“Local church autonomy” is a Baptist distinctive selectively used. As evidence, consider Al Mohler’s position on Immanuel Baptist Church in Little Rock, Ark., 25 years ago when then-President Bill Clinton was a member there. Mohler, relatively new as president of…
Women as pastors isn’t the only way SBC churches are out of compliance with Baptist Faith and Message and SBC resolutions
Those currently calling for the Southern Baptist Convention to expel any church with a woman carrying the title “pastor” appeal to two primary sources — beyond their own biblical interpretation — as justification: The Baptist Faith and Message doctrinal statement…
When lying becomes a virtue
Is lying wrong? The question would have seemed impossible even 50 years ago. Now, the ninth commandment becomes expendable: “You shall not bear false witness.” If, as philosophers insist, we live in a post-truth age, we also live in the…
Ken Starr, former Clinton investigator and Baylor University president, dies at 76
Ken Starr, who vaulted to notoriety for investigating President Bill Clinton’s sex scandal and plummeted from Baylor University’s presidency for failing to handle sexual violence complaints, has died at age 76. Starr’s family reported he died Sept. 13 at Baylor…
‘It’s still the economy, stupid’
Think what you will about the raging culture wars, but that’s not the major driver of public opinion today any more than it was when Bill Clinton first ran for president in 1992. That’s when Clinton campaign analyst James Carville…
The end of American exceptionalism
Many efforts have been made to interpret the political events of the last few months — the Capitol riots, the political turmoil on the left and right. And more efforts will be made to interpret the last four years. I’ll…
It’s still rare for a Baptist minister to serve in Congress
Raphael Warnock’s election to the United States Senate has been hailed as historic for several reasons — being the first Black senator from Georgia at the top of the list — but he also will become one of the few…
Mohler endorses Trump while Piper disses Trump and feels the backlash
Al Mohler already has voted for Donald Trump, but John Piper won’t vote for either Trump or Joe Biden. Two bits of significant national news within the last week from the Calvinist wing of evangelical Christianity. Mohler, president of Southern…
Bill Clinton says ‘Make America Great Again’ code for turning back clock on civil rights
Former President Bill Clinton told worshipers at an African-American church in California that Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” campaign slogan is code language for taking the country back to where it was before the struggle for civil rights. “What’s that…