At the birth of Jesus, there was much weeping in the land because of the death of innocent children. Matthew quotes Jeremiah “A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children. And she will not be comforted, because they are no more.” Although this week I can only manage [...]

Which Memphis-area house of worship do you find most beautiful, spiritual, sacred? And why? Because I can not vote for the sanctuary of the church I serve (you gotta come see it!), I have found Temple Israel’s sanctuary to be absolutely stunning in both its aesthetic beauty but also its rich biblical symbolism. The entrance is [...]

What should we – individually and collectively – be doing differently about hunger issues in our community? As one of those who attended the “Taste of Hunger,” I found part of it incredibly inspiring. Between the work of MIFA and the Food Bank, as well as new creative ways to address hunger with “Grow Memphis” and [...]

If you were addressing the nation on Wednesday, Nov. 7, the DAY AFTER the election, what would you say? What advice would you offer to your fellow Americans about the next four years? If I were to address the nation on the day following Tuesday’s election, I would say “Now is the time to put aside [...]

How do you define dying well? My mother died a good death several years ago. Good because we had talked clearly about the fact that she did not want any heroic measures to prolong the inevitable. Good because her faith community surrounded her with care in ways that were nothing short of miraculous. Good because her [...]

What are your views on the fact that Protestants are no longer the majority religion in the U.S.? The fact that Protestants are no longer in the majority, or that there are no Protestants on the Supreme Court does not faze me in the least. As a matter of fact, there have been times when Protestants [...]

What is your favorite verse of holy scripture and why? “Do not be afraid,” are words repeated again and again in scriptures, and to me they represent the essence of the Gospel. Throughout both testaments we are reminded not to fear, even in the valley of death (Psalm 23);  or when enemies have destroyed your home [...]

What should Memphis City Council do? Are sexual orientation and gender identity an employment issue, a civil rights issue or a faith issue? Let us be clear about what this ordinance is and what it is not. It is not an endorsement of same-sex marriage. It does not threaten anyone’s religious freedom. What it does is [...]

What are your views of the food-stamp program and the proposed cuts to it? Our nation is living in sin. Nothing in all of scripture is more clear and unequivocal than caring for the poor in our midst, and when our legislators — many of whom are Christian! — begin to cut benefits to the poor [...]

Are you concerned about new voter ID laws? Are we doing enough to prevent fraud and other problems? How can we make voting as accessible as possible while still safeguarding the democratic process? The new voter registration laws popping up around the country are nothing but a 21st century version of a poll tax designed to [...]

What accounts for our such low and declining confidence in ‘the church or organized religion’? I am not surprised at all. Annie Dillard once wrote, “What a tragedy that so close on the heels of Christ come the Christians!” As we look around today we find churches fighting over who gets in and who stays out; [...]

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 [...]

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? There is no doubt that through the years leaders of the [...]

Tell us about The Teacher Who Changed My Life – and why. I was an extremely shy boy as I entered a new school in a new city in the third grade. But Miss Cockerell, my teacher, knew that I had two interests: reading and baseball. She would not only provide books for me that satisfied those two [...]

Is imposition of the death penalty a political/partisan matter or a religious/moral matter? Why is the death penalty largely being carried out in the South? Should Tennessee abolish the death penalty? If I were to base my position on the death penalty solely on what capital perpetrators do and the violent methods they use, I’m sure [...]

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]

It is often said that you “can’t legislate morality.” Are saggy pants a morality issue or something else? Though baggy pants are a distraction in school and at times even bordering on the obscene, the state legislature is using this as a distraction from the major issues confronting our state.  At a time when we have [...]

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…[Read more]

What concerns you about immigration? What concerns you about the way politicians and legislators are dealing with the issue of immigration? What should we do about illegal immigration? Would you sign the Clergy for Tolerance letter? One of the leading themes of Jewish, Christian, and Islamic scriptures is the mandate to offer hospitality to the…[Read more]