Christian ethicist David Gushee understands why many church leaders shy away from open discussions about sexuality. Pastors fear offending members. Diversity of age, values and life experiences among members make consensus difficult. “I would fault churches for their silence on…
Zombie apocalypse offers a secularized twist on Scripture, says educator
The Walking Dead, Doomsday Preppers and Left Behind may have more in common than meets the eye. Dramas about zombie apocalypse, TV reality shows about survivalists and speculation about end-times prophecy all grow from a desire for hope in the…
Despite biblical injunctions to the contrary, Christians remain obsessed with end times
Just because Jesus told his disciples God alone knows when he will return, that hasn’t prevented 2,000 years of Christian speculation. “Some have said: ‘Jesus just said we can’t know the day or the hour. But that doesn’t mean we…
Still obsessed with End Times
Just because Jesus told his disciples God alone knows when he will return, that hasn’t prevented 2,000 years of Christian speculation. “Some have said: ‘Jesus just said we can’t know the day or the hour. But that doesn’t mean we…
Spiritual journeys show similarities, differences
Abraham Sarker, executive director of Gospel for Muslims, was brought up in a devout Muslim home but became a follower of Jesus Christ. Abdullah Smith, an imam in Houston, grew up in a nominal Christian home but eventually embraced Islam….
Free at last, but what happens now?
Men just released from state prisons in Huntsville, Texas, arrived by bus in Fort Worth and gathered at the Tarrant County Probation Office. But before they re-entered the free world, they heard straight talk from someone who understood what they…
Free at last, but what now? Churches an help former inmates enter new life
Men just released from state prisons in Huntsville, Texas, arrived by bus in Fort Worth and gathered at the Tarrant County Probation Office. But before they re-entered the free world, they heard straight talk from someone who understood what they…
How should churches view holiday-only visitors? Leaders try a variety of methods to stay in contact
Many churches roll out the red carpet for CEOs they expect to see just twice a year — Christmas and Easter Only worshippers. But others wonder, “If we treat CEOs like VIPs, why are they AWOL most of the time?”…
Churches seek to help ease stress on caregivers — sometimes a challenging task
The New Testament commands Christ’s followers to “bear one another’s burdens.” But applying that principle to caregivers — people who shoulder the around-the-clock responsibility for meeting the needs of someone who cannot live independently because of advanced age, illness or…