In the wake of the violence of January 6, 2021, some observers wondered why the insurrectionists at the U.S. Capitol weren’t charged with domestic terrorism. The reason is simple: There is no standalone federal crime on the books for domestic...
One of the many blessings of my current home is its location. No matter what direction you look, you will see trees. And not just a few in our yard, but a forest. We are surrounded by majestic pines, maples…
Rising temperatures made 2023 earth’s hottest year on record. Climate scientists say human activity increases heat-trapping gasses that contribute to weather-related disasters, which in 2022 forced more than 3 million Americans from their homes and cost the world $360 billion…
Antisemitism is on the rise in the United States across the political spectrum, and it is creating challenging questions for how best to address many of the most pressing moral challenges of our day — particularly U.S. policy toward Israel…
Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary filed a motion in U.S. District Court April 18 asking for the lawsuit brought against it by Adam Greenway to be dismissed for lack of jurisdiction. On March 20, the seminary’s former president filed suit against…
Somehow, there’s a mythology that popular or influential programs have occasionally been canceled by mistake or in some colossal error of judgment. I mean, as a pastor it would seem that’s evidently what some church people think. This has got…
After moving from Seattle to Dallas in 2015 to teach at Southern Methodist University, I decided to do something, well, important with some leftover funds. With a history of searing headaches, I wanted to introduce ancient authors who wrote in unvarnished ways…
Members of Congress have joined nationwide efforts to encourage President Joe Biden to clear the way for some undocumented immigrants to safely live and work in the United States. Democratic U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin of Illinois and Alex Padilla of…
There’s a new war on pornography in America, and it’s just as complicated as ever. As BNG reported a week ago, James Dobson’s Family Policy Alliance has made defeating Satan and porn one of its priorities this year. What’s old…
In a recent Atlantic essay titled “The True Cost of the Churchgoing Bust,” columnist Derek Thompson writes that “more Americans today have ‘converted’ out of religion than have converted to all forms of Christianity, Judaism and Islam combined. No faith’s…
As delegates pack their bags to attend The United Methodist Church’s first comprehensive General Conference in eight years, church bureaucrats and special interest groups are unpacking their respective legislative campaigns via press releases, op-eds, email, social media, videos and online…
With Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter well into its second week at the top of the Billboard charts, the internet is rife with as many hot takes and opinions as 4×4 pickups at a Jason Aldean show. Absorbing the litany of influences,…
When architects Hadley and Peter Arnold rescued a condemned church in Warren, R.I., they knew the 19th century building was something special. But just how special wasn’t clear until it was time to remodel the church’s windows. Behind one of…
