April 2024 has been the month when the Kens of the Mojo Dojo Casa Churches came out in full force to flex their patriarchy power in preach-offs. It started with Josh Howerton telling women to crown dishonorable men as their kings and…
Biden administration has been unable to clean up Trump administration’s mess of family separation, but Trump says he might do it again
Almost half the immigrant children separated from their parents by the Trump administration still haven’t been reunited, according to an investigative report in New York magazine. The Feb. 27 report says more than 5,000 children were taken from their parents…
Raushenbush’s children’s book emphasizes the love of God in Holy Week
Paul Raushenbush’s new children’s book, Together We Rise, was written to share the meaning of Holy Week and the joy of a loving God with his own kids. “It was a story I intended for my two sons. My oldest…
Children fleeing alone need our compassion and protection
Violence, conflict and oppression seem to be everywhere these days. The horrors in the Middle East, Ukraine, Afghanistan, Syria, Haiti and many more places are devastating to contemplate. And the dangerous flight for safety they spur: Life-threatening travels on overcrowded…
Study finds Americans’ understanding of ‘family’ is changing
What does the idea of “family” mean anymore? According to a new national research, Americans’ ideas of marriage and family are changing and people have mixed feelings about how that will affect the future. Pew Research Center released a new…
The youngest victims of war
The news stories of what has been happening in Israel and Gaza since Oct. 7 have been difficult to absorb. The horrific loss of life, utter destruction of neighborhoods and the terrifying abduction of civilians of all ages have seemed…
‘The moment we allow our hearts to go numb to the deaths of any children is the moment we shut down our humanity’
As someone whose ancestors immigrated to the United States from Lebanon, the faces of children suffering in the war in Israel remind me of my own children. The limp body of a 5-year-old girl being carried through the rubble, and…
For the love of literature: How book bans are whitewashing America
It’s back to school time and, in the latest effort of book banning, new state legislation will restrict literature allowed in Texas schools based on a vague rating system about sexual content. House Bill 900, which goes into effect Sept….
Paternity leave and the church’s need for change
The meet-and-greet with my new congregation was a bit awkward, to say the least. Everyone was kind, inviting and welcoming, but as you may often do when meeting a new person, many asked, “Do you have any kids?” Just two…