The people's voice of reason
The people's voice of reason
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We have all heard the Good News Bad News jokes. One of my favorites is this one: Doctor: I have good news and bad news. Patient: Tell me the good news first. Doctor: You have 24 hours to live. Patient: What!?! How can that be good news? So, What is the bad news? Doctor: I forgot to tell you yesterday! My wife, Janeese, and I went on an exploratory trip to Uganda and Kenya several Summers ago with Compassion International. We learned so much about the current plight of children in various parts...
VATICAN CITY - October 23, 2025 - In a moment steeped in history and symbolism, King Charles III of the United Kingdom joined Pope Leo XIV in a joint worship service at the Vatican, marking the first time in nearly 500 years that a reigning British monarch has prayed alongside the head of the Roman Catholic Church. The ecumenical service, held in the Sistine Chapel beneath Michelangelo's iconic fresco of "The Last Judgment," brought together clergy and choirs from both the Catholic Church and...
My favorite presidential quote is from George W. Bush who said, “When I was young and foolish, I was young and foolish.” Me, too, W. We lived in Chambers County in the village of Fairfax, now a part of Valley, Ala. In those days we had Vacation Bible School parades on the Saturday before VBS. A local organization had a costume character they freely loaned to groups--the Chattahoochee Poochie, named for the nearby Chattahoochee River. Danny Spear was a showman. He always volunteered to wear the...
The ancient city of Ur, once dismissed by 19th-century skeptics as biblical myth, was dramatically confirmed as real through groundbreaking archaeological discoveries in the 20th century-reshaping our understanding of early civilization and biblical history. For centuries, the city of Ur of the Chaldees was known primarily through the pages of the Bible. It was the birthplace of Abraham, the patriarch of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and the starting point of his divine journey to Canaan....
I thought lately I needed to share the story of George L. Petrie who was a large part of my life as a college student. Petrie served the Confederate army as missionary and chaplain and was honored as the oldest surviving Confederate chaplain in 1924 at age 84. His son, George Petrie (N.M.I.), was a professor and dean at Auburn University and had the distinction of bringing tennis and football to the school. Petrie Hall now sits adjacent to Jordan-Hare Stadium where the football tradition...
He wrote short stories for magazines but had an idea for a novel. He wrote a few pages and trashed it when growing weary with it. However, his wife dug it out of the trash. “I want to know what happens next,” she said. He then revisited the project and published it as his first novel in 1974. “Carrie” was the first step in the $500 million fortune Stephen King enjoys today. I propose there are several lessons here. One is that we often fail to ascertain our own abilities. And sometimes we’re d...
A centuries-old Appalachian hymn singing tradition is still soothing souls It’s one of the most distinctive sounds in country and bluegrass music. You can hear it in the singing of Patty Loveless, Keith Whitley and Ricky Skaggs. The way these Appalachian-born singers bend and glide and flip over their melodies—it can stir your soul and break your heart at the same time. You can trace this style of singing back to bluegrass legends like Ralph Stanley. But the roots of this sound go even dee...
Saint Augustine of Hippo (354–430 AD) stands as one of the most influential figures in the history of Christian theology and Western philosophy. Born in Thagaste, a Roman province in present-day Algeria, Augustine's intellectual and spiritual journey-from youthful indulgence to devout bishop-has left an enduring legacy that continues to shape Christian doctrine, ecclesiastical structure, and philosophical inquiry. Early Life and Conversion Augustine's early years were marked by a tension b...
VATICAN CITY - In a historic moment for the Catholic Church and for Christian intellectual tradition, Pope Leo XIV announced that Cardinal John Henry Newman will be formally declared a Doctor of the Church on November 1, 2025, during the Jubilee of the World of Education. The declaration recognizes Newman's profound contributions to theology, education, and the development of Christian doctrine, placing him among the Church's most revered thinkers. Newman becomes the 38th Doctor of the Church, j...
Only four people ever successfully escaped to freedom from the federal prison on Alcatraz Island. The following story is an excerpt from my book, Free For All, which explores the different ways we can experience God’s amazing grace. It is only by God’s grace that we can be truly free! Alcatraz Island sits in the middle of San Francisco Bay, surrounded by almost two miles of turbulent and treacherous water. For nearly one hundred years, the island housed a prison, and the place earned the nic...
I attended a hobby club meeting in Georgia lately and enjoyed a beautiful weekend. We political items collectors/historians are a unique bunch, though I suppose this is true of every collector and every hobby since I’ve known some who collect bottle caps, Christmas ornaments, soda cans and matchbooks. One collector I met had hair samples from barbers who attended famous people! We had a good banquet and learned a lot from a member of the White House Communication Agency who had worked for f...
I don’t often get to visit other churches on Sundays, but did so recently. I’d heard the pastor had two more weeks of service, but it turned out that particular Sunday was the final one. She (yes, unusual for a Baptist church) said it with a smile, but in plain language said she was done with local church ministry. I’m not sure what she’ll be doing, nor did she seem to know, but I wish her well. Karen Carpenter sang haunting words in 1971: “Sometimes I’d like to quit / nothin’ ever seems to...
The Bible holds the record of being the best-selling book of all time with over 5 billion copies of The Bible having been sold throughout the world. And now, "The Chosen" television series, the first multi-season television show about the life of Jesus, has proven that The Good News can still set records. As The Guiness World Records, known for its famous Guinness Book of World Records, has officially awarded "The Chosen" a certificate for its Season 1. As the first season of "The Chosen" is off...
