The Child-Friendly Faith Project has lost a wise, compassionate, and courageous advisor. On January 9, Rev. Keith Wright, who had served congregations for nearly sixty years, passed away. Many people in the Austin community loved Keith as a pastor and as a friend. He was absolutely devoted to his family,
Faith Communities Meet the Needs of Abused Children and Adult Survivors
Meet Peter Singer and David Pittman, two advocates who are serving the needs of child victims of maltreatment and survivors of sexual abuse. The Child-Friendly Faith Project is honored to have each give an important presentation at this year’s conference on Dec. 4th and 5th in Austin, Texas.
Peter will
A young man stopped believing Mormon teachings and was disowned by his parents
Last weekend, I spoke at the annual ExMormon Foundation Conference. The organization supports those who have left, or been excommunicated from, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The “ExMo” conference is always held in “Mormon central,” or Salt Lake City. Many attendees came from Utah but I met people from all over
Interview with Marci A. Hamilton, JD
Professor Marci A. Hamilton holds the Paul R. Verkuil Chair in Public Law at Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University. One of the country’s leading scholars in church/state law, she represented the City of Boerne, Texas, in a successful challenge to the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, a
Do culture and religion matter in the Adrian Peterson case?
While the media seems largely focused on the fact that the Minnesota Vikings finally decided to bench its star running back, a more important—and politically incorrect—question needs to be asked:
Did Adrian Peterson’s religious beliefs and cultural background as an African American contribute to him beating and injuring his son?
Interview with Dr. Lisa Aronson Fontes
Lisa Aronson Fontes, PhD, is a cultural expert, lecturer, and author. She has focused much of her career helping our mental health, social service, and criminal justice systems be more responsive to culturally diverse people. Dr. Fontes, who teaches at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, has written numerous journal articles and chapters on cultural
What does a victim of child sexual abuse look like? Don’t ask Christianity Today.
An embarrassing apology published by Christianity Today shows that leaders in the faith community still have a lot to learn about child sexual abuse.
The readers of Christianity Today have taught the magazine a lesson—they know more about child sexual abuse then its editors do.
Last Monday, CT published an article on its Leadership Journal website written by an unnamed pastor who is serving time in prison
The Real Michael Pearl
The media has pitted me against Michael Pearl on more than one occasion. The controversial, pro-spanking, Tennessee-based Christian preacher says children should not be disciplined but “trained” by hitting them with instruments such as tree branches or quarter-inch plumbing line.
I have been vocal about my concerns that Pearl’s
More than she could bear
By now you’ve probably heard about the case of Nina Koistinen. The 36-year-old mother from Phoenix has been charged with first-degree murder, after she confessed to suffocating her 6-day-old baby, Maya. Koistinen reportedly told authorities that she killed the child, because she “had too many kids already” and was jealous
A survivor of religious child maltreatment becomes an advocate for children who suffer today
This article originally appeared on Religious Child Maltreatment.
Liz Heywood grew up in the Christian Science Church outside of Boston, the church’s headquarters. When she was a teenager, she developed a serious bone infection in her knee. Her family, members of the Christian Science Church, arranged for her to receive