KANSAS CITY, Mo. (ABP) — A federal judge ruled Aug. 16 that a Missouri law banning protests at or near funerals is unconstitutional. In 2006 Missouri passed a law prohibiting picketers within 300 feet of a memorial service. It was…
ANALYSIS: Legal status of mosque project clear; pluralism’s status not
WASHINGTON (ABP) — One thing is settled in the controversy over building an Islamic cultural center near the former World Trade Center site in New York: There is no legal impediment to the facility rising there. A sign at a…
Hispanic evangelicals urge GOP not to alienate Latinos over immigration
WASHINGTON (ABP) — Leaders of the nation’s largest Hispanic evangelical organization warned leaders of the Republican Party Aug. 17 that their increasingly strident rhetoric on immigration puts the party at risk of losing an entire generation of Latino voters. “We…
The climate changes and we do nothing
By David Gushee The New York Times ran a front-page article by Justin Gillis this past Sunday called “In Weather Chaos, a Case for Global Warming.” It makes for an interesting study, both because the Times finally ran an article…
Exiled pastor of Baptist church in Gaza returns to Jordan after visit
AMMAN, Jordan (ABP) — The exiled pastor of Gaza Baptist Church began teaching Aug. 16 at Jordan Evangelical Theological Seminary following a three-week visit to his homeland to preach, teach and distribute food and medicine to the poor. "While food…
Baptist leader says Obama wrong about Ground Zero mosque
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (ABP) — The head of the Southern Baptist Convention's moral concerns agency said Aug. 14 that he disagreed with President Obama's assessment that Muslims have a constitutional right to build the so-called Ground Zero mosque in New York…
Baptists respond to massive Pakistan flooding that displaced 14 million
ISLAMABAD, Pakisan (ABP) — Baptists around the globe are responding to the floods that have afflicted Pakistan for two weeks, sending money and resources in the aftermath of what could become the nation’s biggest natural disaster in modern times. According…
RIGHT or WRONG? Cremation
Our family cannot decide whether cremation is biblically acceptable. Can you provide some biblical reference points or standards? Cremation is an increasingly popular alternative to burial. Since it isn’t a traditional Christian form, believers can struggle with its biblical acceptability….
British Baptist minister jailed in Virginia on child molestation charges
FAIRFAX, Va. (ABP) — A British Baptist minister is being held in a Virginia jail on charges of child molestation. Robert Dando, senior minister of Worcester Park Baptist Church in Surrey, United Kingdom, was arrested July 24 in Oakton, Va. He is…
FAITH DIGEST
Study reveals Amish growth. A new study says the population of North American Amish has increased nearly 10 percent in the past two years, causing many communities to turn westward in search of new land. Conducted by the Young Center…
Former Virginia Baptist youth minister accused of sex with teen in his church
WOODBRIDGE, Va. (ABP) — A former Virginia Baptist youth minister has been arrested on charges that he engaged in a sexual relationship with a teenage girl in his church. Police in Northern Virginia’s Prince William County arrested Jason Bolton, 32,…
Evangelicals condemn church’s plan to burn Quran on 9/11 anniversary
WASHINGTON (RNS) — The National Association of Evangelicals has condemned plans by a Florida church to burn copies of the Quran on the anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, Fla., announced its plans…