In June we were at the General Assembly of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship when we received news of the shooting at Mother Emmanuel AME Church in Charleston. Yesterday I was at a denominational leadership meeting when we received word of…
Is Gov. Huckabee right?
To be fair, since earlier this summer I wished Sen. Lindsey Graham a Happy Birthday ( here), I am now wishing ex-Governor Mike Huckabee a Happy Birthday. Huckabee celebrated his 60th birthday yesterday, and as I said in the article…
Centennial of the lynching of Leo Frank . . . and the struggle over the meaning of freedom
In August 1913 the body of 14-year-old laborer Mary Phagan was found in the basement of the National Pencil Company in Atlanta. The company’s Jewish-American superintendent, Leo Frank, was eventually convicted of the crime and sentenced to death by hanging….
Politics and pork chop on-a-stick
I’ve been blogging for the last few weeks on the intersection of faith and politics. In the post Trumping Faith I asked the question, “How important is it that elected government leaders not only affirm a faith background, but have…
What’s the matter with Florida?
To channel Thomas Frank who famously asked “What’s the matter with Kansas?” — I have the same question for the Sunshine State. What’s the matter with Florida? Or, more specifically, what’s the matter with the (almost) entire Florida Congressional Delegation…
In politics, when the God-question turns weird
In my blog post Trumping Faith I asked the question, “How important is it that elected government leaders not only affirm a faith background, but have one that is deeply meaningful and vibrant?” Today I want to ask, “How can…
Letter from a Birmingham intersection
**The author has been participating with QC Family Tree in tracing the steps of the Freedom Riders of the Civil Rights Movement. Learn more about the trip here and here. Remembering that it happened once, We cannot turn away the thought,…
Combatting global warming
By Leroy Seat The View from This Seat
Heroes in Farmersville Muslim cemetery fuss: Religious-liberty-lovin’ Baptists
I initially wasn’t exceedingly jazzed about the idea of writing today’s Farmersville editorial, which is pegged to tonight’s forum in the rural Collin County community about plans for a Muslim cemetery just west of town. It’s a juicy story no…
How important is religious faith in our elected leaders?
While I tend to avoid any attention given to Donald Trump, it’s been difficult to maintain that stance in recent days. From his derogatory treatment of John McCain’s war record (“He’s a war hero because he was captured.
When belief becomes more important than people
Conservative evangelical Wheaton College has decided to stop offering health insurance plans to students rather than comply with federal requirements under the Affordable Care Act. The school is suing the Department of Health and Human Services claiming that the requirement…
A new day for Cuba
“We don’t have to be imprisoned by the past.” Those were words spoken by President Obama last month when he announced that the U.S. and Cuba are reopening embassies in each other’s countries after more than a half a century…