Before I get into this piece any further, let me admit that decency is a pretty low bar for people of faith. I find that in most churches (I cannot speak for synagogues or temples or mosques), the bar is generally set…
Friendly Neighbor Epidemiologist is back and armed with data for parents to fight for masks in schools
Your Friendly Neighbor Epidemiologist has come to the masking debate armed with new data, and she’s ready to help health-conscious parents advocate at their schools, school boards and churches. Emily Smith, assistant professor of epidemiology at Baylor University and a…
A pediatrician’s advice to parents worried about the COVID vaccine and their children
Even parents who are willing to be vaccinated against COVID-19 themselves may be hesitant to have their eligible children vaccinated, according to new data from Public Religion Research Institute and Interfaith Youth Core. That finding doesn’t surprise Rhonda Walton, a…
Are you pro-life or pro-birth?
Do believers want babies just to be born — or to live after birth? The evidence for after birth support is very poor. Having heard several people firmly tell me that they are “pro-life,” I’ve usually first asked them then…
Another reminder why Christians must become advocates for vulnerable children
Caring for the well-being of the most vulnerable children among us should be an easy decision for people of faith. The church already knows the importance of its sacred calling to care for children, taking seriously the stark biblical warning…
Think your kids aren’t paying attention at church? Consider this …
Last week, I caught my children playing “church” in the backyard — a game I used to play as a child, too. I watched inconspicuously so they wouldn’t see me. My son Benjamin was pretending to be Pastor Stephen, who…
Baptist deacon is author of controversial anti-trans bills in Texas, joining wave of similar legislation pushed nationwide
A Baptist deacon is the author of an anti-transgender bill that has passed the Texas Senate and now awaits action in the House — a bill that has been called by critics one of the cruelest in a season of…
We cannot now close our border to those fleeing the horror we helped create
Why should we open our border to poor people from Central America? What if they are really terrorists? What if they have COVID, or something even more contagious? How can we afford to take care of “their” children when we…
Our needs are holy to God: The Gospel of Dr. Seuss
There seems to be a furor among some today over Dr. Seuss Enterprise’s decision to withdraw six Dr. Seuss children’s books from publication and about the mortal danger of “cancel culture” to American civilization. So here is a salute to…