Illustration: Brad Gregg What Oklahoman readers didn’t see was a full-page counter-ad released by Freedom From Religion Foundation, a nonprofit committed to preserving the separation of church and state. While Hobby Lobby’s “In God We Trust” ad included quotes from presidents, founding fathers, Supreme Court rulings and even “foreigners” (their words), FFRF’s “In Reason We […]
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Posted inArts & Culture
Slumming it
In the past year, Feed the Children has changed both its focus and its leadership. Now it hopes to educate people about its mission by recreating the atmosphere of an African slum inside an Oklahoma City warehouse. After walking through a hallway lined with pictures of kids in Feed the Children programs, visitors see a […]
Posted inNews
God and tornadoes
Those messages are coming from everywhere. After speaking in Vermont at the annual meeting of United Church of Christ churches in my denomination, this small and cash-strapped body of small New England parishes handed me a check for $5,000 to help with tornado relief. So many people have prayed for us and supported us through […]
Posted inMusic
God bless metal
On Saturday, the Becoming the Archetype that steps onto The Conservatory stage on Saturday won’t resemble the one that first did so back in 1999. The last founding member left in 2011, making songwriter/guitarist/singer Seth Hecox the most tenured member, having joined in 2004. The Atlanta act looks to have eternal life, regardless. “Perseverance is […]
Posted inArts & Culture
House party
Twenty years later, drivers cruising down the highway between Altus and Wichita, Kan., can tune into any of the Christian radio network’s 15 stations, he said. It can be heard online as well, at thehousefm.com. Even Brewer can’t believe it; he’s still in awe that his ambitious dream became a reality. The House FM is […]
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Marriage ‘Pains’
According to the Oklahoma Marriage Initiative, 32 percent of marriages in the state have ended in divorce — one of the highest divorce rates nationwide. As many Sooner couples find themselves saying “I don’t” more often than “I do,” one unlikely man has taken it upon himself to save these remaining marriages: former teen heartthrob-turned-evangelist […]
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Bills of goods, the sequel
Credit: Brad Gregg Well, wouldn’t yah know, we couldn’t get to ’em all. So here are more. Several bills seek to prohibit the use of “foreign” (read: Sharia) law in court. Speaking of foreigners, a proposal by Rep. Sally Kern, R-Oklahoma, House Bill 1866, would require that a charter school’s board members and top administrators […]
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God’s presence amid horror
Don’t infuse this tragedy with a religious rigor and commentaries about our lost world and its lost souls. This is a moment for grace to resonate. This is a moment to demonstrate patience with those who are confused, angry, bitter and utterly despairing. Let the world play out its emotions. And you who walk with […]
Posted inNews
Say my name
Angela Renee Ingram has the legal name of James Dean Ingram, but lives as a woman. On Aug. 30, Judge Bill Graves denied her request to make Angela her legal name. He said Ingram’s DNA could not be changed to that of a female, and therefore, allowing a name change would be the furtherance of […]
Posted inMusic
Vesper recipe
With two albums surveying themes of hope, redemption in Jesus, and supernatural healing to their name, it’s no surprise that The Vespers are a band of Christians. But are they a Christian band? A closer look at the college-aged siblings’ output and business acumen suggests they’re aiming for the former. “When we got together, we […]