While religious ideologies are increasingly cited as toxic and divisive forces in American culture and politics, faith also can heal those wounds when Americans unite around common causes such as hunger, poverty and disaster relief, according to Melissa Rogers. The…
Lessons learned on a journey of interfaith friendship
Interfaith friendship is my passion. How did a lifelong Christian — born and reared in the family of a Southern Baptist pastor, who holds three degrees from a Baptist university and seminary, and is an ordained Baptist minister and 25-year…
SBC president who said God hears only Christian prayers dead at 79
Bailey Smith, the former Southern Baptist Convention president best known for saying God does not hear the prayers of a Jew, died Jan. 14 after a 21-month battle with pancreatic cancer. Smith, 79, was the youngest man ever elected SBC…
Be Baptist, but build bridges with all God’s people – Christian or not
The days of viewing our faith as the remaking of the world into our image are long past, thanks be to God. Our call is to find ways to work for the common good with the values Jesus instituted in the inbreaking Reign of God.
Baptist theologian embarking on new mission field – interfaith work
Loving your neighbor as yourself is not just about loving your Christian neighbor as yourself, says Robert Sellers, outgoing chairman of the Parliament of the World’s Religions.
Third Baptist/Muslim dialogue seeks to build bridges between church and mosque
Sixty-five Baptists and Muslims met April 16-19 to discuss ways to unite churches and mosques in communities to foster interfaith understanding, promote religious liberty and cooperate for common good.
Interfaith events expand in wake of 2016 election
It’s getting real in a whole new way for Americans involved in local, regional and national interfaith movements. Donald Trump’s election is seeing to that. Religious folk who thought they had an uphill battle against sporadic prejudice, here and there,…
Bluefield scholar seeks to take a bite out of interfaith tensions
Anti-Islamic sentiment is driving U.S. and European politics while religious hatred fuels world terrorism. Rob Merritt sees the roots of that animosity. “Most of the global conflict we see today has to do with religious controversy,” says Merritt, dean of the…
In Orlando killer’s hometown, religious leaders and LGBT people choose to build bridges
Members of four major religions — Christians, Jews, Muslims and Hindus — joined with the LGBT community for an interfaith gathering to share a message of love and compassion in response to the shooting.