In Nigeria, two things matter to many voters about those seeking presidential office: the ethnic background of the aspirants and the religion they profess. In fact, in the calculation of some, the latter is more important than the former. Ahead…
Is a political realignment coming?
This awful year has offered few glimpses of hope. But one of them has been dawning since May. That is the possibility that Donald Trump and his decadent version of the Republican Party may go down to a substantial national…
In this election year, we need a ‘come to Moses’ meeting
We are in for an ugly ride on our way to Nov. 3, 2020. All the talking heads agree: this election season may be the nastiest in American history. Weighting its nastiness will be the God-factor. Both parties, speaking from different…
A dose of kindness in the midst of a vitriolic presidential campaign
I am taking slow, deep breaths to center myself after a third presidential debate and another week of reading too many articles about our world, our nation and the upcoming election. When I scroll past another story, another statistic, a…
‘Locker room banter’: Nightmare for the Religious Right
“You can’t endorse me … but I endorse you and what you are doing.” That memorable phrase, delivered by presidential candidate Ronald Reagan at the Religious Roundtable National Affairs Briefing in Dallas in August 1980, highlighted the public beginnings of…
A circus of an election when people’s lives are at stake
I think it is an objective fact that this presidential election is a circus, a national embarrassment. Every morning just the practice of reading the headlines takes uncommon fortitude; at this point I’m prepared to say that very little surprises…
The gift of Donald Trump: uniting a diverse constituency
To me, the silver lining in the Trump campaign is that my friends on either side of the aisle are agreeing with one another. Obviously a lot of people out there are voting for Trump, but at least in my…
Former SBC leader claims 2016 election most important since the Civil War
The former head of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commissions says the possibility of a lesser-of-two-evils choice in this year’s presidential election cannot deter conservative evangelicals from going to the polls. “The 2016 election year is well…
When religion turns hateful, it loses its moral voice
In this craziest of presidential primary seasons, I have not mentioned the Republican candidate with the “best plumage,” the colorful description offered by Marilynne Robinson. I have found his words so offensive, his narcissism so egregious, and his attitude toward…