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  • Israel’s War on Gaza
    • The Desire to Annihilate Gaza Wasn’t Born on 10/7 — It’s Part of a Long Tradition that Includes 19th Century Travel Writing
      The Desire to Annihilate Gaza Wasn’t Born on 10/7 — It’s Part of a Long Tradition that Includes 19th Century Travel Writing
    • The Antisemitism Awareness Act Just Passed by the House Would Actually Increase Anti-Jewish Violence
      The Antisemitism Awareness Act Just Passed by the House Would Actually Increase Anti-Jewish Violence
    • ‘Do You Want Columbia to be Cursed by God?’ — Alarming Exchanges in Congress and Beyond Highlight the Desperate Need for Religious Literacy
      ‘Do You Want Columbia to be Cursed by God?’ — Alarming Exchanges in Congress and Beyond Highlight the Desperate Need for Religious Literacy
  • Racial Justice
    • Church Attendance is (Once Again) Correlated with Authoritarianism — So Why Do We Refuse to Acknowledge It?
      Church Attendance is (Once Again) Correlated with Authoritarianism — So Why Do We Refuse to Acknowledge It?
    • Well, the Harris-Trump Debate Happened — Now Enjoy Your Freedom and Choose Wisely
      Well, the Harris-Trump Debate Happened — Now Enjoy Your Freedom and Choose Wisely
    • Historian Matthew Stewart Upends the Widespread Belief that 19th Century U.S. Christianity Was On ‘The Right Side of History’
      Historian Matthew Stewart Upends the Widespread Belief that 19th Century U.S. Christianity Was On ‘The Right Side of History’
  • Politics/Law
    • Church Attendance is (Once Again) Correlated with Authoritarianism — So Why Do We Refuse to Acknowledge It?
      Church Attendance is (Once Again) Correlated with Authoritarianism — So Why Do We Refuse to Acknowledge It?
    • Well, the Harris-Trump Debate Happened — Now Enjoy Your Freedom and Choose Wisely
      Well, the Harris-Trump Debate Happened — Now Enjoy Your Freedom and Choose Wisely
    • We Would Be Wise to Pay Attention to Trump’s Apocalyptic QAnon Posting Spree
      We Would Be Wise to Pay Attention to Trump’s Apocalyptic QAnon Posting Spree
  • Sex/Gender/Justice
    • Democrats Have Seized the Narrative Frame From the GOP, But Can They Find a Better Story to Tell About an Inclusive, Pluralist US?
      Democrats Have Seized the Narrative Frame From the GOP, But Can They Find a Better Story to Tell About an Inclusive, Pluralist US?
    • Will Iowa’s Abortion Ban Respect Religious Freedom?
      Will Iowa’s Abortion Ban Respect Religious Freedom?
    • After Her Remarks Pope JPII Was Never the Same — Controversial, Beloved Sr Theresa Kane’s Effect on the Catholic Church Endures
      After Her Remarks Pope JPII Was Never the Same — Controversial, Beloved Sr Theresa Kane’s Effect on the Catholic Church Endures
  • Christian Nationalism
    • Church Attendance is (Once Again) Correlated with Authoritarianism — So Why Do We Refuse to Acknowledge It?
      Church Attendance is (Once Again) Correlated with Authoritarianism — So Why Do We Refuse to Acknowledge It?
    • Historian Matthew Stewart Upends the Widespread Belief that 19th Century U.S. Christianity Was On ‘The Right Side of History’
      Historian Matthew Stewart Upends the Widespread Belief that 19th Century U.S. Christianity Was On ‘The Right Side of History’
    • Will Iowa’s Abortion Ban Respect Religious Freedom?
      Will Iowa’s Abortion Ban Respect Religious Freedom?
carolhowardmerritt@gmail.com'

Carol Howard Merritt

Rev. Carol Howard Merritt [@CarolHoward] is the award-winning author of Tribal Church: Ministering to the Missing Generation (Alban) and Reframing Hope: Vital Ministry in a New Generation (Alban) and a frequent contributor to books, websites, magazines,

Archive, History/Theology, Sex/Gender/JusticeFebruary 19, 2019

The Problem of ‘Evil’ in Describing Southern Baptist Abuse Crisis

By Carol Howard Merritt

Now that I’m a pastor, I hold this truth within me: Every person has the capacity to do horrible things and so our congregations need to be set up with ways to report that go beyond a distraught housewife armed with a telephone.

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Religion Dispatches

Religion Dispatches

Religion Dispatches is your independent, non-profit, award-winning source for the best writing on critical and timely issues at the intersection of religion, politics, and culture.

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