I planned to write this essay about January 6 as an anniversary piece. Because I am a public speech teacher, it has felt particularly cruel for conservatives to deny what happened on that dark day. When Donald Trump Jr. sarcastically…
Faith groups must fight online hate, Interfaith Alliance urges
Sermons urging social media fasts or sabbaticals from screen time are woefully inadequate attempts to combating the racial and religious hatred individuals and faith groups are increasingly experiencing online, Interfaith Alliance President Paul Brandeis Raushenbush said. Religious leaders and communities…
When hate speech meets the First Amendment, what should Christians do?
Hate speech, like an erratic stock market, rises and falls. The primary instigators of the last two jumps in hate speech have been Donald Trump (beginning in 2015) and Elon Musk, the new owner of Twitter. In Trump’s case, there…
Colorado Springs clergy speak out against religious hate speech that leads to violence
In a city mainly known as home to highly influential evangelical ministries that preach against the LGBTQ community, more than 50 clergy have co-signed a letter calling for an end to religious hate speech. The letter from Colorado Springs, Colo.,…
Recent SBC leader mocks Pelosi attack via Twitter, while celebrating Elon Musk’s lack of content moderation
A former officer of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee who was among the most outspoken critics of the investigation into sexual abuse in SBC churches has used Twitter to mock the hammer attack on Paul Pelosi. Pelosi, husband of…
Facebook is stopping a stupendous amount of religious hate speech, but there are dangers in knowing what should be off-limits
The United States has a vital role to play in ensuring social media companies develop new policies and technologies to better protect religious freedom and human rights online, a federal agency reported. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom also…
Churches are compelled to support practices to combat pandemic
“Through their actions, they’re not just harming people in our community, they’re harming and putting members of their own congregation at risk.”
All Saints Day and every day: the ‘dangerous, restless speech’ and revolutionary act of lament
The nature of lament is profoundly spiritual and political. Lament ensures that questions of justice are asked and makes clear that things are not OK. But it doesn’t stop there. Lament suggests that what is wrong can be changed.
Is the rise in anti-Semitism one of the Church’s unpaid bills?
Dietrich Bonhoeffer told his seminary students, “Only he who cries out for the Jews may sing Gregorian chants.” As Christian worshipers stand to sing on Sunday, we would do well to remember Bonhoeffer’s confession.