By George Bullard Fifty years after the Supreme Court banned prayer in public schools, confusion reigns around the issue. One of the easiest ways to rally some conservative Christians is to proclaim that prayer must be restored to public schools….
Southern Seminary VP Impedes Tolerance
My jaw nearly slapped the ground when I read the words. They bellowed from Mark Coppenger, vice president for extension education and director of Southern Seminary’s extension center in Nashville, Tenn. Recently he sat on a panel that discussed the…
When food oppresses
By Miguel De La Torre Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all…
God is not a political football
In football, you want to move the ball forward towards the end zone. You want to exploit the weaknesses of your opponent. If they carry the ball too high on their pads it is an easy target to strip the…
A Mormon, 2 Catholics and a Protestant go into a homeless shelter
By Bill Leonard Religiously speaking, this presidential election is a fascinating moment in our national life, and for multiple reasons. First, one party nominated a Mormon and a Roman Catholic as president and vice president respectively, the first time in…
Following Jesus in a politicized world
Have you noticed some of your Facebook friends taking a sabbatical from social media during the remainder of the 2012 election cycle? The number seems to be growing. For the most part, they do so because they’re tired of the…
“God is big.”
She has never said why exactly she had to leave; she only admits that leaving her home country was necessary for her not her husband. Raised in an orphanage with no family made leaving the connections she had to her…
Associate pastors are not second chairs
In an informal interview for an associate pastor position, I was once told by a senior pastor, “being an associate pastor is about paying the rent.” “What’s paying the rent have to do with ministry?” I asked. I though the…
Politics on the edge
By Kevin Glenn Not long ago I received two e-mails on the same day. One was from a colleague who copied me and other pastors in his reply to a message from Michelle Obama just before she spoke at the…