Opinion

In a time of a national census and a deadly epidemic, a ruler who cares more about himself than the people can be dangerous. At least that’s the lesson in the biblical texts from the end of King David’s rule.

How to contend with diversity is one of the great questions of our day for political leaders, religious leaders and the American people. Too many influential people believe and tell the story that either a diverse America is a threat to Christianity, or that Christianity is a threat to a diverse America.

The response to the Mar. 3 tornado has been enormous. But as people's electricity is restored and the disaster recedes into memory, we need to keep asking where the bulk of the help and money is going.

Tuesday (March 10) is an important Jewish holiday. Purim, which began at sunset Monday, celebrates the fifth century B.C.E. victory of the Jewish people in Persia thanks to the boldness of Queen Esther. Purim has been celebrated by Jews around the world from that time until the present. 

Pastors and congregations, fasten your seat belts, secure your crash helmets, and get ready. The 2020 elections are coming, whether we’re ready or not.

More than 40 years of research on the psychology of surviving disasters has found that religion can be a valuable resource in fostering resilience. Studies of people’s reactions to the Ebola outbreak and Syrian refugee crisis show that some forms of religiosity may be less healthy and less helpful. 

The Missouri House has approved a bill exempting private and religious schools from raising the minimum wage for their workers, as state law now requires. It was the wrong decision.

Two hundred years ago this month, the Missouri Compromise of 1820 — and the related Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 — shaped the nation in ways that continue to haunt our politics, justice system, and even churches. And it offers critical lessons for us today.

In an inversion of Teddy Roosevelt's dictum, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom speaks loudly and carries no stick at all. And not surprisingly, over the years its words had little effect beyond annoying the objects of the criticism.

Bob Dylan famously declared, “The times they are a-changin’.” In the world of journalism that sure feels spot on. Nearly every week another story hits about some publication going out of print or even out of business. And nearly every week it seems there’s also another attack on press freedom rights.