The capacity of ISIS to enthrall and recruit youth and young adults from Western democratic countries has left many baffled. It is such a counterpoint to the spirit of the mass demonstrations that characterized the Arab Spring, which now seems…
Adventures in missing the point
It’s once again graduation season. And what does graduation season mean? No more school! No more books! No more teachers’ dirty looks … well, scratch that last part. As Alice Cooper sang in his 1972 single, “School’s out for the…
Religions converge at Mercer’s new interfaith prayer garden
By Jeff Brumley Those dismissive of interfaith ministry and outreach as purely symbolic efforts may have reconsidered during a prayer garden dedication at Mercer University on Thursday. Scores gathered on a shady corner of the school’s Atlanta campus to celebrate…
Getting the enemy all wrong
Last week the White House took action against the various violent attacks happening all over the world in recent months by hosting a Summit on Countering Violent Extremism. While it is perhaps laudable that this White House stands opposed to…
A long line of sinners
March 2, 2015 By Terry Austin In the Central African Republic, a political/religious faction known as Anti-balaka has been accused of violent crimes. Their actions include gruesome mutilations, forcing thousands of people from their homes and killing an untold number….
Beating back ISIS
By Martin Accad Every few days, we seem to wake up to another massacre committed by ISIS. And these are, of course, only the ones that the media reports. ISIS, in reality, is committing massacres on a daily basis. We…
Uncoerced faith remains a burning question
By Bill Leonard On Sunday, Feb. 15, 2015, the terrorists who call themselves an Islamic State released a lurid video showing the decapitation of 21 Egyptian laborers working in Libya. Taken hostage in January, largely because they were Coptic Christians,…
Baptist pastor inspired by Jews, Muslims during Holy Land pilgrimage
By Jeff Brumley It wasn’t Jim Somerville’s first visit to the Holy Land — or even his third or fourth. But the 10-day journey in early February was the first he had made with Muslim and Jewish clergy from Virginia. The…
Another shooting? Not again.
Not again. That was my first thought upon seeing countless posts on Twitter about a shooting in Chapel Hill. By now, many of you have heard about the shooting of Deah Shaddy Barakat, 23, his wife, Yusor Mohammad, 21, and…