Stephen Strehle is way off base in his Dec. 18 Religious Herald essay calling for the repeal of Thomas Jefferson's Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom and substituting a new one. The U. S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights were…
OUT LOUD
“The Vatican's model for the papacy is still the absolute monarchies and royal courts of the past. That model simply will not work today.” Tom Reese The professor at the Woodstock Theological Center was commenting on the Pope's handling of…
Obama’s anti-torture directives place activists in good news/bad news posture
WASHINGTON (ABP) — Religious opponents of torture expressed simultaneous approval and concern about a series of executive orders by President Obama upending his predecessor's policies on detention and interrogation of terrorism suspects. On his second full day in office, Obama…
Canadian courts to test the boundaries between polygamous & same-sex unions
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (RNS) — A landmark court case will test whether Canada's decision to legalize same-sex marriage also justifies the practice of polygamy. The defense lawyer for a British Columbia man who openly admits to having multiple wives will…
RIGHT or WRONG: Churches and marketing
Our church has gotten involved in strategy planning and marketing. Help me understand how this language and these endeavors are not just crass worldliness. Strategy planning and marketing are practices used by for-profit businesses and corporations, often to great effect….
Pick Pepsodent or Presbyterian?
PHOENIX (ABP) — Protestants in the United States are about as loyal to their brand of toothpaste as their denomination, according to one research firm. A new poll by Ellison Research asked churchgoers who attend worship services at least once…
Prayer mats and yarmulkes in workplace
WASHINGTON (RNS) — Com-plaints of religious discrimination in the workplace are on the rise, but civil rights advocates say that may not be such a bad thing. That's because a likely reason for a steady rise in reported incidents has…
Obama rearranges faith-based office, vows to maintain church-state wall
WASHINGTON (ABP) — President Obama announced a revamped version of his predecessor's office on faith-based charities Feb. 5, restructuring it with a broad advisory council and vowing to pay close attention to church-state concerns. “The goal of this office will…
Senate rejects aid for religious buildings
WASHINGTON (RNS) — The U.S. Senate defeated 54-43 an amendment to the economic stimulus bill Feb. 5 that would have allowed federal funding for renovations at college buildings that are used for religious activity. Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., proposed the…
First regional New Baptist Covenant event focuses on reconciliation
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (ABP) — Former President Jimmy Carter went to a shrine of the Civil Rights Movement Jan. 31 to drive home a point about racial reconciliation among Baptists, stepping up into the pulpit of the Birmingham, Ala., church where…
God doesn’t want dabbling in faith
I am not nearly as disturbed by the events you report — “Why believe in God” ads and the suit in South Carolina concerning ads saying, “I believe in God” — as I am by the apparent belief of many…
VIRGINIA BAPTIST FORUM: Advertise for the Lord
I am writing from a small town in southwestern Virginia. When our church heard of the buses in Washington we were sickened. But we did not just sit by in astonishment. We sent out letters to churches in our county…