It was my idea but maybe it wasn’t the best. I spent the night in the local hospital after surgery in 2023 and had, shall we say, a “device” attached to me for the next several days. Every movement was painful. Our home was only about five miles away, and I suggested we take the back road where, I reasoned, there would be less traffic than on the state highway. I convinced my wife to drive slowly, about 30 mph, but soon we had a parade of traffic behind us. A truck-driver was about five vehicles...
The late Clayton Sullivan wrote about Mrs. Howard, a widow, and her adult son, Johnny Fred. Johnny Fred’s body was twisted like a gnarled tree. He was cognitively challenged, slurred his speech and could only sell peanuts on the street corner to make a little money. Mrs. Howard asked, “Preacher, why did God make Johnny Fred to be the way he is?” Sullivan said this was the end of his faith journey since he could no longer handle “hurting in living.” We’ve certainly seen much hurt in our world r...
In the wake of Charlie Kirk's assassination on September 10, 2025, Bishop Robert Barron offered a striking reflection that has stirred both admiration and controversy across religious and political communities. Speaking after his Red Mass homily in Minnesota and in subsequent interviews and essays, Barron described Kirk not merely as a conservative activist, but as a symbol of a deeper cultural rupture-one that threatens the foundations of civil discourse, religious conviction, and democratic...
It really wasn't a big deal, but the lady thought it was. I was walking into the grocery store when I heard a scrape of metal. A lady drove over the curb and now the curb was lodged between her front and rear tires. In other words, she was stuck. I stopped and told her I'd guide her. I had her edge forward, turn sharply, back up and so on until she positioned herself out of this predicament. When I got her safely situated, she said, "Mister, you're an angel sent from the Lord." I thought,...
In a moment that blended ancient tradition with modern inspiration, Pope Leo XIV canonized Carlo Acutis on September 7, 2025, before a crowd of nearly 80,000 in St. Peter's Square. Acutis, a London-born Italian teenager who died of leukemia in 2006, became the Catholic Church's first millennial saint-a digital-age evangelist whose life and legacy continue to resonate with young people across the globe. Known for his deep devotion to the Eucharist and his pioneering use of technology to document...
It’s a Facebook page for denominational pastors, and it was recommended to me by our student pastor. I’ve since offered it to several others, telling them it will entertain or make you angry. The anger comes when you see how narrow-minded some ministers are about issues that are, in my opinion, secondary, reminiscent of the age-old question, “How many angels can dance on the head of a pin?” But the entertainment value is there, too. One pastor said the family played “Spirit In The Sky” at a...
“You will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” -Jesus, John 8:32 “I am the way, the truth and the life.” - Jesus, John 14:6 The Apostle Paul states, “ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth.” -1 Corinthians 13:6 “No legacy is so rich as honesty” - William Shakespeare “Rather than love, than money,than fame, give me truth.” - Henry David Thoreau When we tell the truth, we live as our Creator intended for us to live and as God has commanded us to live. “You must not...
A college colleague told me about a tense Sunday morning when he was a part-time pastor. The deacon chairman confronted him before worship with a stern request (the Baptist deacon chairman is akin to a Master Sergeant in the U.S. Army). “We’re gonna’ wait until after the service, but we want to meet with you IMMEDIATELY when it’s done,” he scowled. It’s been some years since he told me this, and laughed about it then, but I forgot the punch line. I don’t know if he was terminated or lived to pre...
Losing faith: Rural, religious campuses are among the most endangered The Catholic prayer for the faithful echoed off the limestone walls and marble floor of the high-ceilinged chapel in Davenport, Iowa. It implored God to comfort the poor and the hungry. The sick and the suffering. The anxious and the afraid. Then it took an unexpected turn. “Lord, hear our prayer for St. Ambrose and Mount Mercy University,” the young voice said, “that the grace of the Holy Spirit may help us to follow God’s...
Since his election on May 8, 2025, Pope Leo XIV has not formally altered the restrictions placed on the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM) by his predecessor, Pope Francis. Yet, in just a few months, his papacy has sparked a noticeable shift in tone and dialogue across the Catholic hierarchy. Bishops, cardinals, and clergy who once remained silent or cautious have begun to speak openly about their hopes for a more inclusive approach to the ancient liturgy. While Traditionis Custodes remains in...
Recently, my wife, Janeese, and I explored the Sequoia National Park in the Sierra Nevada’s of California. John Muir, the famous Scottish born, American naturalist was one of the early explorers of the Sequoias, Yosemite and many other areas that later became National Parks. He was one of the first to see and write about these gigantic trees. In fact, he was an early advocate for the preservation of all of the American wilderness and is called the “Father of the National Parks.” While visit...
I last talked with him in June after my wife asked, “Who do you want to do your funeral?” “Jim Auchmuty,” I quickly replied. I called Jim, who agreed, after asking me why the hurry. He oversaw my mother-in-law’s funeral two years ago and was always a caring presence. Jim died Aug. 5 at age 90 after a short illness. After serving for 27 years at Shades Crest Baptist Church in Birmingham, in retirement he served First Baptist Church Roebuck Plaza for 25 years. He went to Roebuck as interim a...
