Mind, Body & Spirit
Mixed martial arts and Christianity: ‘Where Feet, Fist and Faith Collide’
The notion that MMA and Christianity are compatible bedfellows is loosely based on the ideology of Muscular Christianity, a mostly-male, Victorian-era movement that linked the gospel with physical and mental toughness.
What’s All the Buzz About Brothas, Barbers, and Lower Blood Pressure?
Amid the buzz of hair clippers and the beat of hip-hop, barber Corey Thomas squeezes in a little advice to the clients who come into his shop for shaves and fade cuts.
Sickle Cell Patients Suffer Poor Care, Discrimination — And Shorter Lives
Patients and experts alike say it’s no surprise then that while life expectancy for almost every major malady is improving, patients with sickle cell disease can expect to die younger than they did 20 years ago.
Saved and Depressed: A Real Conversation About Faith and Mental Health
When you see a man walking down the street talking to himself, what is your first thought? Most likely it’s, “He is crazy!” What about the lady at the bus stop yelling strange phases? You immediately become guarded and move as far away from her as possible. I know...
“Black people don’t commit suicide. That’s a white thing!”
"Black people don’t commit suicide. That’s a white thing." Who said that? That is a false statement. Blacks suffer from mental illness just like their white counterparts. In fact, when you think of everyday stressors, systematic-racism such as police brutality,...
Faith communities offer a pathway to ending AIDS in Africa
(RNS) — Since the earliest days of the AIDS epidemic, many communities of faith have supported millions of people living with HIV and kept future generations free from HIV through their prevention efforts. Their engagement on the front lines of health, especially in...
What the Movies Don’t Show You About the Psychiatric Unit
I remember repeatedly telling my friends I did not want to go to the psychiatric hospital for months. I was terrified and I did not want to be labeled as “crazy.” Every time someone asked if they should call the police, I said “no.” Who would? After attempting...
Beyond the Lights: Celebrities and Mental Illness
As the conversation of mental health and illness gradually comes to the forefront of national attention, the month of May is the perfect time to raise awareness. For some reason, we tend to stigmatize mental illness and do not see it as a “real” or life-threatening...
What Black Millennials Need to Know about Breast Cancer
Breast cancer is often associated with older women. However, young women are not exempt. Although October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, an annual campaign to raise awareness of the disease, many women still take their health for granted, particularly millennials....
How to Practice Dietary Restraint During the Holidays
The next month and a half will be filled with food, here’s a little guidance to keep the holiday spread on the table and off of you.
Do Strong Religious Beliefs Help Cancer Patients Battle the Disease Better?
Faith and wellness expert Rev. Percy McCray discusses the validity of prayer and faith in the midst of cancer and other illnesses.
The Affordable Care Act and African Americans
An overview of how the Affordable Care Act may address inequities and improve health outcomes for African Americans.
What You Need to Know About the Affordable Care Act
Open enrollment for the ACA begins on October 1, but do you know some of the finer points about the plan? Find out here.
The Kermit Gosnell Case: America on Trial
Dr. Kermit Gosnell, the former operator of the Women’s Medical Society, is currently on trial for the deaths of four infants and a woman. What does his trial reveal about who we are as a country?
Black Churches Host Kidney Sunday
African-Americans are 13 percent of the US population, but represent 32 percent of kidney failure cases nationally. To combat this public health issue, black churches are hosting Kidney Sundays to raise awareness and highlight solutions to the problem.
Common Grace Flowing at the Jersey Shore
Hurricane Sandy did a lot of mischief at the Jersey Shore, but common grace is flowing like a flood.
Pink Ribbon Warriors
Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among African American women — and their most common cause of cancer death. Here are tips for reducing your risk and winning the fight.
Undecided Voters Get a Voice in 2nd Debate
Undecided voters will have the opportunity to press the candidates on domestic policy tonight, but will they get the answers they need in a tight race?
When Politicians Want It Both Ways
At religion reporters meeting, surrogates for Obama and Romney seemed to want to woo faith voters, but limit reporters’ faith questions. Should faith be off-limits?
Obama v. Romney, Round 1
President Barack Obama and Governor Mitt Romney face off for their first debate tonight. What won’t they be talking about?
Real Girls in a Photoshopped World
A 14-year-old student’s protest against the unrealistic bodies of models in teen fashion magazines leads to a mini-revolution. But can it tamp down our culture’s obsession with idealized and overly sexual images in the media?
Obama Lets Others Outshine Him in Charlotte
Michelle Obama and Bill Clinton delivered speeches that outshined the president, and there was a lot of God-talk. What was the political message?
Meeting Dad in Bill Milliken’s Rearview Mirror
How I became reacquainted with my late father through urban ministry pioneer Bill Milliken’s new memoir, ‘From the Rearview Mirror.’
