I posted a few weeks ago about fertility and religion. In that post I talked about the coming baby Yancey. Well he is here and I am rejoicing with my family. If you believe in prayer I will certainly accept them as my wife and I take on this awesome responsibility. I would love to put his picture as the feature image. However, there are unsavory individuals who steal the image of kids and use them in disgusting ways. Furthermore,... Read more
If you are a conservative do you remember when President Obama referred to you as “clinging to their guns and religion”? Oh it gets worse. If you read the actually comment he talks about bitterness and anti-immigrant attitudes. Not his finest moment. And conservatives, rightly, made sure to point out the incivility of this comment. So conservatives know how it feels to have a president who makes dehumanizing comments about them. Given that then, why in the world do they... Read more
One of the reasons why I am a political moderate is the sheer stupidity and extremism I find on both sides of the political debate. And it seems that when one side has engaged in extreme stupidity so much that I can never support them, then the other side basically tells me “hold my beer.” From the very first day he announced his presidency, I have been vocal against Donald Trump and warned folks on the left and right to... Read more
I have two fine boys. And we have another one in two weeks. I love my boys. They have brightened my life. But may I confess something to you? I am not a kid person. Before having kids the idea of spending time alone with kids would give me hives. So if I did not find joy in kids, then why do I have them? Good question. Before I was married, I thought about whether I wanted to have kids.... Read more
Last week I went to the Southern Baptist National Convention for the first time in my life. Even though I had been a Southern Baptist for about a decade after becoming a Christian, I did not have the opportunity to go back then. This year I was asked to serve on a panel dealing with racial reconciliation. Coming back to the denomination with the skills I have developed as a social observer has given me some new perspectives of my... Read more
Some complained about the Supreme Court Masterpiece Cakeshop decision as reaffirmation of religious based bigotry. Others complained about it not going far enough in promoting religious liberty. Perhaps a good legal ruling is one that irritates individuals on both sides of the controversy. This decision did not decide the question about religious freedom and the rights of sexual minorities. However, one key element of the decision drew my attention. The court recognized how anti-Christian bias on the part of the... Read more
Next week I will be at the Southern Baptist National Convention. I am on a panel dealing with racial reconciliation. I know I have been spending a lot of time writing on the Southern Baptist lately. But the nation’s largest Protestant denomination is at an important tipping point right now that needs attention. So I am going to add my two cents in at this time. I am not going to turn this blog into a weekly discussion on Southern... Read more
A couple of weeks ago I announced on this blog that I was returning to the religious tradition that was responsible for my discipling – the Southern Baptists. I went into some of my personal reasons for coming back as well as the circumstances that led me there. I also stated that I plan on being a voice in that denomination as I believe it needs to make a transition from an old guard to a modern expression of what... Read more
So the NFL has decided to put a stop to the spectacle of players kneeling for the national anthem. From this point on, such players will face a fine. Of course this news has generated the expected outrage that one would expect. It was hard to turn on a television news show and not see some media personnel talking about the players being on a plantation or losing their free speech rights. Funny how these folks were not too keen... Read more
I hate the fact that Donald Trump is President of the United States. Sometimes I just stop what I am doing and think, “We have a reality TV show conman who is our president.” Then I consider what sort of world I live in. I was one of those who was convinced that Trump would not win the Republican nomination and then when he won the nomination I was convinced that Clinton would defeat him. Clearly I was wrong but... Read more
Shattering Paradigms
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