Whatever its specious rationales and eventual outcomes, one underlying fact about the war in Iran is clear: What is largely fueling this dangerously combustible conflict is essentially a clash of fundamentalisms — Islamic, Jewish and Christian. When speaking of Islam generally, it is important to state emphatically that most of the world’s Muslims are peaceable peoples. (In my former role as a leader of the Alliance of Baptists, we entered…
Donald Trump’s debasement of the presidency hits new low
Donald Trump’s debasement of the presidency was on full display Nov. 18 in the hero’s welcome offered the murderous leader of Saudi Arabia, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Although not labeled as such, the heir apparent to the Saudi throne’s visit to Washington had all the…
‘Once the church of presidents … now an engine of resistance’
Acknowledging a history marked by power in high places that included 54 of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence and 11 presidents including George Washington, the top officer of the Episcopal Church in the United States declared the…
‘No one is illegal on stolen land’
During the recent demonstrations decrying ICE arrests in Los Angeles, one of the many signs waved read, “No one is illegal on stolen land.” In addition, hundreds of Mexican flags were featured among the protesters, a fact singled out repeatedly…
100 days of narcissistic megalomania
Donald Trump’s de facto campaign slogan throughout the 2024 presidential season was, “I am your retribution.” In countless ways during his first 100 days in office as the 47th president, Trump has seemed hell-bent on proving he meant it. Sometimes…
Will the Real Donald Trump please stand up?
On the original game show To Tell the Truth, four celebrity panelists were presented with three contestants whose unusual occupations or experiences, as announced by the program’s host, were deciphered in a series of questions the panelists asked the contestants….
Praying over the president: Risks and rewards
While much attention on cable news and internet chatter has focused on the conclusion to the sermon delivered by Episcopal Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde during a post-inaugural prayer service held at Washington National Cathedral, relatively little has been said or…
My quest to find the origins of the term ‘conservative resurgence’
A few months ago, a former colleague published a video blog in which he confessed he fears he accidentally coined the term “conservative resurgence” in the Southern Baptist Convention. That sent me digging into the depths of the internet and…
Alito lacks key quality for Supreme Court justices
Mired once again in a scandal of his own making, Supreme Court Associate Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. has been found lacking in one of the most important traits for judges at any level, that of an acceptable judicial temperament….
Church bodies press Biden on Cuba
Three Baptist groups are among 20 U.S.-based church bodies urging President Joe Biden to make major changes in bilateral relations with Cuba, including its removal from the State Sponsors of Terrorism List at the U.S. Department of State. In a…
What Bob Menendez, Donald Trump, Joe Biden and immigration have to do with Cuba’s troubling times
“Bob, I gotta to talk to you about Cuba,” President Biden said to Sen. Bob Menéndez (D-N.J.), then chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, following the chief executive’s State of the Union address last February. “I’m serious.” The remarks, caught…
A radical court on the move
In one of the most consequential terms in the 233-year history of the U.S. Supreme Court, an aggressive and radicalized supermajority of justices has begun a comprehensive reshaping of the legal landscape of the country with consequences we can only…