By Starlette McNeill Not guilty. This is the verdict in the murder trial of George Zimmerman concerning the death of 17-year-old high school student Trayvon Martin. While I am surprised that he was not found to be at fault for…
I’m playing the race card
I blogged last year about the Trayvon Martin / George Zimmerman case. Specifically, I shared my uneasiness with claims of “God’s plan” being part of the rhetoric. The verdict is in. I’m not a lawyer, and I don’t claim to…
Remembering Will Campbell: does anyone here NOT know Amazing Grace?
Remembering Will Campbell: Does Anyone Here NOT Know Amazing Grace? Memorial Service for Will Campbell, Mt. Juliet, Tennessee Saturday, June 22, 2013 Sitting under the words “Love your enemies” I feel my heart swell. They are painted on the walls high…
The club-like church
By Kenneth Meyers Many churches are failing to imagine being and doing church in the 21st century. Forays into social media, marketing campaigns, new buildings and so much more compose the traditional church response to stagnated vitality and membership. The…
Zimmerman case law: a ruler or a mirror?
Twenty years ago this fall, I began my studies at Duke University School of Law. Amid the required first-year classes on Civil Procedure, Contracts, Criminal Law, and Legal Research and Writing was a typical seeming class on Torts, taught by…
Jury selection helped Zimmerman
By Alan Bean A jury comprised of five white women and one Latina has acquitted George Zimmerman on all charges. This outcome was largely determined by the way we select juries in America. Imagine that two women who looked like…
Do Baptist women have to consider a denominational change?
As I have time to take a breath this summer before I start my final year of seminary, I am anxiously awaiting the opportunity to start looking for church positions that would allow me to use this training I’ve almost…
When violence visits your church, how ready should you be?
Wednesday morning, July 10th someone started two small fires inside Providence Baptist Church in Charlotte, NC. As of this writing fire officials are calling it arson and an investigation continues. The damage was small in economic cost; probably less than…
Cherry picking the Bible
By Thomas Whitley Neale Donald Walsch had a post on Huffington Posts‘s Religion blog recently titled “Buffet-Style Bible Believers” to which I’ve wanted to respond, but have had little time until now. The message of the post is nothing new….