Category: Baptist life

9-11, Aggression, America, Citizenship, Conflict, Constitution, Culture, Ethics, fear, Manners, Politics, Selfishness, Story, violence, war

Greenland, Respect and Treading on Snakes

Gary Furr

My World War II vets in my former pastorate are all gone. They would spit venom at the idea of being aggressors. America defends the little guys, they believed. They beat Hitler and Japan to say, “Stop it. Leave the world alone.” And they came home and raised families, earned a living and served their communities. This is what I am sure they would say: “Leave Greenland alone. You don’t treat friends like a hostile takeover.” They would have said, “No. Leave them alone. Finish the ballroom. Get inflation under control. Fix the highways and take care of the poor … Continue reading Greenland, Respect and Treading on Snakes

America, Baptist life, Bible, Christian Nationalism, Christianity, Citizenship, Evangelicalism, fear, Immigration, Interfaith Dialogue, Jesus, Politics, Race, racism, reconciliation, Theology

Reading the Bible Amid the Culture Wars

Gary Furr

How we read it determines what we see, no? Part one of a four part series This article arose originally from a writing assignment from the Women’s Missionary Union of the Southern Baptist Convention. It is more than an irony for me that this assignment came even as Baptists were still reconciling their own painful history with slavery in the 19th century. As an ardent mission-sending organization, it is nonetheless a continuous wonder that the SBC was birthed out of a split in American Baptists of the Triennial Convention when a slaveholding Southerner was put forward to become a missionary … Continue reading Reading the Bible Amid the Culture Wars

America, Citizenship, Conflict, Constitution, First Amendment, Story

America’s Best Idea

Gary Furr

In times of great fear and anxiety, principles are more important than ever. In my reading I came across this thoughtful quote. “Justice Sandra Day O’Connor wrote in her final opinion on church–state matters: ‘Those who would renegotiate the boundaries between church and state must answer a difficult question: Why would we trade a system that has served us so well for one that has served others so poorly?’” Randall Balmer, AMERICA’S BEST IDEA:SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE The history of the efforts to have a union of the two are uniformly a history of oppression, violence, and the ruin … Continue reading America’s Best Idea

9-11, America, Baptist life, Christian Nationalism, Citizenship, Constitution, Culture, Ethics, First Amendment, Harrassment, humanity, Immigration, Interfaith Dialogue, Justice, Modern Life, Politics, September 11, spirituality, Terrorism1 Comment

Give Me Liberty and I’ll Give You Liberty, Too

Gary Furr

Religious freedom is either a principle or a convenient fiction. I once taught American church history at Samford University, and I at least know something about religion and American history. And on the matter of religious liberty, I am a fiery Baptist. It is a principle, not a convenience. If you are a real Baptist, you fight for EVERYBODY’S freedom.  My friend Glenn Hinson once wrote, “For faith to be genuine, it must be free.” That means unsupported by government, and free from government power over our conscience and the practice of faith as long as we do not interfere … Continue reading Give Me Liberty and I’ll Give You Liberty, Too

Calling, Christianity, Competition, Conflict, Evangelicalism, Forgiveness, Fundamentalism, Grace, hope, humanity, Humor, Jesus, Jesus, Lent, Pilgrimage, Prayer, reconciliation, spirituality, Story, Thankfulness

NEW PODCAST Cheap Preachers Trip to Israel

Gary Furr

LATEST PODCAST. Preachers are like manure. When you spread us out, we can do a lot of good. But when you pile us up all together it can be almost unbearable. On a preachers tour to Israel I found out why. Click to listen Continue reading NEW PODCAST Cheap Preachers Trip to Israel