This article was originally published on Baptist News Global. You can access the original article here. Basic civil rights are under attack in the courts, Perryman warns by Jeff Brumley The U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade in June 2022 demonstrates that LGBTQ equality and other basic civil rights are under threat by well-funded and highly coordinated political forces on the right, attorney and activist Skye Perryman said during a recent episode of George Mason’s “Good God” podcast. The

Government or religion? We need them both. by Rabbi Nancy Kasten “Let the churches do it,” they say. “It’s not the job of the government to take care of people who can’t take care of themselves. That’s what charity is for.” Religion has always played a role in addressing social and human needs. But over time, the private and nonprofit spheres–often religiously based–have been overwhelmed by those needs. This is partly due to increasing needs, needs exacerbated by the government’s

This article was originally published in Moment. You can access the original article here. Rabbis in states with abortion restrictions find hope in interfaith work by Abby Wingfield and Fallon Roth Is interfaith activism a key piece of the puzzle in advocating for abortion and reproductive rights in the United States? Although lawmakers in red states have emphasized religious ideals as a rationale for their restrictions on abortion, many Jewish leaders disagree. In some cases, rabbis in these states have

This article was originally published in Advocate. You can access the original article here. Everything seems existential, and then there's reality by Rev. Dr. George Mason We’ve come out of an election season again this year that purported to be the most important election of our lifetimes. Until the next one. Apocalyptic framing of the crises we face makes everything seem existential — a contest between good and evil with life-or-death consequences. This is rarely true, regardless of how hot

Light Lessons from the Darkness by Rabbi Nancy Kasten Days end abruptly in the Northern Hemisphere at this time of the year, followed by long, dark nights. Science explains what naturally occurs when the Earth orbits the Sun, but our instincts still make us wonder if something is wrong. The human impulse to prefer light over darkness is ancient and modern, urgent and enduring.  A Talmudic text dating back to before the 7th Century CE states: When Adam saw that

Reappraising Thanksgiving by Rabbi Nancy Kasten Thanksgiving is approaching and I am grateful that all three of our 20-something children will be in Dallas for the holiday. Two live on the west coast and one on the east, so we don’t all get together often. Thanksgiving is one time they are likely to be home together, and our family is fortunate to have the resources to make that possible.  Recently Daily Capital, an online finance information resource, reported that 45%

[Podcast]: A different Christian perspective on abortion The Good Complex sits down with George Mason, Senior Pastor Emeritus at Wilshire Baptist Church in Dallas, TX. Pastor Mason shares his perspective on the issue of abortion and it will surprise many Christians. Listen to the podcast episode here.

This excerpt was originally published in The Dallas Morning News. You can access the full article here. Religious right is dictating medical decisions by Hara Person and Rabbi Nancy Kasten Across the country, trigger bans dismantling reproductive choice and eradicating critical health care have overrun the states that we once felt were safe, and Texas is no exception. Reproductive health care clinics are shutting down, leaving many people without access to any kind of reproductive and other health care. Doctors

This article was originally published on Baptist News Global. You can access the original article here. Faith Commons becomes first organization and first interfaith work to receive T.B. Maston Ethics Award by Mark Wingfield Successful interfaith work is not seeking the lowest common denominator and watering down differences in beliefs, George Mason told supporters of the T.B. Maston Foundation Oct. 27 as he and colleague Nancy Kasten received the Maston Christian Ethics Award. The award was given to Faith Commons, a nonprofit

This excerpt was originally published in The Dallas Morning News. You can access the full article here. Religion, science must join forces by Rev. Dr. George Mason Religion and science have never been fast friends, but they’d better become better friends fast. The global ecological crisis is an existential threat that calls for all sectors of society to work together to preserve our human habitat. While this includes responsible participation from the business community and government, religious leaders and scientists