The “fiscal cliff” we face as a nation is the result of many historical decisions to spend beyond our means, the unwillingness of most of us to think beyond our immediate personal and selfish interests, the lack of trust among various ethnic and economic groups in the country, the powerful influences of PACs and the [...]

How do you define dying well? There are many components of dying well, but the most important one is doing everything in our power, before we die, to be reconciled to every human being and to our Creator and Judge. Reconciliation with both God and neighbor can only be successfully accomplished through faith in Jesus Christ, [...]

What are your views on the fact that Protestants are no longer the majority religion in the U.S.? As one who loves our country very much, I am always sad to read of the decline of society’s moral and religious life. On the other hand, I am always glad to see our constitutional legacy lived out [...]

What is your favorite verse of holy scripture and why? “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things [...]

Memphis is the second most generous city in the country, according to a new survey by The Chronicle of Philanthropy. According to the publication: “Religion plays a major role in how much money Americans give to charity. The parts of the country that tend to be more religious are also more generous.” Why is this true? [...]

The American Academy of Pediatrics states that “infant feeding should no longer be thought of as a lifestyle choice, but rather as a public health issue, because of all of the short and long term risk reductions to both mothers and infants.” Memphis has one of the lowest breastfeeding rates in the country. We also [...]

What accounts for our such low and declining confidence in ‘the church or organized religion’? Over the past several decades many churches have been plagued with an unusual number of profound moral problems, which are symptomatic of a much deeper spiritual torpor; therefore, we can understand why many in the general public have lost their confidence [...]

The Episcopal Church will now allow priests to conduct services blessing same-sex relationships. The denomination’s House of Bishops approved the policy Monday, and delegates to the national convention approved the measure on Tuesday becoming the largest U.S. religious denomination to approve such a ritual. What’s your response? Is this an…[Read more]

According to the 2010 Census, of the 168,000 children living in Memphis, nearly 67,000 — about 4 in 10 — are living in a family with a female householder and NO FATHER PRESENT. Later this month, Memphis Mayor A C Wharton will host the Second Annual Memphis Training Camp for Dads. (Wharton is writing a [...]

Memphis City Council member Shea Flinn wants the the city to study the idea of creating an ‘adult entertainment district’ for strip clubs and other sex-oriented businesses. He wants a committee to look into a possible location as well as answer the question whether “this is the right thing to do.” Is it the right thing [...]

Lack of good jobs in Memphis is more than an economic problem, says Dr. Chris Scruggs of Advent Presbyterian Church. “It’s also a spiritual problem. If we do not create an environment in which people can find good jobs, we deprive our children of the opportunity to use their unique God-given talents, gifts and abilities. We [...]

It has been encouraging over recent years to see the constitutional and biblical civil rights of gay, lesbian, and transgendered people more fully established and secured in our society. What makes the current demand for gay and lesbian marriage in the US difficult is that 1) folks are demanding that government create a civil right [...]

In a world in which most religions begin with God the Father or some sort of male image of the divine, and are founded by male figures such as Moses, Buddha, Jesus and Muhammad, do we undervalue Motherhood or the role of women in faith? We honor our mothers this weekend, just as Jesus loved and [...]

Why do we pray in public? When and where is public prayer inappropriate? Are there too many restrictions on public prayer? Too few? I, like any follower of Christ, grieve over the increasing secularism of our society and its public institutions; however, prayer, for the Christian, is only properly offered to the God and Father of [...]

Gov. Haslam is expected this week to sign a new law that would require public schools to allow science teachers to discuss purported weaknesses of theories such as Evolution and Global Warming in their classrooms. What should we do about teaching evolution? Is the theory of evolution a scientific controversy or a social/religious controversy?…[Read 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 [...]

Times are tough. Money is tight. Unemployment is high. Consumer debt is high. It’s hard to save and harder to give. Offer our readers some faith-based financial counsel. What do you tell people about spending and debt and consumerism? What do you tell them about saving and giving? What are some faith-based principles for dealing with [...]

What concerns you most about Memphis? Those of us who live in Memphis and love our neighbors here feel the continuing heartache of those who suffer from broken homes, poor educational opportunities, chronic joblessness, inadequate health care, and racial bias, and we work hard to rectify these problems. But my greatest concern for Memphis is the [...]

Should our suburbs form their own school systems? How might this help or hurt the community at large? My concern is that God’s people should be invested in the welfare of all the children in our area, especially of those who are under-resourced; and it is difficult for me to understand how we can seek to [...]

President Obama will deliver the State of the Union Address on Jan. 24. If you could address the nation next week, how would you describe the Spiritual State of the Union? There are many good things we can say about “the spiritual state of the union” in the US: there has been a long, revered history [...]