At the annual gathering of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship last week, I heard at least one speaker repeat the words of John 8:32: “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” In fact, as I recall,…
If ‘guns don’t kill people, people do,’ how should we respond?
You probably have heard the simplistic explanation, often delivered proudly as if it is the very first time someone has thought to say it: “Guns don’t kill people, people do!” This retort is most often given after another senseless murder…
In Wisconsin, the NRA won
While its business operations lie in bankrupt shambles, the National Rifle Association won the day in a Wisconsin courtroom this week. The acquittal of Kyle Rittenhouse on all charges related to the murder of two men and injury of a…
Why I’m leaving my church: A theology of death
I’m a gun owner and a recreational sportsman. I used to believe in the NRA hype about “good guys with guns” being the heroes America needs and being crucial as protectors of the innocent. Over the past several years, my…
It was a bad week for women, but it wasn’t unusual
In case you didn’t notice, women had a very bad week. In Georgia, a Southern Baptist man shot and killed eight people, six of whom were women of Asian descent, because he wanted to eliminate temptation because of his sex…
Poll reveals evangelical respect for Trump, Oprah and Obama
A poll conducted to gauge the importance registered voters place on political endorsements may also offer subtle hints about the state of evangelical support for Donald Trump. The Morning Consult survey, released March 15, sampled nearly 2,000 Americans to determine…
After church massacre, some Americans say they’re worried about attending worship this Sunday
There may be some sparsely populated pews in American churches this weekend following last Sunday’s church massacre in Texas. Pastors in different parts of the country are hearing from church members worried that the fate of First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs — where a gunman murdered 26 and injured 20 — may befall their own congregations.
What is the number of gun deaths before we say ‘enough’?
There was another shooting last week. There isn’t anything remarkable about that. I didn’t even know about it. Except this one occurred in a church, during a worship service, when one parishioner became “verbally abusive and agitated” when another member…
When prayer is not enough
By Thomas J. Whitley It was “just another day in the United States of America. Another day of gunfire, panic and fear.”