study the full historical context of how Central High came to be a literal landmark of the Civil Rights Movement.
Black August Celebrates African American Resistance
Black August celebrates the history of African American resistance and the legacy of freedom fighters.