Recently, 42 athletes from 24 countries gathered in a temporary, ad hoc stadium built in a casino overflow parking lot to compete in what Donald Trump Jr. called an example of “excellence, innovation and American dominance on the world stage.”…
Al Mohler cozies up to Doug Wilson
Social media was abuzz this week with reaction to Southern Baptist Convention leader Al Mohler appearing on a podcast with Christian nationalist Doug Wilson. The mere fact of them being in conversation is the most notable thing, because what they…
Eric Metaxas is wrong about American history — again
Eric Metaxas has a new book, Revolution: The Birth of the Greatest Nation in the History of the World. He is not a historian, and while there have been any number of good books written by non-historians, Revolution is not…
Why it is immoral for one man to be a trillionaire
Elon Musk has become the world’s first trillionaire, attaining a net worth of $1,100,000,000,000, according to Forbes Real-Time Billionaires list. The tipping point was the release of SpaceX’s initial public offering at $135 per share, giving the company a total…
Beauty, ashes and the Southern Baptist Convention
Attending the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention is, in a word, exhausting. Why any Baptist — pastor or layman — would take several days of vacation time, travel at significant expense, read all the printed reports, participate in…
Come on, ring those bells
It may be true that no man is an island, but the Southern Baptist Convention is working hard to isolate itself from the world. After a decade of holding back the most strident far-right forces in the convention, this year…
Behind SBC’s missions agenda: Eternal conscious torment
The headlines each year going into the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting seem to focus on Southern Baptists’ latest attempts to put women in their place and keep them there. Whether they were voting to remove Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church…
Conservative reformers win SBC presidency
For the first time in 35 years, a reform candidate has been elected president of the Southern Baptist Convention, defeating an institutional candidate. Florida pastor Willy Rice — who withdrew from the presidential race in 2022 — won the presidency…
Trump, the White House, the UFC and our history of violence
On June 14, a spectacle of violence will take place on the White House South Lawn — a spectacle bigger than anything we’ve seen since the January 6 insurrection. UFC Freedom 250, a mixed-martial arts event produced by Ultimate Fighting…
Evangelical Trump loyalists claim he enjoys ‘broad support’
President Donald Trump has earned historic negative ratings, with 61% of Americans disapproving of his performance as president, according to Fox News. But Family Research Council and other groups loyal to Trump claim his goals enjoy “broad support.” “Broad Support…
Historical drama Pressure clears the air on speaking truth to power
A new film that reframes the pivotal lead-up to D-Day as a character study amid a high-stakes strategic dispute speaks to current events, illuminating how inconvenient truths clash with modern political rhetoric. Premiering last weekend at No. 7 on the…
Understanding Al Mohler’s case against women
The so-called Mohler Amendment to prohibit women from functioning as pastors in Southern Baptist churches is being hailed by his minions as “critical for us at this juncture.” According to Brian Arnold, pastor of First Baptist Church Paducah, Ky.: “In…