(OPINION) I love a good story about grace. And if the story of Stephanie M. Raglin is about anything, it’s surely about grace. She might strike you as the poster child for some elite circle of saints who made the right choices and excelled at them all. But talk to her and you’ll quickly encounter another section of her vita.
Read More(OPINION) How do we reconcile a desire to elect people of good character with our support for Trump (and I write this as a two-time voter for Mr. Trump)? Does he, “although imperfect, demonstrate consistent honesty, moral purity and the highest character”? Hardly. How, then, can we justify our vote for him?
Read More(OPINION) We who’ve entered our so-called golden years can recite for you the usual prescriptions for extending our lives and for improving the quality of those lives while we’re here. But there’s something else, less cited, that apparently can add years to our lives: our attitude.
Read MoreThe Baltimore Orioles hosted the team's first Faith Night promotion this week. The Orioles joined a trend of MLB franchises doing so.
Read More(OPINION) The moment I finished listening to the song, I sent him a voice text saying, “This could be the anthem for this young generation!” Instantly, the song sounded familiar to me, not like something new that I had to get used to. And the words were easily learned and memorized, to be sung and repeated countless times in the years ahead, as if to say, “Go ahead and call me unpopular. I will wear that title proudly!”
Read More(OPINION) I’ve got important things I want to tell my grandkids. I’m older. I’ve learned stuff. I could save them lots of problems and disappointments. Some years ago, I decided to write a book I’d call something like, “Things I Want to My Grandkids to Know.” I’d self-publish it and provide a copy to each of the kids.
Read MoreLike it or not, fights over religion in public schools seem unlikely to vanish any time soon. Look for such controversies to remain prominent in the news.
Read More(OPINION) I’ve come to believe lizard brain/reactive thinking explains much about why religion and politics — not to mention, say, family quarrels — turn irrational and toxic. Your first reaction is to assume the worst. We’re born ready-made with a predisposition toward the negative, which motivates us with an urgency the positive rarely equals.
Read More(OPINION) This moment is important. Who wins this next election is significant and will change the future, no matter what. And, this little creek will never know the difference. Most likely, 100, 1,000, even 1 million years from now, this creek will be here. Cheerfully babbling along. A simple dance of water with gravity.
Read MoreIn the summer heat, here are a few notes of interest from the world of religion news.
Read More(OPINION) As a GOP voter for as long as I can remember, I’m not discouraging you from voting Republican. Not in the least. And as a two-time Trump voter, I’m not discouraging you from voting for Trump. That is not my intent at all, as I personally plan to continue to vote GOP. Instead, I’m urging each of you Christian conservatives who votes for Trump and the GOP to do so with your eyes wide open recognizing that the GOP is not God’s party.
Read More(OPINION) Among the central tenets of almost any type of spiritual pursuit is that the pilgrim involved in it must become converted. Adherents need to be transformed from one kind of person into another kind of person, preferably a better one. “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind,” St. Paul admonished the Roman Christians.
Read MoreNews doesn’t happen on a 9-to-5 schedule. Particularly during the 24/7 era of social media, journalists find themselves on the clock pretty much all the time.
Read More(OPINION) The trend of converting underused houses of worship into affordable housing is sweeping America. The state of California last year passed a law rewarding faith-based organizations that use their surplus properties to build 100 percent affordable housing. Maryland, New York and Virginia are considering the same, and the cities of Atlanta, Pasadena, San Antonio, San Diego and Seattle have passed similar legislation.
Read More(OPINION) Just tell the truth. If I couldn’t do anything else, I could do that, I figured. With some trepidation, I started writing candid pieces about our situation. Renee’s illness. My struggles with caregiving. How God’s apparent absence was battering my faith. How guilty I felt because I couldn’t fix any of it.
Read MoreDoes God Almighty want President Joe Biden to exit the race? Does God Almighty want a second term for former President Donald Trump? America’s presidential candidates keep invoking a higher power in the 2024 campaign.
Read More(OPINION) While I can’t demonstrate this statistically, I have been documenting it anecdotally, and it seems that the lid has been taken off and hidden views are now being shared openly.
Read More(OPINION) I hate seeing my fellow church members joining in with the howling masses. I hate that my kids see it. These are the things I can do without. And, to borrow another line from Mr. Smith and Mr. Orzabel: “In violent times, you shouldn’t have to sell your soul.” Social media serves as a kind of release valve. I understand that. But reactionary posts rob us of perspective.
Read More(OPINION) We forget that Christians with no political power whatsoever, believing in a risen Christ who never sought nor espoused any earthly power, changed the world in a generation. They did it without a bully pulpit, without a 24/7 news cycle, without social media. Amid war, disease and disaster, they fed the hungry, rescued abandoned babies and created hospitals to care for the sick and dying.
Read More(OPINION) For those who freeze or feel lost concerning the global and local experiences of hate, bigotry, racism, white nationalism, homophobia, ecological devastation, violence, Christian Dominionism, misogyny, poverty, war and the abundance of inhumanity, here are some suggestions about practicing an engaged life.
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