In 1963 the U.S. Supreme Court held that school-sponsored prayer and Bible-reading in the public schools violate the First Amendment clause prohibiting laws “respecting an establishment of religion.” The Court said that the clause was intended to protect religious freedom…
Life in the fast lane
By Bob Burroughs This is the kind of fast day I’m after: to break the chains of injustice, get rid of exploitation in the workplace, free the oppressed, cancel debts. What I’m interested in seeing you do is: sharing your…
Homelessness, grief and Holy Week
By Trey Lyon During this Holy Week a story keeps reappearing on my Facebook feed, the tale of the varying responses of an affluent community in North Carolina to a bronze statue of a reclining Jesus, cast to resemble a…
Discovering empty tombs
By Colin Harris You’d think Easter would be easy for a Sunday school teacher. After all, everybody knows what it is, most everybody shows up and nobody is likely to argue against it or to push for its repeal. It’s…
My right to be limited
By Arville L. Earl Some time ago a number of people – I among them — were troubled by a cell phone TV ad which projected the idea that, “I need, no, I have the right to be unlimited.” The…
True champions don’t worry about the score
By Will Baker A grueling season of competition has come to an end. The final game in the NCAA Basketball Tournament (March Madness) has been played and the champion has been crowned. At least that’s what we are supposed to…
‘Mad Men’ as an exploration of human fallenness
By Steven Harmon “I keep wondering: have I broken the vessel?” Don Draper’s mid-flirtation confession to his airline seatmate in the April 13 premiere of the seventh (and final) season of the AMC drama Mad Men may prove to be…
So the papyrus is genuine. What now?
By Miguel De La Torre A faded tiny scrap of papyrus caused an uproar when first unveiled in 2012. Why? Because this ancient fragment contains the phrases: “Jesus said to them, My wife…” and “she will be able to be…
In defense of a peaceable Jesus
By Derek C. Hatch Once the liturgical calendar rolls around to Palm Sunday and then to the celebration of Christ’s resurrection, we hear constant reminders that first-century Jews expected Jesus to be the Messiah, but were not anticipating a Messiah…