Baptist News Global

In Washington, DC, the peace of Christ isn’t passive

Sometimes the Spirit’s timing feels downright intentional. Long before federal authorities would assume control of Washington, D.C., policing, our sermon calendar had us turning to Paul’s words about “the peace of God which is beyond all understanding.” This Sunday we’ll…

The rights of the born: An American dilemma

Great crowds came to him, bringing with them the lame, the maimed, the blind, the mute and many others. They put them at his feet, and he cured them. (Matthew 15:30) As a parent of a person with special…

Trump fires key officials on advice of conspiracist Laura Loomer

Laura Loomer doesn’t work for the government, but the right-wing social media star has President Donald Trump’s ear, and she has used her influence to have more than a dozen top administration officials fired, possibly endangering Americans’ national security and…

Latest Tennessee execution draws attention to secrecy concerns

Government secrecy had as much to do with the botched execution of Byron Black as the toxic chemical Tennessee used to slowly and painfully take his life, death penalty abolitionist Stacy Rector said. “The state has a law shielding the…

Lawsuit seeks to stop reversals of legal immigration status

The Trump administration faces yet another challenge in its efforts to deport immigrants who are in the country legally. A federal lawsuit filed Aug. 11 objects to the “sudden and unlawful” cancellation of parole status of immigrants living and working…

Why is there a rooster on the steeple?

Most Christian churches in the Southeastern United States, especially in Alabama, where I was raised, have crosses on the steeples of their churches. During my sabbatical in 2012, prompted by the Celtic crosses on the campus of First Baptist Church…

The word of the Lord to Donald Trump

We read from Isaiah 1 on Sunday, and the prophet didn’t mince words about Judah’s need to repent, not just of personal sin and idolatry but of remaining silent in the face of rampant injustice and oppression: Wash and make…

Imagine a world …

One of the shared family experiences we had when our sons were growing up was Star Trek: The Next Generation and the Star Wars series. As I recall, Joseph and I attended a midnight showing with a friend of his…

Donald J. Trump’s ‘Greatest Show on Earth’

President Donald Trump may be the world’s greatest salesman. His greatest skill is offering political analysis in the language of a profane oaf. He sold the American voter on his toughness by being vulgar, crude and lacking in decorum. In…

Kim Davis is back — challenging same-sex marriage nationwide

If it chooses to, the U.S. Supreme Court now has a pathway to reconsider its landmark 2015 ruling that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide. If it does it, the court will fulfill the dream of conservative evangelicals — including Southern Baptists…

Environmentalists win temporary pause at Alligator Alcatraz

A federal court in Miami has ordered Florida to temporarily pause construction of the “Alligator Alcatraz” immigration detention center. And ICE is now hiring “patriotic Americans” as young as 18. U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams ruled Aug. 7 the state…

‘Pro-family’ groups say Israel is wrongly blamed for genocide in Gaza

Israel faces international condemnation and charges of genocide for the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, but the Family Research Council says believers with a “biblical worldview” and “moral clarity” can see Israel is blameless. “Why in the world are they not…

‘Be careful of Scripture heavy in law but light on grace,’ Wesley warns

‘Show up and do something,’ ACLU leader urges

From the South Side to the South Lawn and back again

Democracy as a moral practice, not just a system