NEW YORK (ABP) — In what is shaping up to be a faith-filled race for the presidency, Republican and Democratic candidates have pulled out all the stops — hiring religion gurus, conscientiously attending church, discussing the intimate details of their…
Pulpit politics run risk for churches
DALLAS (ABP) — Churches engaged in partisan politics risk losing not only their tax-exempt status, but also their credibility, several experts in church-state relations agree. Churches and religious organizations—like other IRS 501(c) (3) nonprofit organizations—are free to speak out on…
Review: Killer of Sheep provides thoughtful contrast to summer blockbuster fare
(ABP) — With Spidey swinging across one screen and pirate Jack Sparrow swaggering across another, moviegoers searching for substance this summer have another option. Into the box-office bluster comes Killer of Sheep, a gentle — and thoughtfully moral — look…
Correction
The third paragraph of the June 25 ABP story, “High court decision in 'bong hits' case concerns religious leaders,” should be changed to read: “But school officials' suppression of the banner's speech also concerned the American Civil Liberties Union, the…
Mercer, medical center establish 4-year med program in Savannah
SAVANNAH, Ga. (ABP) — A Baptist university in Georgia and a Savannah hospital plan to expand an existing joint clinical program into a four-year medical program. Mercer University, based in Macon, already operates Mercer School of Medicine and two teaching…
Baptist newspapers, ABP creating new media venture
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (ABP) — Four Baptist communication organizations have agreed to form a new media venture that will collaborate on expansive websites, print publications and other media options for Baptists. The partnership, tentatively called NeoVox, currently includes Associated Baptist Press…
Southern Baptists in California create competing state convention
THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. (ABP) — Southern Baptists in California have started a new alternative state convention that will compete with the 67-year-old California Southern Baptist Convention for denominational loyalty. California is the fourth state to witness such a move, joining…
Scripture not easy recipe in politics, ethicists say
RICHMOND, Va. (ABP) — Abortion is the most pressing moral issue of the day, said Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback, a Republican candidate for president, at a recent GOP debate. So much so, the Catholic senator continued, that he doesn't think…
Texas convention, Buckner forge church-based immigration ministry
AUSTIN, Texas (ABP) — The Baptist General Convention of Texas and Buckner International are partnering to create the first nationwide effort for local, church-based ministry to help immigrants become U.S. citizens. Through their new Immigration Service and Aid Center, the…
Opinion: Licensing death on the road
Probably the most interesting moral issues are those raised by practices we take for granted. No one asks about the morality of playing baseball, wearing socks, or taking showers. Likewise, no one asks about the morality of driving cars. Well,…
Evangelicals ‘caught in the middle’ of debate over identity, direction
WASHINGTON (ABP) — It may look dead, but it's really just evolving — even though its members might not like that word. And it may be developing into something its founders wouldn't recognize. That's what some experts say about the…
Supreme Court denies taxpayers ability to sue Bush over faith-based funding
WASHINGTON (ABP) — A closely divided Supreme Court ruled June 25 that a group of taxpayers do not have the legal standing to challenge President Bush's promotion of religious charities just because they think it violates the First Amendment. In…