Moderates are such an endangered species that even when you see one in the wild, they’re easy to miss. Pick your favorite hot button topic of the day and you can likely summarize what the left and what the right…
Are left-wing radicals pushing Cracker Barrel to the edge of the slippery slope?
On Aug. 1, liberals won a huge victory in the culture war. Analysts at Cracker Barrel Old Country Store read studies that promised consumer attitudes about plant-based meats are becoming more affirming and posted: “Discover new meat frontiers. Experience the…
Ryan Burge has some important things to say about white evangelicals, partisan politics and the future
If you’re interested in fascinating yet random facts and trends about American religion and culture, follow Ryan Burge (@ryanburge) on Twitter. Burge, who is an American Baptist pastor and a professor at Eastern Illinois University, loves to make graphs. And…
America’s divide between left and right more severe than in Western Europe
The growing cultural and political gulf between Americans is not unique in the world today but appears to be more extreme than what is happening in several Western European nations, according to Pew Research Center. Its new study, “Views About…
An American Taliban?
Has the Christian Right morphed into an American version of the Taliban? Are these folks trying to transform America into a fundamentalist theocracy? Don’t they talk about making the Bible the law of the land? Don’t they speak of “taking…
What kind of Baptist are you?
Do you know the story that periodically makes the rounds about the guy standing on the edge of a bridge ready to jump off to commit suicide? Along comes another person who engages him in conversation trying to get him…
Talking politics in church
When 4-year-old Abigail Evans burst into tears for no apparent reason, her mother asked what was making her so sad. “I’m tired of Bronco Bama and Mitt Romney,” Abigail wailed between sniffles. Mamma Evans didn’t switch off NPR, but she assured her daughter that…