What Does It Mean to Be ‘Pro-Life’?
Why I don’t think my position on the legality of abortion defines me as a ‘pro-lifer.’
Responsibility and the Affordable Care Act
FOLLOW UP: A response to critics of my ‘Obamacare’ post and a challenge to Christian colleges that are suing over the contraception mandate.
Is Black Church Culture Unhealthy?
OPINION: From the looks of the overweight bodies in the pews and the high-fat soul food meals in our church basements, it’s hard to escape the possibility that many of the practices and traditions of the black church may be killing us.
Jesse Jackson Jr.’s Mystery Mood Disorder
Stigma and shame are common barriers to treatment for mental illness, especially in the Black community. Therapist LaTonya Mason Summers says this could be one reason Jesse Jackson Jr.’s mood disorder diagnosis remains a mystery.
Seven Olympians to Watch
Here are seven Olympians we’ll be following closely at the London Games.
Questions for Conservatives About Healthcare Reform
As a freedom-loving pro-lifer, I want to know why my conservative friends don’t seem to care about women like me when it comes to healthcare reform.
‘Obamacare’ Prevails: Supreme Court Upholds Healthcare Law
The Roberts Court ruled the controversial Affordable Care Act as a constitutional law. But what does it really mean for our nation moving forward?
Asian Americans Object to Pew Survey
Asian Americans are on the rise demographically, according to a new Pew Research Center survey. But some activists object, saying the community is not monolithic.
Listening to Immigrant Children
The Rev. Dr. Elizabeth Conde-Frazier discusses her new, award-nominated book, ‘Listen to the Children: Conversations with Immigrant Families.’
Teen Birth Rates at Historic Low
Contraception and sex education are cited as reasons for historically low teen birth rates, but there is still cause for concern.
Who Will Speak Up for Murdered Children?
Violent crime is down nationally with the exception of family violence, says journalist Karen Spears Zacharias, author of a new book that tells the story of one child murder in order to bring attention to them all.
Cory Booker’s ‘Come to Jesus’ Heroism
Newark Mayor Cory Booker calls saving his neighbor from a firey blaze a ‘Come to Jesus’ moment and thanks God that they’re both alive to talk about it.
Can Bullying Lead to Murder or Suicide?
From the Oikos University shooting to Tyler Clementi’s suicide to the new film, ‘Bully,’ the ‘bullied into it’ narrative is a common one. But could this storyline do more harm than good?
Divining the Fate of the Affordable Care Act
After three days of U.S. Supreme Court testimony about the Affordable Care Act, pundits sound ambivalent in their predictions about its fate.
Taking Stock of the Trayvon Martin Case
Now that the road to justice has been cleared, perhaps it’s time to calm down and consider how we got here.
Supreme Court to Judge Affordable Care Act
It’s been two years since the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was signed into law. Will it survive Supreme Court scrutiny?
Good Hair Days
The long, twisted journey of a Black woman’s hair — from cornrows to Halle Berry and back.
Defending President Obama’s Faith
Renewed questions about President Obama’s Christian faith inspire a group of influential leaders to defend him.
Obama Birth Control Compromise Take 2
Activist Lisa Sharon Harper and ethicists Cheryl J. Sanders and Charles C. Camosy weigh in on the Obama administration’s contraception mandate accommodation.
Obama’s Contraception Decision
Response has been fast and furious to the Obama administration’s announcement that there will be no conscience exemption in its health care law for religious organizations that oppose birth control. Here’s a round-up of opinions.
Whose Fault Is the ‘Cultural Divide’?
When conservative pundits can’t agree on the dynamics of ‘lower-class’ dysfunction, perhaps it’s time to bring in Cliff Huxtable and the queen of talk.
Immigration News: the Good, the Bad, the Ugly
News on the immigration front has been ugly this week, with deportation mistakes making headlines, but it’s not entirely bad. Here’s our round-up:
2011 News Highlights
We didn’t cover all the top news of 2011 at UrbanFaith, but we did shine our own unique spotlight on much of it. Here are some highlights.
UrbanFaith’s 2011 Hit List
Articles about single ladies, Zachery Tims, black hair, Steve Jobs, Detroit, Gadhafi, and the ‘Rainbow Right’ were among our most popular of 2011.
MTV’s Mixed Messages About Females and Teen Sexuality
A new Parent’s Television Council report says MTV’s reality shows disparage females, so why do some feminists offer conditional support for these shows?
Sponsoring a Resonse to HIV/AIDS
Could child sponsorship be a manageable way for ‘people in the pew’ to make a long-term difference in the lives of those impacted by HIV/AIDS?
Protecting the Children
The Penn State tragedy is an important opportunity to shine needed light on the pervasive crime of child sexual abuse. Tips for recognizing and confronting the problem.