By Bob Allen The Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty joined Jewish and interfaith leaders in drafting a statement Feb. 21 calling on candidates to refrain from using religion as a political wedge. The document titled “Religion in Political Campaigns…
Children turned away from church while sex offender preaches
By Bob Allen A Baptist church in Florida is barring children from attendance where a registered sex offender has been preaching since the end of January. Jacksonville television station WJXT quoted a woman Feb. 19 who said she was turned…
Expert: Church-state problem result of employer-based insurance system
By Bob Allen A Baptist church-state scholar says religious liberty concerns about new coverage mandates come with the territory in America’s employer-based health insurance system. Melissa Rogers Melissa Rogers, director of the Center for Religion and Public Affairs at Wake…
Task force proposes new CBF funding plan
By Bob Allen A task force studying the future of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship is recommending a new funding plan that moves decisions about how money is spent closer to the local church. Wrapping up a two-year process that included…
Colson, George compare Obama health-care mandate to Nazis
By Bob Allen Two Baptist thinkers describe President Obama’s requirement that religious organizations include contraception in their employees’ health-care coverage as what some term a “Niemoeller moment” reminiscent of the slippery-slope devaluation of human rights that occurred in Nazi Germany….
Pastor’s killer still unfit to stand trial
By Bob Allen An Illinois judge ruled Feb. 10 that a man accused of murdering a Southern Baptist preacher in his pulpit nearly three years ago is mentally unfit to stand trial. Madison County Circuit Judge Richard Tognarelli said there…
Kentucky church leaves association
By Bob Allen A Baptist church in Kentucky has severed ties with its local association of churches, saying doctrinal uniformity has trumped cooperative missions in the Southern Baptist Convention. : “All are welcomed here,” proclaims the Central Baptist Church website….
British Christians say no to nukes
By Bob Allen Baptists and other Christian leaders in the United Kingdom are urging the government to scrap plans to replace its fleet of nuclear-armed submarines. The Baptist Union of Great Britain joined the Methodist Church and the United Reformed…
NC Baptists square off over gay marriage
By Bob Allen Baptists are lining up on opposing sides of an upcoming ballot referendum to amend North Carolina’s constitution to define marriage as between a man and a woman. The Baptist State Convention of North Carolina is on record…