By Miguel De La Torre By now we are all familiar with the Feb. 26 tragic story surrounding the fatal shooting of the unarmed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin by George Zimmerman in Sanford, Fla. Zimmerman, the neighborhood watch crime captain, “stood…
A family conversation
By David Gushee Today is the registrationdeadline for the CBF/Mercer [Baptist] Conference on Sexuality and Covenant. Several hundred people have already registered and by all accounts many are profoundly interested in this week’s event. One last time, I would like…
‘Stand your ground’ a national ethic?
By Zachary Bailes Throughout Easter weekend I kept thinking about Good Friday. In the wake of Trayvon Martin’s death, I wondered if the fear that put Jesus in the tomb was similar to the fear portrayed by “Stand Your Ground” today….
‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ … 50 years later
By Gary Furr Here in Alabama, To Kill a Mockingbirdis one of our great treasures. You can still go to Monroeville, Ala., and see a live re-enactment of the story every year by the local citizenry. You start out in the…
The Bible and Obamacare
By Jim Denison The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (commonly known as Obamacare) is the most hotly debated legislation of our time. Its fate now rests with the Supreme Court, which recently heard three days of oral…
Worship preferences
I By Bob Burroughs I am sick and tired of hearing the term, “Worship Wars!” We have about run this one into the ground, don’t you think? In addition, the term is offensive, labeling the church choir the “war department”…
Attracting a new generation of leaders in ministry
By Lydia Hoyle When I was growing up, Christian ministers were widely held in high esteem. Although a few Elmer Gantrys may have been in the mix, churches and communities generally received their ministers with respect and honor. As a…
An ancient story; still true in 2012
By Marv Knox Our Bible study class has been reading from the Old Testament prophet Amos in the weeks leading up to Easter. This is the season the church calls Lent, a period of preparation for commemorating Jesus’ death, burial…
Handling violence in ‘The Hunger Games,’ and the Bible
By J. Muckenfuss News is still buzzing with talk of The Hunger Gamesand its spectacular opening weekend. With three kids in my house who have read the book, we too were anticipating the opening. I took one of my girls…