Former President Barack Obama finally said what he should have said eight years ago. Speaking at Hamilton College in New York last Thursday, Obama called out the hypocrisy of President Donald Trump and his MAGA faithful. “Imagine if I had…
If Jesus loves me, why is Donald Trump ruining everything?
I heard one of those televangelists preaching at me online the other day, declaring with equal sincerity that Jesus loves me and that Donald Trump is the savior we’ve all been waiting for. I’m having a hard time reconciling these…
Should everything be ‘run like a business’?
I’m waiting for the day when people think businesses ought to be run like churches. You know, more interested in helping people than turning a huge profit. It’s only fair, because for so long church members have demanded that their…
In new podcast episode, Mark and Ben try to talk about Trump
Baptist News Global’s podcast series “Stuck in the Middle with You” is back with two special episodes that introduce a second season of the show. Co-hosts Mark Wingfield and Benjamin Cole intend to devote most of season two to interviews…
MAGA’s accidental argument against school vouchers
Unless you’ve been living under a huge cliché, you’ve heard the raging controversy over Bishop Mariann Budde’s message at the National Cathedral prayer service held in conjunction with the recent inauguration of President Donald Trump. If you missed it, here’s…
What will it take for you to care about transgender people?
Of all the people justifiably living in fear of the incoming Trump administration, there is one group that stands out for its vulnerability and, to quote the late Tony Campolo, you don’t give a damn. Campolo was famous for the…
When ‘thy kingdom come’ is a threat more than a blessing
Every election season since I left the final church I was a part of in 2019 is a reminder of why I don’t think I could ever go back. And I know many ex-evangelicals agree with me. I’m writing this…
30 years ago, we warned Southern Baptists about rising Calvinism
Thirty years ago next month, Marv Knox and I warned Southern Baptists about the rising influence of Neo-Calvinism in their ranks. To most, this was shocking news at the time. Our words were more prophetic than we possibly could have…
If you plan to vote for Donald Trump …
If you plan to vote for Donald Trump, it is your right to vote for the candidate of your choice. Just be aware the candidate of your choice doesn’t want the rest of us to have a choice in the…
“Stuck in the Middle with You’ podcast drops 10th episode
BNG’s new limited-series podcast, “Stuck in the Middle with You,” now has 10 episodes available for streaming and download. The series features BNG Executive Director Mark Wingfield in dialogue with Benjamin Cole, also known as The Baptist Blogger. Each episode…
Calling Donald Trump a ‘good businessman’ illustrates the problem of bowing down to ‘business’
Driving down the road last week, I (Mark) heard a radio journalist interview Hispanic immigrant voters (legal ones, for all you who worry about this) about how they’ll vote in this fall’s presidential election. One made the case that he…
10 examples of conservative evangelicals turning truth into dangerous lies
Conservative evangelicals claim to be the arbiters of truth in a post-truth world. But if we take a moment to consider how the last few months have gone, we’ll notice a pattern emerge. Story after story, conservatives are the ones…