Tuesday evening, March 18, we received word from a mutual friend that Jack Pogue, the faithful Baptist layman, Dallas-area real estate developer and quiet denominational benefactor, had passed at age 90. At the time of his death, untold scores of millions…
Faith lessons from two ‘stranded’ astronauts
This week, NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams returned to earth after an unexpectedly long mission. The two arrived at the International Space Station in June 2024 aboard a new Boeing spacecraft; they expected to stay at the station…
Here’s one way to do something and not remain silent
“Engage in speaking the truth, so that we do not mislead anyone by our silence.” — Book of Common Prayer During the presidential prayer service at Washington National Cathedral for the beginning of Donald Trump’s new term, Bishop Mariann Budde…
A rare sighting: A Republican rebukes Trump and Musk
Finally, a Republican lawmaker has spoken out publicly against Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s illegal dismantling of the federal government. Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska says she does not fear Musk spending millions to fund an opponent against her in…
The dirty chess game that motivates Trump’s yo-yo tariffs
On Sep. 27, 2024, at a rally in Michigan, Donald Trump said: “In the 1890s, our country was probably the wealthiest it ever was because it was a system of tariffs. We had a president, you know, McKinley.” Although his…
Did Jesus really say that?
During some of the hardest days of racial tension in in the 1960s, a Mississippi Delta white pastor in his frustration one day asked one of his stalwart members what she thought Jesus would do if Black people came to…
Louisiana gasses inmate despite victim’s family appeals not to do so
On Tuesday evening, March 18, the state of Louisiana executed Jessie Hoffman Jr., putting him to death with nitrogen gas. Faith leaders from around the state gathered at Angola Prison to support Hoffman’s family and to hold a public vigil…
Legislating against ‘Trump Derangement Syndrome’ is a danger to free speech
In an age of political division, the suggestion that opposition to a specific political figure could be classified as a mental health disorder is deeply concerning. Recently, some Minnesota lawmakers have proposed the formalization of “Trump Derangement Syndrome” as a…
Texas senator fails history test while passing school prayer bill
After watching a little bit of the Texas Senate debating religion in schools today, I am convinced of two things. Texas senators need serious history reeducation Texas is where separation of church and state has gone to die Today I…
To revitalize the church in America, look to the working poor
There is an old trick used by religious leaders to prevent the possibility of questioning what they say: The leader or pastor comes into a meeting declaring they have a word from God. Then this pastor will state some proposal and…
The Emperor’s New Clothes: Speaking truth to power
In Hans Christian Andersen’s timeless tale “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” an emperor’s obsession with vanity blinds him to the obvious truth that he’s been deceived by two con men. When the emperor parades through his kingdom in his supposed “new…
Closure of DOJ probe doesn’t mean no SBC sex crimes
The United States Department of Justice has shut down its investigation into sexual abuse within the Southern Baptist Convention. Attorneys for the SBC Executive Committee said they were notified last Wednesday of the investigation’s closure, and since then prominent Southern…