At a funeral for a 92-year-old man this week, I was struck by the family photos scrolling by in the pre-service slide show. I’ve seen hundreds of these slide shows before, but this one jumped out at me. The deceased…
Evangelical Trump Hypocrisy Syndrome strikes again
Imagine former President Joe Biden, a devout Catholic, posting a social media meme riffing off The Blues Brothers movie and declaring he’s “on a mission from God.” Conservatives would have lost their ever-loving minds. This would have been further evidence…
Are you offering a ‘kids’ table’ for single adults at your church?
My best friend here in Dallas got dressed up and went to a church dinner this weekend in someone’s home. He paid $300 for his seat at the 10-course meal as part of a church fundraiser. You need to know…
‘Privilege, not a right’ is language of abusive control
If you know anything at all about how abusers talk, you’ll recognize the danger in one of the Trump administration’s favorite explanations for its tyranny: “It’s a privilege, not a right.” Here’s what the White House Press Office said about…
This is a three-alarm fire for freedom of speech
Of all the shocking things the Trump administration has done in less than three months, please pay attention to this: Today, the administration said it has the power to deport a student simply because of that student’s beliefs. Not because…
Thanks, Obama!
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…