(OPINION) I finally got the coronavirus. But thanks to the luck of not getting it in 2020, say, and thanks to the hard work of public health officials, and thanks to vaccines and antivirals, I knew I wasn’t likely to end up on a ventilator or in a coffin, even though I’m an at-risk patient.
Read MoreThis week’s Weekend Plug-in features a retrospective from columnist Bobby Ross Jr. on his 25 years on the Godbeat. Plus, a major new study on ‘nones’ — and, as always, all the best reads and top headlines in the world of faith.
Read More(OPINION) It seems to me that the pro-life movement has lost its way. Sure, there are outward signs of success. Roe v. Wade was overturned. Roe was a bad decision, and overturning it was a good thing. But — as I have written elsewhere — we are now discovering that how one wins is as important as what one wins.
Read More(OPINION) With its digital homage to the late Paul Harvey's “So God Made a Farmer” soliloquy, the “God Made Trump” video drew roars of support at key Iowa rallies for Donald Trump. “And on June 14, 1946, God looked down on his planned paradise and said, ‘I need a caretaker,’ so God gave us Trump,” said the majestic voice.
Read More(OPINION) When it comes to the term “evangelical,” it is not so much that it is a potentially ambiguous term (like “Christian”) as it is a misleading term — a term that has become cultural and political more than spiritual.
Read More(OPINION) The teachings of most religions and denominations encourage, if not command, followers to care for God’s creation. Since the first Earth Day in 1970, many houses of worship have taken the message of environmental sustainability to heart. They tend to start with improving the day-to-day behaviors of their congregations.
Read More(OPINION) An article by Kelsey Dallas in the Deseret News asks, “Can you be a Christian and play a sinful character on TV?” Dallas then notes that, “Alan Ritchson, the star of ‘Reacher,’ says you certainly can, and he’s unhappy with ‘supposed Christians’ who have a problem with him taking on a “morally ambiguous” role.”
Read More(OPINION) If you ever get a wild hair to try something really spiritual, try this. Think of the people who’ve done you dirty. We tend to keep a long list somewhere in our heads of people who’ve royally messed us over, bad guys we’d love to see get theirs.
Read More(OPINION) A church in my neighborhood has a cell phone tower in its parking lot. Some neighbors objected to its construction, but the church, perhaps driven by financial concerns, prevailed. The cell phone tower may be a prophetic witness to the religion of the future, which according to historian Yuval Noah Harari is likely to be data driven.
Read More(OPINION) Misinformation has become an avalanche, burying us all in conspiracy theories, doctored images, and most recently, false claims about the Israel-Hamas war. It challenges us because our decisions as individuals and as a society are only as solid as the information we base them on. How do we make decisions that are good for ourselves and for our communities when misinformation pervades the news and information we consume?
Read MoreThis week’s Weekend Plug-in highlights plans for the annual March for Life, expected to draw 100,000 abortion opponents to the nation’s capital. Plus, as always, catch up on all the best reads and top headlines in the world of faith.
Read More(OPINION) With all that’s going on in The Southern Baptist Convention, one matter is being ignored. But given the current squabbles and embarrassments, this would seem a good time for the denomination to rebrand itself with a new name. For starters, the “Southern” monicker is no longer accurate. Then there’s unfortunate history to overcome in which the name is enmeshed with slavery.
Read More(OPINION) If you’re still considering making a New Year’s resolution, try kicking the bucket list. I’d never heard of a “bucket list” until the 2007 movie “The Bucket List” was released.
Read More(OPINION) Taking care of a very sick loved one by yourself can be so demanding that it’s difficult for folks who haven’t tried it to comprehend. A caregiver is an amateur trying to do the jobs of a whole squad of pros: nurse, mental health counselor, bookkeeper, maid, legal advocate.
Read MoreThis week’s Weekend Plug-in focuses on the evangelicals supporting Donald Trump in the Iowa caucuses. Plus, as always, catch up on all the best reads and top headlines in the world of faith.
Read More(OPINION) My issue with Donald Trump supporters is not political at all. It is spiritual. It is prophetic. It is about the honor of the Lord and the reputation of the Spirit. It is about credibility. And if there is a prophetic word that God is speaking now about the 2024 elections, it is simply this: “Enough already with the Donald Trump prophecies!”
Read More(OPINION) As I get older, I find my resolution for each new year is the same. I don’t need to make a list of resolutions. I just want one thing: Peace.
Read MoreThe first Weekend Plug-in of 2024 looks ahead to the year’s expected big news. Plus, as always, catch up on all the best reads and top headlines in the world of faith.
Read More(OPINION) Last year, I wrote about the troubling findings from American Bible Society’s annual “State of the Bible” report. Every study since 2011 has shown that Bible users accounted for around 50% of American adults. However, in 2022, things changed. There was a sudden 10% decrease in Bible users, indicating that “nearly 26 million Americans reduced or stopped their interaction with Scripture in the past year.”
Read More(OPINION) A few years ago, a friend shared a Bible verse with me that has become my annual new year’s resolution. But it comes with a caveat.
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