The ethical issues surrounding development of a COVID-19 vaccine are complex but pale in comparison to the deaths that would be necessary to reach so-called “herd immunity” in the United States. Questions get raised about the feared use of fetal tissue from…
If court reverses same-sex marriage it will do so against what majority of Americans want
While members of the LGBTQ community and their allies expressed fear and outrage over the rushed appointment of Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court this week, new polling data shows the American public is on their side —…
From religion to immigration to COVID, Fox News creates divisions even among Republicans
One simple question may be the most reliable predictor of the strength of a conservative person’s political views in this hotly contested election year. That question: Do you trust Fox News? From religion to immigration to race to the economy…
Kentucky landscape artist draws calm from the storm of her childhood as a missionary kid
Shawn Marshall paints serene landscapes that bring calm to corporate offices, galleries and homes. These meditative images, however, are a way for her to continue processing the chaos of childhood years spent in a war zone as a child of…
Mohler endorses Trump while Piper disses Trump and feels the backlash
Al Mohler already has voted for Donald Trump, but John Piper won’t vote for either Trump or Joe Biden. Two bits of significant national news within the last week from the Calvinist wing of evangelical Christianity. Mohler, president of Southern…
Diane Ravitch wants you to think of public schools like police or fire departments
Diane Ravitch wants you to think about this scenario: Imagine your community with two or three fire departments with different resources and you have to choose which one to call when your house catches fire. Or imagine your community with…
Southwest Baptist University president resigns in struggle with Missouri Baptist Convention
Missouri Baptists continue to find themselves at the epicenter of the struggle between fundamentalism and non-fundamentalism that has dominated the Southern Baptist Convention publicly since 1979. The latest casualty is Eric Turner, who abruptly resigned as president of Southwest Baptist…
At 18,000 words, new survey report covers the waterfront on faith, culture and politics
If you just can’t get enough of surveys and polls during this election season, the research firm PRRI has good news for you: They’ve just completed an omnibus survey of the American electorate with more data than you can possibly…
Who are these ‘evangelicals’ pollsters keep talking about?
Why white evangelical Christians support President Donald Trump in such large numbers is not the most interesting question to ask, according to Frank Newport, editor-in-chief of the Gallup Poll. A more interesting question is to ask whether white evangelical Christians…
Being ‘pro-life’ means telling the truth about COVID-19
One of my neighbors put a new sign in the yard today that reads: “Vote Pro-Life.” I want to knock on the door and ask one question: “Do you mean you’re going to vote against abortion, or do you mean…
You might have missed this, but the Supreme Court just opened a new term
Lost amid a contentious presidential election, COVID-19 and Senate confirmation hearings for a Supreme Court justice, the high court opened its new term Oct. 6 by hearing oral arguments in a case about the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. Due to…
Who will America’s pastors vote for in presidential race?
If you’re wondering who those “undecided” voters are, it turns out a portion of them are pastors. New research by LifeWay Research found 53% of America’s Protestant pastors said they intend to vote for Donald Trump and 21% said they…