Tag Archives: Obama

What Michelle Obama’s white ancestors tell us about ourselves

Using DNA testing to trace the forebears of Michelle Obama, New York Times reporter Rachel L. Swarns has been able to identify the First Lady’s white ancestors. Swarns used historical records to determine the most probable contributors to Mrs. Obama’s white heritage. Once that family was identified, DNA testing was used to confirm the relationship.… Read More »

Loving My Brother Even When He Doesn’t Vote Right

We’ve just come through an election season that provided a wonderful opportunity for Christians to demonstrate how they love and respect one another, even when they think very differently about important issues. Sadly, many believers seem to have missed that opportunity. Both before and after the election, some believers have been so distraught at how… Read More »

Is the GOP the “Christian” Party?

If someone says “evangelical Christian” and “political party” in the same sentence, which party comes to mind? No one who follows national politics could deny that white evangelicals by and large see themselves, and are seen by politicians, pundits, political operatives, and the public in general, as being effectively married to the Republican Party. When… Read More »

Did Black Christians Compromise By Voting For President Obama?

In the aftermath of an election in which President Obama received 93 per cent of the black vote, radio show host and author Michael Brown, a self-proclaimed white evangelical, wrote an “open letter to black evangelicals” accusing them of voting to reelect the president out of “blind allegiance to the Democratic party.” He goes on… Read More »

Will The Black Church Stand Firm Against Same-Sex Marriage?

In my article on The NAACP’s Divorce from the Black Church (published in the Harrisburg, PA Patriot-News under the title “Gay marriage issue splits black church and NAACP”) I made the claim that most African American Christians will stand firm on God’s word, and against same-sex relationships. I believe that will be the case. But… Read More »

Why Christians Should Be Up In Arms About Voter ID Laws

NOTE: I’m pulling the bulk of this blog post in order to publish it elsewhere. You can see the original post at Why Christians Should Be Up In Arms About Voter ID Laws blog post. The point of the post is that although proponents say the purpose of voter ID requirements is to reduce voter… Read More »

Should Government Be Involved In Caring For The Poor? #3

There are two seemingly irreconcilable realities that confront Christians when we consider whether government should be in the business of helping to care for the poor. On the one hand, government is just not very good at helping poor people, and often ends up doing them great moral and spiritual harm. On the other hand,… Read More »

Should Government Be Involved In Caring For The Poor? #2

The church has been about the business of caring for the poor since its inception. But the poor are still with us in their millions because the job is too big for the church alone. I’ve heard Christians say, “If the government would just get out of the way, the church would get the job… Read More »