By Bob Allen A Florida pastor running for president of the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc., is spearheading a national effort to mobilize the African-American faith community against “stand your ground” laws permitting the use of deadly force in self-defense….
In new book, Merritt reveals childhood abuse, questions about sexual identity
By Bob Allen With his writing career in full swing, faith-and-culture author Jonathan Merritt ended a 2009 USA Today commentary with a challenge to his fellow evangelical Christians. “Now is the time for those who bear the name of Jesus…
ACLU defends student’s right to read Bible
By Bob Allen The American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee is speaking up for an elementary school student reportedly told he could not read the Bible during an after-school program funded by taxpayers. The group often in the news for…
Seminary website lists aspects of ‘biblical womanhood’
By Bob Allen A Southern Baptist seminary has released a statement by women and for women to counter misunderstanding and negativity that the authors say abound on what they call biblical womanhood. Biblical Woman, online home for women’s programs at…
Land: Gay marriage a ‘truth serum’ for evangelicals
By Bob Allen A former Southern Baptist Convention official says gay marriage functions as a “truth serum,” distinguishing real evangelicals from those who don’t affirm the Bible’s authority. Richard Land, president of Southern Evangelical Seminary, wrote a March 27 column…
Missouri Baptists lose Windermere appeal
By Bob Allen The Missouri Baptist Convention’s 12-year-old legal battle with a breakaway entity may have ended, not with a bang but a whimper. On March 25 the Missouri Court of Appeals denied a jury trial to determine legal ownership…
World Vision’s policy reversal turns tables in same-sex marriage debate
By Bob Allen As bloggers both left and right shut down comments because of heated arguments about World Vision’s recently announced decision to hire gays, the tables turned suddenly March 26 when the parachurch charity publicly reversed the policy and…
Report says Louisiana College president asked to resign
By Bob Allen Louisiana College President Joe Aguillard has lost trustee support and been asked to resign, according to a story quoting multiple sources published March 26 in The Town Talk newspaper in Alexandria, La. Aguillard, 57, president of the…
Pastor says wifely submission models gospel
By Bob Allen An Alabama pastor recently told Southern Baptist seminarians that defending male headship and wifely submission is critical in a culture increasingly accepting of same-sex marriage. “We defend sexual complementarity in marriage for the sake of the gospel…