It wouldn’t be the first time, you know. If Fox News wants to see what “fair and balanced” looks like they should check out National Public Radio. You know the folks at the helm are left of center, but they…
Religious liberty, Easter, and fear
I’m no legal expert when it comes to religious liberty. Not like Brent Walker or Holly Hollman. Neither am I a political pundit or a talking head who takes an extreme view in order to satisfy the base. I write…
Good power/bad power (The nonviolent Jesus versus the apocalyptic Christ)
It is vital to our spiritual health to understand the difference between dominant power and spiritual power. Dominant power is the power to externally influence behavior by the use of force, coercion, threat or promise, reward or punishment. Spiritual power,…
Do you believe in the Rapture?
In an earlier blog article this month, I mentioned having a theological discussion my sister. One of the direct questions she asked me was, “Do you believe in the Rapture?” If she had asked me that question 60 years ago…
How do you stop a tidal wave?
Easy. You don’t. You channel it, or re-direct it, or surf it. Note: this is a metaphor. I say this in case someone decides to actually try this and then (if they survive) comes after me with their high-priced-lawyer-cousin-working-for-free claiming…
Gentrification and its discontents
Chris and I are riding home from church when I bring up local politics. I’m interested in what he thinks about the creeping development that is beginning to put some pressure on the edges of our neighborhood. “Have you noticed…
CBF Northeast coordinator reflects on attending U.N. Women’s Conference
By Phyllis Boozer On Friday, March 13 I had the opportunity, thanks to the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and Baptist World Alliance, to attend a United Nations Women’s Conference in New York. This was part of a two-week series of meetings,…
Parenting in the age of Paw Patrol: Drones and the formation of children
My children, like many, enjoy cartoons. While my wife and I are careful to limit the amount of television they watch, our children still have several shows that they frequent more often than others, including a recent Nickelodeon show titled…
I thought by now racism would be a thing of the past
But I was wrong. On the night of April 4, 1968, there was a knock on my college dorm room door. It swung open and a leading vocal racist on our hall stood at the door with a smile on…