In a recent Facebook post, Franklin Graham praised Indiana’s House of Representatives for passing a “religious freedom” bill “that would protect business owners who want to decline to provide services for same-sex marriages.” Religious freedom, which has been a hallmark…
Same-sex marriage and the intractable knot of freedoms
Same-sex marriage has tied American society into a seemingly intractable knot. Advocates of one great value pull a thread that ultimately tightens and restricts another cherished principle. And vice-versa. Human rights vs. religious liberty.
How astronauts helped me to see life differently
The experience of traveling in space is life-changing. For all of the reasons that immediately come to mind – the years preparation, the level of commitment required, the danger and fear that must be overcome, the isolation and extreme conditions…
We need covenant parenting in covenant communities
Often, as we discuss sexuality and marriage, the word covenant comes up—specifically whether marriage should be a covenant between a man and a woman or whether LGBT friends have the right to enter into such a covenant. When we limit…
Ebola, race, marriage and Obamacare top stories in 2014
By Bob Allen Following is a summary of some of the year’s major headlines. Baptists and race. Will Baptists remember 2014 as a sea change in race relations? Fifty years after the civil rights movement and nearly 20 years after…
BJC lawyer examines church’s role in civil marriage
By Bob Allen A Baptist religious-liberty lawyer says recent debate over the definition of marriage reveals a long-overlooked mingling between church and state. Hollyn Hollman, general counsel of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty, noted in a recent article…
36 things I know after 36 years of marriage
This week, my husband and I will celebrate our 36th anniversary. Some years we’ve gotten dressed-up and gone out to dinner. Other years we’ve simply marked the day with a kiss. Once, we were both sick with the flu and…
Pastors, stop signing those marriage licenses
By Kyle Henderson Pastors should stop signing state-issued marriage licenses. They should stop immediately. Individuals and organizations whose agenda is murky at best are hijacking the marriage debate. We have stopped asking the right questions and started reacting to the…
‘The Theory of Everything’ offers unflinching view of marriage
Relationships are hard. Forces at work within them bring stress and strain, making it difficult for relationships to work and last. Add that stress and strain to an incurable disease and you have the formula for the docudrama, The Theory…