The way to win in the global fight for democracy is to think locally, according to Skye Perryman, president of Democracy Forward. In a keynote address to a summit on religious freedom in public schools held in Dallas Sept. 15,…
Oklahoma Supreme Court blocks social studies curriculum
The Oklahoma Supreme Court dealt Ryan Walters another blow Sept. 15 and he responded by calling the court “embarrassing and … out of step with Oklahomans.” Walters, the state superintendent of schools, is easily the most controversial person ever to…
Can employers fire employees for their Charlie Kirk posts?
In the aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s assassination, public employees across the nation are being suspended, investigated and even fired due to their social media posts about Kirk and his death. This backlash is part of a larger conservative movement to…
Will Charlie Kirk’s legacy really live on?
Jerry Falwell Sr. was a fundamentalist pastor who became engaged in politics. Charlie Kirk was a political activist who wrapped his speech in evangelical garb. There is a big difference between the two. Falwell, the legendary pastor of Thomas Road…
SBC leaders issue statement on ‘justice’ after Kirk’s murder
Southern Baptist Convention leaders released a “Statement of Lament and a Call for Justice” Sept. 13 in response to the assassination of far-right political advocate Charlie Kirk. Previous examples of SBC leaders issuing public calls for justice have related to…
The morning after an assassination
If Charlie Kirk had been a Democratic activist and Joe Biden were still president, the right-wing conspiracy theories would have taken over the conversation already. But today, on the morning after Kirk’s dreadful assassination with a single shot to the…
Trump and allies blame ‘radical left’ for political violence
Donald Trump and his allies wasted no time after Charlie Kirk’s murder Sept. 10 blaming the “radical left” as the source of political violence in America. In an address from the Oval Office, Trump said liberals’ criticism of conservatives is…
Fifth Circuit panel rules 2-1 in favor of NAMB and against McRaney
After 17 months of silence, a three-judge panel of the Fifth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals has ruled 2-1 against Will McRaney and in favor of the Southern Baptist Convention North American Mission Board. The Sept. 9 ruling is the…
Trump says he’s bringing back prayer to schools
The president who famously said he’s never prayed to ask for God’s forgiveness claimed Sept. 8 he’s going to reinstitute prayer in public schools — a practice outlawed by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1962. Ever since the court’s ruling…
Stand up for trans folk who have no place to pee
I received an urgent call last week from one of my dearest transgender friends. He faced a horrible predicament. Apart from being transgender, my friend suffers from a rare autoimmune illness that, when it flares up, requires intensive hospital care….
Faith in Public Life lays off 90% of staff
Faith in Public Life has laid off 90% of its staff, according to a story first reported by Sojourners. The nonprofit founded in 2006 by Jennnifer Butler, a Presbyterian Church (USA) minister, is a left-leaning faith-based organization whose stated mission…
The lunatics are now in charge
Not all ideas are equally valid, and not all beliefs are equally true. There is reality and there is fantasy. A heavy dose of “both sides are valid” denial of reality has set up the United States of America for…