Sitting across from us was our now adult son with so much pain on his face. “How could you not have known? And if you did, why did you leave me to figure it all out on my own?” Six…
Equality Act stirs passions about the definition of religious liberty and RFRA’s role
When the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Equality Act last week, the long-simmering battle between religious conservatives and the rest of the nation reached a renewed pitch. At stake is the desire of religious conservatives — especially evangelical Christians…
Repressing my sexual orientation cost me my health — permanently
I can’t remember what it feels like to not be in pain. It’s been years since I’ve had the energy of a healthy person. The litany of physical symptoms that rage war in my body daily are a result of…
Matter-of-fact statements about Scripture aren’t always the gospel truth
It was a beautiful September day on the campus of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. The sun was shining brightly through the Beech trees along Lexington Road as they turned from green to orange. I ran down the stairwell from my…
About disfellowshipping churches based on the ‘clear’ teaching of Scripture
Two churches were disfellowshipped this week by the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee for “affirming homosexuality within their memberships.” I have ties to at least one of the churches — friends, colleagues and former students and seminary and Sunday school…
LGBTQ inclusion and clergy sexual abuse treated equally in SBC expulsions
Four churches were expelled from the Southern Baptist Convention Feb. 23 in a joint action that gave the appearance of equating LGBTQ inclusion with predatory sexual behavior. Among the four churches expelled, two were removed due to welcoming LGBTQ Christians…
On religious liberty views and other issues, there’s still a wide gap between evangelicals and the rest of America
If recent surveys of religious beliefs and practices have revealed anything, it’s that white evangelicals are out of step with the rest of the nation on just about every social and political measure. “White evangelicals are just on another planet,…
Your words hold the power of life and death
In the age of social media, it’s easy to forget the power our words have on others. Sitting behind the safety of a computer screen makes it simple for us to say whatever we think with little consequence. With the…
United Methodists learning more about Christmas Covenant through videos
A tumultuous January is nearing an end, but for many United Methodists the focus is still on Christmas – a proposal for the church’s future named the “Christmas Covenant” that its organizers call “a gift of hope” for the beleaguered…