Dear Editor: Where do “we” go? Where do “we” fit in? Is there a place for us? Those of us who do believe strongly in the sanctity of human life and that abortion goes against God’s commands, but do not…
Regarding election 2024: Eight things I see
After a tumultuous and fascinating two months in American politics, here are some things I see as this election year moves into its final stretch. After the June presidential debate, Joe Biden’s candidacy was doomed. He was right to drop…
We cannot benevolence our way out of problems we’ve injusticed our way into
Last week, I was invited to serve on a panel of Little Rock clergy to mobilize pastors, churches and citizens to engage the political process and vote. Here’s what I said about why Christian people should engage the political process….
Why Christians should support reproductive justice, including abortion access
“Reproductive justice” is a term coined by Black women activists in the 1990s to recognize the intersections of race, class, sexuality, nation and gender in reproductive health and decision-making. SisterSong, an organization that fights for reproductive justice, defines the term…
My long farewell to the evangelical church
Many years ago, I served as an adjunct professor of worship and preaching at a Baptist seminary. One day, as I prepared for an upcoming class, I went to a photocopy shop and begin copying large numbers of worship bulletins and…
Reflections from the Baptist Scholars International Roundtable at Oxford
One of my struggles as a Ph.D. student is finding spaces where I can gather with other students and professors to have long-format discussions about my ideas, work and hunches. Many times, the pressure of the hustle and bustle of…
Here’s what’s wrong with the SBC’s trustee system
Every problem facing the Southern Baptist Convention, every new crisis and scandal and reported financial irregularity, can be reduced to a single and seemingly insoluble root cause: a bloated trustee system that is outdated, inefficient, unmanageable and hopelessly beset by…
Those who mock Gus Walz mock God
Donald Trump’s political career should have been over and done with when he mocked a disabled reporter. But it was not. So why should we be surprised that his minions are mocking Gus Walz, the 17-year-old son of Democratic vice…
So easily offended
We are so easily offended. Let’s say you are scrolling across social media and you see a post where someone shares a meme you do not agree with. What happens inside you? Is your first thought, “Well that person is…
It’s the democracy, neighbor
Last week, I was driving along a Texas highway in Paige, a rural town with a population of 278, when I saw a sign as foreign to me as UFOs and aliens. The billboard read, “Protect Women’s Rights! Vote Blue…
Letter to the Editor: Don’t forget what ‘Genocide Joe’ has done
Dear Editor: On Aug. 7, David Bumgardner penned a column for BNG under the title “Blinded by Their Hatred of Biden, Arab Voters Cut Off Their Noses to Spite Their Faces.” Bumgardner’s biased and disheartening column takes American Arabs, especially Michigan…
Politics, faith and mission: A conversation with Colin Allred
Congressman Colin Allred is, as he notes in our interview, a fourth-generation Texan who played football at Baylor University and then in the NFL for five years before an injury ended his professional career and sent him in the direction…