Tell us about The Teacher Who Changed My Life – and why. I am blessed to have been touched by many outstanding teachers in the course of my development. My teachers at Grant Elementary and Hamilton High School went beyond the class room exercises to teach us about achieving in life. Teaching, to them, was more [...]

Earle Fisher will note in a guest column this Saturday, “One of the most prevalent and plausible critiques of the faith community is that when it comes to matters of sexual abuse and domestic violence, the church practices ‘sacred silence.’ ” Do you agree? What can we do to provide a safe place for dialogue regarding [...]

In a recent interview, Rev. Franklin Graham questioned the Christian credentials of President Barack Obama and GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney. He apologized Tuesday for questioning President Obama’s faith. Meanwhile, on Tuesday, members of the NAACP’s religious roundtable called on Graham and all Christian leaders to “refrain from using Christianity as a weapon of political [...]

Too often, the church ignores or dismisses the impact of culture on the churched until a tragedy takes place like the untimely death of Whitney Houston. We remember Ms. Houston’s soul-stirring performances, and we marvel at the awards she collected, the albums she sold and the money she made with such hits as “I Will [...]

Should grieving be considered a psychiatric disorder? How do you define grief? How do you counsel or minister to those who are grieving? Can/should grief be medicated? Grieving should not be considered as a disorder. Grieving is as natural as quickly withdrawing a finger because of pain. Grieving is a response to an emotional pain and [...]

Does God care who wins football games? And what do you think of Tim Tebow and his public displays of devotion? Tebowmania has caught America by a storm because of the culture of materialism and self aggrandizement is experiencing an individual willing to be different. Evidently no one told Tebow about political correctness. Therefore, he proceeds [...]

When someone we know is nearing death, how do we help them die with dignity? How do we help the family navigate the medical desire to preserve life at all cost? How can we prepare to die with dignity? Death and dying are inevitable aspects of life; too often we live without adequately preparing to die. [...]

Serious offenses by juveniles are down nearly 10 percent this year in Shelby County. Some numbers are even more encouraging. This year, FOUR minors have been charged with murder; 15 years ago the number was 50. How do we explain this? Why do you think we’re experiencing such a dramatic decline in youth violence? Obviously, a [...]

Sunday marks the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. How has America changed since then? How did 9/11 change faith in America? What impact did 9/11 have on the soul of America? The 9/11 tragedy will be remembered in the same sense of shock as we remember the assassinations of President Kennedy and Dr. Martin L. [...]

The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial will be dedicated Sunday in Washington. It will be the first monument on the National Mall to honor a non-president. What is Dr. King’s religious and spiritual legacy? How did his ministry influence your own? The legacy of Dr. King is anchored in his unselfish and unconditional love for [...]

How should religious leaders and people of faith respond to people (especially the poor) who come to America either legally or illegally? The Christian Response to the poor and downtrodden is rooted in the examples Jesus gave us in His earthly ministry. His response was unconditional and immediate.  His concern was always for the individual in [...]

These are fretful times. The economy seems to be in another tailspin. We’re witnessing gridlock in Washington, panic on Wall Street, riots in London, high unemployment and budget cuts all around. Are these difficulties strictly economic and political, or are there moral, ethical and spiritual dimensions to our economic woes? How are these difficulties affecting the [...]

The bombing in downtown Oslo and the shooting massacre at a youth camp outside the capital were intended to start a revolution to inspire Norwegians to retake their country from Muslims and other immigrants, the suspect said. What was your reaction, and given the heated rhetoric on Muslims and multiculturalism in this country, what are your [...]

<strong>A few months before he was killed in the line of duty, Memphis Police Officer Timothy Warren made a YouTube video expressing his deep internal struggle between his “Two Paths” – between a Christian “life of service, compassion, seeking and forbearance” and a life in “police authority, command and governance.” “Which path to follow?” Officer [...]

President Obama came to Memphis this week and spoke to the 2011 Class of Booker T. Washington High School about the value of education and dedication. What message do you have for this year’s graduates at BTW and other schools across the community? The very presence of President Obama at the Booker T. Washington High School [...]

What gives you hope? The celebration of Easter is the one source of hope that has no peers. We go through life with a series of questions; Why do good people suffer? Why do the good die so young? What purpose does a tornado serve or a hurricane? Why does God allow the evil ones to [...]

Should religious objections to fundamental principles of biology be discussed in public school science classes? Which religious creation stories should be taught in public schools? Can one believe in God and accept evolution? I do not feel that the public school classroom is the proper venue to discuss religious opposition to the strengths and weaknesses of [...]

Liberia of West Africa was destroyed by a recent civil war. The hospital and medical school were destroyed. Liberia now has a new president and is in the process of re-building. Liberians are the descendants of American Slaves and they now need our help. The Rev., Dr. Coker George, graduate of Memphis Theological Seminary, has [...]

The emergence of the Ecumenical Empowerment Organization for Prophetic Purpose reached fruition on Sunday, March 20 at the Anointed Temple Of Praise (ATOP) with the installation of officers. The Installation Worship and Celebration was punctuated with music by the Praise Choir of ATOP and Robert Shorter and the Peacemakers. Dr. Thomas L Murray, pastor of [...]

Memphis city voters will go to the polls Tuesday to decide whether to transfer administration of the Memphis City School System to the Shelby County School System. What are the ethical and moral considerations here? How should our faith inform our vote? When I first heard that the Memphis City School Board was considering surrendering its [...]