“Come on dude. That’s just dumber than crap. Seriously. Good God,” the conservative evangelical financial celebrity and New York Times bestselling author Dave Ramsey ranted at a parent who called into his radio program asking for advice. Ramsey’s co-host Jade Warshaw piled…
About that SBC sexual abuse hotline; it just gets worse
The more time goes by, the more concerned I get about the Southern Baptist Convention’s sexual abuse hotline. For anyone who may be trying to make some kind of risk-benefit analysis in deciding whether to call the hotline, the balance…
Three responses to the volunteer shortage
Maybe it’s only me, but I don’t often encounter bombshell statistics, providing some radically helpful new insight. Not often, but not never. When they align with lived experience or shine the light on an insight we need, then statistics become…
Fundamentalism is not the only religious voice unless we give up
The Psalmist writes: “Yonder is the sea, great and wide, creeping things innumerable are there, living things both small and great. There go the ships, and Leviathan that you formed to sport in it.” Using the tools of biblical criticism, we…
The six most important words for healthy relationships
“What are the three most important words in a relationship?” In premarital counseling sessions, it’s usually the bride who answers — grinning coyly and speaking demurely as she answers. Sometimes both the bride and groom answer simultaneously. I once posed…
Hope for divided churches glimmers at the Grammys
I cried Sunday night watching two seemingly different individuals perform one of my favorite songs together. I love music and look forward to the Grammy Awards every year. While I love celebrating my favorite artists and watching about half the…
Politics, faith and mission: A conversation with Ty Seidule
The Lost Cause myth is the original Big Lie, building on cultural, historical and religious elements of culture to try to create (or recreate) a world where white men reign supreme and some version of America is Great Again. One…
How a beloved Christmas carol has misled us
One of the most beloved Christmas carols sung each year is the 19th-century anonymous verse set to music by James R. Murray (1841-1906), “Away in a Manger.” Away in a manger, No crib for a bed, The little Lord Jesus…
What obligation do Christians have for the public welfare?
It seems alarming to many that the social fabric of our nation is tearing. The social compact that knits us together in mutual regard is more than frayed. Is there a common good that is worthy of the Christian’s attention…