In his 1935 novel, “It Can’t Happen Here,” Sinclair Lewis wrote, “When fascism comes to America, it will come wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross.” That quote has been getting a lot of play lately, with good reason. When a former president and current presidential candidate starts hawking Bibles bundled with the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, voters have every reason to be suspicious. “Religion and Christianity are the two biggest things missing from this country,” Donald Trump declared—this coming from a self-confessed sexual predator and someone who, according to inde ..read more

The Baylor Center for Developmental Disabilities (BCDD) hosted “Disability & Church: A Conversation” on Wednesday, April 17. The event was an initiative of the new Baylor Collaborative on Faith and Disability (BCFD).  Jason La Shana, BCFD’s program director, opened the event by introducing the collaborative’s work and inviting all participants to do whatever is necessary during their time together to be their full selves.  “Unfortunately, sometimes in gatherings like this,” he said,” both in the church and elsewhere, people with disabilities–intentionally or unintentionally–are m ..read more

Anyone who knows me knows that I am generally “progressive” politically. I don’t particularly appreciate the two presumptive major-party nominees for president in 2024, nor do I like Robert Kennedy, Jr. I live in Vermont, the state that continually elects “Democratic socialist” Bernie Sanders to the Senate every six years. I confess, I quite like Bernie. I’m not ashamed of the progressive label, but I certainly don’t wear it as a badge of honor, especially when that label gets carried over to my religious beliefs. I jeer at the thought of being labeled a “progressive” or a “conservative” Chri ..read more

US Employers Must Accommodate Abortions, Birth Control Under New Rules (Reuters) Hundreds of United Methodists Will Vote on the Church’s Future at Upcoming General Conference (Tribune Live) New Hampshire’s GOP is Taking a Stand – Against the Polio Vaccine (Mother Jones) In Zimbabwe, Faith Leaders Set Religion Aside to Fight Cholera, Polio (New Days NZ) The post April 23, 2024 appeared first on Good Faith Media ..read more

Editor’s Note: In honor of Earth Day 2024, we are sharing the following reflection from Helle Liht, which appeared in the March/April issue of Nurturing Faith Journal. It is an adaptation of a presentation she gave to the 2010 Baptist World Congress in Hawaii. My story: How I was hugging the fishI grew up in Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. With only 450,000 inhabitants, it is a small town compared to other capitals around the world. Tallinn was marked by numerous Soviet-built concrete blockhouses towering over a few trees. In secondary school, I had biology classes where I learned about the g ..read more

As a college student, I spent my summers working at a summer camp deep in the heart of the Smoky Mountains. Nestled in a valley in what we affectionately called the 700-acre Woods, it was easy to believe we were hundreds of miles away from civilization. We were able to immerse ourselves in God’s creation in the most intentional way. One evening, I was making rounds with the counselors I supervised (just checking in, making sure they and their campers had everything they needed). One of my groups was slated to do their campout at one of the more… remote campsites, far from basecamp. So, I laced ..read more

How the United Methodist Churches Split Over LGBTQ Policies Has Unfolded in North Texas (Dallas News) Chicago’s Response to Migrant Influx Stirs Longstanding Frustrations Among Black Residents (Associated Press) Jerusalem’s Sacred Crossroads Endure in a Time of War (National Public Radio) ‘Our Future Was Here’. Christians in Gaza are Paying an Unholy Price Israel-Hamas War (Haaretz) The post April 22, 2024 appeared first on Good Faith Media ..read more

If this were a normal film review, I would begin by dazzling you with a synopsis. I would give you a brief and condensed version of the plot of the motion picture in question, “Civil War.  I would describe, in Orwellian fashion, how the movie follows a team of journalists making their way down the east coast of a very divided and at-war United States of America. I would describe the main characters, their plights, agendas and the stereotypes they play into and ultimately destroy.  I would follow this by detailing their journey together, listing what they experienced: inner turmoil, t ..read more

Members of Gen Z have been described as the first “digital natives.” Unlike the rest of us, advanced technology isn’t something they have had to learn. It is their first language.  After just a few moments speaking with Sanchi Rohira, a senior at Georgetown University, it was evident that her generation could also be described as “justice natives.” She is one of their most promising leaders.  Rohira was awarded the David Noor Youth Activist Award at the 2024 Summit for Religious Freedom, hosted by Americans United for the Separation of Church and State. In her acceptance speech for t ..read more

Many people know “Mars Hill” because of the podcast “The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill,” which documents the scandals of Mark Driscoll and the church he once pastored.  Other churches use “Mars Hill” as their name as well. Yet, how many people know the biblical context of Mars Hill? In Acts 17:16-34, Paul preaches a sermon on Mars Hill in Athens, Greece. While many of the locations Paul visited in the Bible are unknown, Mars Hill still exists and can be found on the Acropolis. It is easy to miss, being one of the most traveled destinations in the world. Off to the side of the Parthenon, Mars ..read more