The recent spate of ultraconservative decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court has put The United Methodist Church officially at odds with the nation’s highest judicial body. The denomination’s opposition to the high court’s decisions can be found from its core…
Is there a balm in Gilead? The church in post-Roe America
The Hebrew prophet Jeremiah cried out on behalf of his people and nation. It was wracked by rampant greed and deceit, and the lives of the poor were being trampled upon. “Is there no balm in Gilead, is there no…
We know the truth, and it is not setting us free
At the annual gathering of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship last week, I heard at least one speaker repeat the words of John 8:32: “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” In fact, as I recall,…
A radical court on the move
In one of the most consequential terms in the 233-year history of the U.S. Supreme Court, an aggressive and radicalized supermajority of justices has begun a comprehensive reshaping of the legal landscape of the country with consequences we can only…
There’s a straight line from eugenics to ‘biblical family values’ to white supremacy and the anti-abortion movement
Pro-life conservative evangelicals erupted into unanimous jubilation at the news of the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade. But while united in their celebration, they are divided in their vision for the future of the pro-life movement and unaware…
Why I’ve never written about abortion before now
Note: This article includes a graphic description of miscarriage. Last week, a friend who is a compassionate pro-lifer asked me about the opinion pieces on abortion we’ve carried at BNG before and after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Roe…
‘Our Father’: A quiverfull of racism and anti-reproductive rights
“Quiverfull” is a word I recently learned via the vast educational network of Netflix. “Quiverfull” is a Christian theological position concerning mass reproduction, meaning how many children a man can create. Please hear me. I mean no offense to any…
The consent of mothers
We are all called to be mothers of God — for God is always waiting to be born. — Meister Eckart, 13 c. German mystic In the wake of the news that the U.S. Supreme Court has overturned Roe v….
Welcome to Gilead
The red-robed memes started immediately after Friday’s Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade and jumpstarting abortion bans across the country. When I first read Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale back in 1985, I certainly could believe some people wanted…