Jesus & Gerrymandering
In this issue of A Public Witness, we count the fights over redistricting and the relative quietness from Christians amid this partisan fight. Then we map out what values Christians should push amid redistricting squabbles.
Woke War: How Social Justice & CRT Became Heresy for Evangelicals
Since at least the George Floyd summer of marches and demonstrations against police killings of unarmed Black men, evangelical leaders have been echoing the broader alarm about the divisions they say that wokeness, critical race theory, and other social justice ideas visit on American society.
Missouri Governor’s ‘Christian Values’ Statement Questioned
Missouri Gov. Mike Parson has no “litmus test for appointments,” his spokeswoman said Friday, despite a statement earlier in the week indicating he would only nominate a state health director who shared his “Christian values.”
Streaming Online has been a Boon for Churches, a Godsend for Isolated
A report on churches and technology during the pandemic found that by offering online services, churches were able to expand their reach, often connecting with people outside their community or reconnecting with former members who had moved away. Even small congregations that had once struggled
Francis Collins on COVID-19 Politics: ‘The Culture War is Literally Killing People’
Former National Institutes of Health director Francis Collins said he is “heartbroken” that more of his fellow White evangelicals have not received the COVID-19 vaccines. He added that many White evangelicals have been “victimized by the misinformation and lies and conspiracies that are floating around,
Thy Kingdom Come?
In this issue of A Public Witness, we recite the ways the Lord’s Prayer has been co-opted at political rallies across the country. Then we meditate on what is happening and the inherent politics of the Lord’s Prayer.
Ordinance Limiting Oregon Church Meal Services Violates Religious Freedom, Lawsuit Says
An Oregon church is suing the coastal city of Brookings, arguing that an ordinance restricting the church’s meal program for the unhoused violates its right to religious freedom. St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church and the Episcopal Diocese of Oregon filed the lawsuit against the city on Jan.
Another Beijing Olympics with Human Rights Still Major Issue
Beijing was awarded the 2008 Summer Olympics, largely under the assumption that the Games would improve civil liberties in the country. There is no such talk now.
First African American Named to Key SBC Post — as Interim
Tennessee pastor Willie McLaurin has been named interim president and CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Executive Committee, becoming the first African American to lead one of the denomination’s ministry entities in its more than 175-year history.
Rockin’ in the World?
In this issue of A Public Witness, we open up the book on recent efforts to ban or deplatform unwanted perspectives. Then we turn the pages on the ways these efforts often backfire, proving to be a harmful approach for dealing with noxious opinions.