By Bob Allen Four million black people were fired in 1865, when President Lincoln and the federal government abolished slavery, a pastor told a packed house at the first summit meeting of a new coalition of churches in Louisville, Ky.,…
Baptists excited and hopeful about papal visit
By Jeff Brumley Think Catholics are pumped about Pope Francis’ U.S. visit this week? Turns out some Baptists are pretty excited, too. And those who aren’t, probably should be for a number of reasons, said Curtis Freeman. One reason is…
The truth about the church and social justice
What a time to be alive in American history. Political tensions are high, racial tensions are high, sexual orientation tensions are high… people are fighting for their beliefs with passion and commitment on both sides, and that in and of…
That which you call Baltimore will always be Bawlamer to me
Is it funny, sad, crazy, or criminal when I experience what happened in Ferguson, New York, and North Charleston—among other places—that I have a restrained dimension of response? When it happens in Bawlamer my emotions run much deeper. My sense…
Southern Baptists, racism and Biblical inerrancy
While Southern Baptists believe that scripture is “truth without any mixture of error” it is obvious that Southern Baptists do not read the Bible without any mixture of error. Southern Baptists, along with everyone else, read the Bible as fallible,…
Happy birthday, Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Condolences should not come with a ‘but’ attached
A dear friend died who worked tirelessly for social justice during his life. Being a passionate person who relentlessly pursued what he thought was right, he caused more than 1 controversy in his life. He also helped people all around…
I can’t just leave
Have you read The Help? I am Mae Mobley. Miss Eva hugged me close as I read to her from my kitty cat book, words she could not read herself. Miss Carolyn cleaned the scrape on my knee I got…
Great Commission and Great Commandment without synergy?
Do you remember where you were and what you were doing on the morning of September 11, 2001? I do too. That is a morning very difficult to forget. I was sitting in the lobby restaurant of a hotel in…