When the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Equality Act last week, the long-simmering battle between religious conservatives and the rest of the nation reached a renewed pitch. At stake is the desire of religious conservatives — especially evangelical Christians…
Does landmark religious freedom legislation need a fix or is it fine as is?
Does the landmark Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 need a legislative fix? Some Democratic Congressmen and religious freedom advocates believe so, which has prompted a renewed attempt to resolve problems they believe have been created by conservative court rulings…
Rural churches need to understand the cultural capital of their communities
Originally being from the Upper Midwest, Justin began to undertake a process of cultural learning upon moving to the South (first to Texas and eventually to North Carolina). This included practicing subtle but important language differences (like using “y’all” rather…
What I learned by listening to women pastors during the pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a differential impact on women. In particular, working mothers have faced a greater burden of child care and home schooling than men and have ended up leaving the work force in significantly greater numbers than…
The two Georges, the world and American leadership
Amid the recent tumult of events, the 100th birthday of George P. Shultz Dec. 13 passed relatively unnoticed. As did his death Feb. 6. But attention must be paid. Shultz was one of the ultimate “inside the Beltway” guys, those…
SBC agency’s appeal to Supreme Court touches on religious liberty, defamation and Baptist autonomy
A federal lawsuit that combines questions of religious liberty, defamation and the meaning of Baptist autonomy has been appealed to the United States Supreme Court. The Southern Baptist Convention’s North American Mission Board, the defendant in the original 2017 case,…
State conventions beyond the South question SBC North American Mission Board’s spending and accountability for church planting
A decade-long disagreement over how Southern Baptists fund church planting and missions in North America is coming to a head and threatens the sanctity of the denomination’s spirit of cooperative giving. The result: State conventions outside the South are reducing…
‘Jezebel’ is one of three common racial slurs against all Black women and girls
Another Black woman has been called “Jezebel,” a racial stereotype and slur that historically and persistently has been used to obfuscate the truth, promote and justify racial inequality and sexual violence against Black women. According to Baptist News Global, two…
At Trump’s impeachment trial, pay attention to the inciting power of rhetoric
On Feb. 9, the historic second impeachment trial of Donald Trump will commence in the United States Senate, where a common theme running through the impeachment articles centers on the inciting power of speech used by the former president. The…