Newly elected Southern Baptist Convention President Willy Rice has characterized the SBC’s clergy sex abuse crisis as a “hoax” and a “snipe hunt.” Talk like that helped get Rice elected. Apparently, it was the message many Southern Baptists wanted to…
The night I saw God’s kingdom on earth as it is in heaven
Nine years ago, I had nine strokes within the course of a few hours. Nine blood clots to both hemispheres of my brain. My recovery was tough, and in those early months and years of trying to find my new…
All the Marys and women with the power of words
At the 2022 Wild Goose Festival, historian and author Diana Butler Bass said in a sermon titled “All the Marys”: “When the women of the world take on words for themselves, when we seize our sacred texts and search them…
We are a nation of immigrants
God bless America, land that I love. Stand beside her, and guide her, through the night with a light from above. From the mountains, to the prairies, to the oceans white with foam, God bless America. My home sweet home….
The wicked are punished — or not
For about a decade, I have had a book brewing that takes on the book of Job. It is now about to come out Sept. 1. It will be called Job in Exile: A Guide for Spiritual Refugees. There are…
Dear Trump-supporting Christians, are you really OK with this?
Most of you who claim to be Christians while supporting the Trump administration’s cruel immigration policies seem immovable in your position. Here’s a recent true story I challenge you to read and tell us if you support this. The story…
Patriotism or nationalism?
God’s Word seems abundantly clear. Any nation that is above critique is beyond God’s help. So, take a breath, fellow citizens. Not everyone who disagrees with you is unpatriotic. And beware, lest you become guilty of thoughtless allegiance to immoral and unjust policies.
Eradicating DEI hasn’t made anything better
As we celebrate the 250th anniversary of our nation’s independence, a staggering 75% of Americans believe our Founders would be disappointed in our nation today and just 40% still believe the American Dream is achievable. It’s not just the economy,…
What sports patriotism teaches us
Through recent World Cup fervor, American patriotism has reigned — even more so it seems than on the Fourth of July. A New York Times article says it well: “At a moment when national pride is at a quarter-century low,…
3 views on Donald Trump held by American Christians
There is a divide among Christians in the United States about how to respond to the urgency of our present crisis. Leaving aside for a moment those who claim the name of Christ but gleefully support an immoral president doing…
Baptists need to speak up again for religious liberty
As people spent the Fourth of July holiday with friends, family and local community, the United States continues to experience a slide away from universal religious liberty and a shift toward authoritarian government targeting religious beliefs and actions. The Baptist public theology…
Order, mystery and the proper use of Occam’s razor
Every so often, I hear a character in a movie or a television series attempt to solve a complex problem by merely stating, “Occam’s razor!” This usually occurs without context, but like the wave of a magic wand, problem solved!…