Recent Articles
Tennessee Lawmaker Proposes Lynching as Death Penalty Option
Tennessee GOP lawmaker Paul Sherrell wants to reinstate hangings to execute death row inmates. His reprehensible proposal, which he has since apologized for, recalls a terrifying and tragic history.
Why Jesus Wasn’t a Feminist
I finally read Sarah Bessey’s Jesus Feminist, a book that’s been on my “To Be Read” list for years. Honestly, I was underwhelmed. Here is why.
Christian Hypocrisy the Leading Cause of Doubts About Christianity
Hypocrisy of professed Christians is the leading cause of people doubting the Christian faith, according to a Barna Group report. It is the most common response of two of the three main demographic groups featured in the survey.
March 13, 2023
Worrisome Finances, Role of Women as Pastors: Key Takeaways from Top SBC Committee Meeting; Catholic Group Spent Millions on App Data that Tracked Gay Priests; Students at B.C. Christian University Push for LGBTQ Chaplain (and more)
(In)Equity Is Everyone’s Responsibility
Black History Month and Women’s History Month invite us to focus on excellence that has transformed the world in spite of intersectional oppression and disadvantage. This must begin by recognizing that the playing field is not level.
Emerging Voices | Opposition to Women in Ministry Is Emotional, Not Logical
Inclusion of women in ministry has been on the rise for several decades; however, there are still several denominations and churches that refuse to accept women into leadership positions. Here is why it’s emotional and not logical.
Look Back | Women’s Inequality: From the Pulpit and Beyond
I was serving as a small group leader at a Baptist youth gathering when the death of a childhood friend reached me. The compassion and empathy of a wonderful pastor forever changed my perspective on women in ministry.
March 10, 2023
Women Sue Texas Over Abortion Ban, Say it Risked Their Lives; Wisconsin Pastor and Members ‘Stunned’ and ‘Heartbroken’ as Church Leaves United Methodist Church Over Gay Marriage, Clergy; ‘We’ve Slipped into Forgetfulness’: Charleston Church Shooting Survivors Demand Gun Control; Critics Charge that Conservative Donors are Pushing the American Catholic Church to the Right (and more)
Living Into My Wokeness
The term “woke” has become a polarizing term in recent years, with conservative politicians and pundits lashing out at “wokeness” as if it were an extension of extreme political correctness. Here is why I’m living into my wokeness.
With Schooling Compulsory, Is Education Becoming Optional?
All U.S. states have legal requirements that children between ages 6 and 16 attend school. The distinction between schooling and education is a helpful lens through which to view the current politicization of public schools.
Minimal Progress on U.S. Gender Pay Gap Since 2002
Two cents. That’s the amount of progress made in closing the gender pay gap during the last two decades, according to a Pew Research Center report published March 1.
March 9, 2023
Baptist Joint Committee Gains Faith and Justice Center, Grows Religious Liberty Work; In Florida, Latino Evangelicals Mobilize Against DeSantis’s Crackdown on Immigrants; My Baptist Church Had Men in Drag When I Was a Child. I Wasn’t Traumatized. (and more)
Lenten Lectionary | Expectations and Reality
We can embark out in life with all kinds of dreams and ideals, but the reality of life can seem very different. The lectionary texts for the third Sunday of Lent offer hope and encouragement through God’s faithfulness.
What We Can Do in Remembrance of Her
The work for women’s equality continues but may it be done in memory of the women who inspire us.
What Are the Correct Pronouns for God?
A theological debate is taking place within the Church of England as theologians discuss if they should refer to God in gender-neutral terms. This raises a question about the correct pronouns for God.
March 8, 2023
In today’s curated news and analysis headlines: Prince of Peace? Christian Nationalists Push Jesus as Military Leader; ‘He Gets Us’ and Sleazy ‘Swift Boat’ Ads Share Central Figure; Archaeological Discovery of Inscription Referencing King Darius of the Bible ‘is not Authentic’ (and more)
Lessons From Playing Flies and Skinners ’Til Dark
I spent much of my youth on makeshift baseball fields, playing pick-up games with neighborhood friends. Thinking back on these days, I recognize several important lessons that we learned informally through these experiences.
Imagine a Gender Equal Baptist World
Imagine a gender equal Baptist world. Now open your eyes and allow me to tell you a story about how it happens.
Half of U.S. Says Religious Leaders Are Moral, One-Third Says Immoral
A majority of U.S. adults affirms that the morality of religious leaders, according to a YouGov report. Yet, nearly one third says religious leaders are immoral.
March 7, 2023
Colorado’s Jews Worry Over Rise in ‘Ancient Disease’ of Antisemitism; Miami Faith Community Strains to Help New Exiles, Immigrants; How an Oklahoma Church Got a Grant to Study the Possibility of Removing Part of Interstate 244 (and more)
When the Church Is Not a Sanctuary for Clergy
Where do you go when the church is not a sanctuary? “Just go to another one” is not the answer.
Building a World, a Church Where We Show up for Everyone
A trip to a soccer tournament reminded me of the need for solidarity for preachers of color, LGBTQ+, and women in ministry. Who you show up for matters.
The One and the Many: Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations
One of the most ancient problems in philosophy is the question of “the one and the many” – whether reality is ultimately a unity or a plurality. We might ask the same question regarding the plurality of religious faiths, churches, and forms of worship.
March 6, 2023
Jimmy Carter Embodies the ‘Road Not Taken’ by Many White Evangelical Christians; ‘Take Back What the Devil Stole’: A Black Church Struggles to Find Answers After Fire; God and Pot: Both Sides Sight Faith ink Oklahoma’s Recreational Marijuana Fight (and more)
Conservative Lawmakers, Pro-Life Advocates Call for a ‘Pause’ on Oklahoma Executions
A group of Oklahoma state lawmakers and pro-life advocates gathered to call for a moratorium on the death penalty.
Bring Me Back Again?
A few weeks ago, as the plane landed in Honolulu and I knew I’d have at least an entire year in the islands, I noticed that Keola Beamer’s lyrics aren’t chasing me. I landed, instead, wondering whether you can ever really return home again after having left for so long.
Global Crises Resulting in ‘Explosion of Inequality’
The impacts of climate change and a global pandemic that strained health systems, economies, mental health and family finances had another significant impact: “an explosion of inequality,” according to a new Oxfam International report.
Look Back | Is Racism at Heart of the Disdain for Public Schools?
As slavery was at the heart of the founding of the Southern Baptist Convention in 1845, racism was at the heart of the beginnings of the anti-public school movement and the founding of the Christian academies in the 1960s.
March 3, 2023
Many Differences Between Liberals and Conservatives May Boil Down to One Belief ; Push to Require Clergy to Report Abuse Stalls in Mormon Utah; Historian, Former Republican Says Christian Nationalism Threatens Democracy
When Legislators Ignore the Constitution
The State of Oklahoma takes the responsibility of educating all children seriously, as well as providing adequate funding for that purpose. Sounds straightforward, but is it?