The ink was hardly dry on Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s authorization for local health authorities to determine in-person school reopening this fall when Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton declared that religious schools would be exempt from any such restrictions. In…
The Supreme Court term: Something for everyone to love and hate
The Supreme Court’s major rulings this June and early July may collectively be remembered as one of the most constructive political developments of this momentous and terrible year. The court’s decisions this term gave important wins and losses to both…
There’s a double standard on pastors and politics
Imagine a prominent white Baptist pastor taking to cable news to make a case for Joe Biden and then appearing at rallies to campaign for the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee. All hell would break loose. And that pastor would soon…
Supreme Court opens new chapter of state funding for religious schools
The hotly contested barrier between private religious schools and government funding cracked significantly wider June 30 with a landmark ruling by the United States Supreme Court. In a 5-4 decision, the court ruled that the state of Montana may not…
‘Thy kingdom come; thy will be done’: Independence Day and the Lord’s Prayer
Do we really want God’s kingdom to come? Do we want God’s will to be done – here in America in the year 2020? Are we willing to change? Do we want the world to turn upside down?
Juneteenth should remind us of all the things we don’t know
The more we learn about someone else’s story, the more understanding we gain about their perspectives.
I’m a conservative Christian. I’ve got a problem with the flag.
June 14 is Flag Day. I’ll proudly fly my new flag from our house. But when a church hoists the American flag and the Christian flag, that church immediately puts itself in an unwinnable situation.
Mr. President, worship is an essential part of my life, but not an essential part of my death
If the church is truly committed to the “care of souls,” then my physical absence on Sundays is not a test of faith, it’s an affirmation of faith and life. If God really is present everywhere, and if churches continue to offer worship online, then so be it. The Spirit knows where to find me, wherever I am.
Rebuilding the foundations of ‘The City on the Hill’: the shadow side of American exceptionalism
If we are to rebuild the foundations of this “City on a Hill,” we must work with all people of good will, those of all religions, races and economic classes, to follow the counsel of Micah to do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with our God.