Politics makes strange bedfellows Political interests can bring together people who otherwise have little in common. This saying is adapted from a line in the play The Tempest, by William Shakespeare: “Misery acquaints a man with strange bedfellows.” It is spoken by a man who has been shipwrecked and finds himself seeking shelter beside a…
Sharia Law: Constitutional Menace or a Religious Freedom?
When you hear the words, “Sharia Law,” what immediately comes to mind? If you said an Islamic legal code that is incompatible with the laws of our nation and states, you would probably be in “good” company, at least in Oklahoma. Whether or not you would be 100% correct is debatable. I must admit that when…
CBF, Sexual Ethics & the Muddled Moderates
In the 1995 Spring Semester at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, my wife and I both took Christian Ethics, a required course for every MDiv student. The professor was a well-respected young scholar who was known for his thoughtfulness in tackling some of the most difficult ethical situations of the day. I do not remember every topic that was…
Innocence Stolen, Justice Served in Baptist Rape Case
How can a 15 year-old girl recover her innocence, an innocence that was stolen from her when a trusted, 39 year-old member of an Independent Fundamental Baptist Church (IFB) raped her 14 years ago? The short answer is she can’t. But, even though Tina Anderson had something precious stolen from her all those years ago, she can —…
Methodists Cover Cross in NJ: Education Trumps Faith
In Neptune Township, NJ, education trumped faith with assists from the A.C.L.U. and some local Methodists. I’m sure the Wesley Brothers would be so proud that the Great Auditorium, owned and operated by the Methodist-affiliated Camp Meeting Association, can host the traditional graduation ceremony for the local public high school in this New Jersey town. …