by Robyn Henderson EspinozaRhetoric Race and Religion Contributor Today is a sad day for so many. I was just notified that Ada passed away this morning. While I knew she was struggling, a common theme in her Mujerista theology, to battle the cancer and infections that were destroying her body. She ended her life en la lucha–in the struggle–yet not so in deep struggle, since she passed away in her deep sleep, and I am grateful for her pioneering a... Read more

Today’s Washington Post’s story, “Obama decision on gay marriage divides local residents” inaccurately and unfairly portrays people of faith and African-Americans as being in opposition to LGBT equality. The story opens by identifying two friends, being sure to identify them as African-American, and then saying, “They both believe same-sex marriage is an affront against God, a sin that simply cannot be condoned. “ The story goes on from there to lift up various religious leaders who oppose marriage equality, all... Read more

I could very much relate to the recent NPR story about a Christian minister losing her faith. Like her, I once counted myself among the über-faithful but then “fell away” in my twenties. Despite marrying a clergyman and spending lots of time in theological school, I never made it back to the one true way. But there is a major difference in my story and this minister’s story, which is that she has embraced the name “atheist,” while I cannot... Read more

A few years ago, I interviewed to serve as the Senior Minister of a church in the Bronx. I was excited about serving as a pastor in the poorest congressional district in the country, plus the “Boogie Down” is the birth place of Hip Hop. Surrounded by the thick cloud of pollution that is the air and decaying housing while being serenaded by blaring sirens and Nuyorican accents, the century old white stone church stood in all of its majesty.... Read more

Republican Tennessee Governor Bill Haslem has signed the ‘Gateway Sexual Activity’ bill into law. Earlier this year, the Tennessee Republican controlled legislature overwhelmingly passed the bill, passing the House 68-23 and the Senate 28-1. The governor signed the bill before the Mother’s Day weekend. The law is so vague that it could define kissing and holding hands as ‘gateways to sexual activity’ and make it difficult for sex education teachers to address such activity in class. The law also may... Read more

Mason Betha, also known as Mase, a multi-platinum-selling rapper from the late 1990s, who retired from the industry 13 years ago to become a pastor, is returning to the hip-hop scene once again. He is now looking back with regret at his faith formation and ordination. In a TBN interview, Betha, 34, first tried to re-emerge from his initial retirement back into a rap career, he spoke about the people who worried about a return to hip-hop pulling the pastor... Read more

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Editor’s Reminder: On May 14, 2012 at 7:15pm(CST), we will continue our discussion on Twitter Cone’s latest book, The Cross and Lynching Tree using #thecrossandlynchingtree #R3bookclub Read more

Three decades ago, the evangelical faithful was galvanized by public debates over abortion, the future of the traditional family, the size of the federal government and religious liberty. Many responded by following divisive leaders into the culture wars with the promise that voting for “moral” leadership would end abortion, protect traditional marriage and put our country on the right track. Today, abortion remains legal, divisions over same-sex rights linger and millions of Americans divorce each year. The federal government continues... Read more

By Giovanni Neal, BKA BlameGirlRhetoric Race and Religion Contributor If you ignore a problem it doesn’t go away. Why do conservatives, and much of Christianity continue to ignore gays? To become accepted, over history, people often have to group together into collectives and fight for their rights. To be acknowledged, Christians had to once do the same in Rome. Our government was created because people stood up and fought for their rights. Gays will keep making noise and fighting for... Read more