WASHINGTON (ABP) — Some Christians in the United States are quick to cry “persecution” if courts, schools or businesses fail to favor their religion above others. But in places around the world where Christians face beatings, economic reprisal, imprisonment or…
Blessed are the Persecuted: Defining, and responding to, persecution
FALLS CHURCH, Va. (ABP) — Baptists generally prefer to handle violations of religious freedom through quiet diplomacy instead of media headlines denouncing “persecution” of Christians, said a freedom-and-justice specialist for the Baptist World Alliance. Christians in Tehsil Gojra, Pakistan, examine…
2009: The year in newsmakers
(ABP) — Here are some of the top newsmakers in 2009 as reported by Associated Baptist Press. 1. The Baptist movement turns 400 Baptists gathering in 2009 celebrated the 400th anniversary of the Baptist tradition. While there are different theories…
2009: The year in Baptist newsmakers
(ABP) — Here are some of the top newsmakers in 2009 as reported by Associated Baptist Press. John Upton 1. The Baptist movement turns 400 Baptists gathering in 2009 celebrated the 400th anniversary of the Baptist tradition. While there are…
2009: The year in deaths of prominent Baptists
Paschal Dan Goodman, 40, a professor at Gardner-Webb University's M. Christopher White School of Divinity, unexpectedly Jan. 13. Oscar Romo, 79, a pioneer in starting ethnic Southern Baptist churches, Jan. 16 from complications related to Parkinson's disease. Millard Fuller,…
FAITH DIGEST: American Christians dabble in New Age
Nearly one-fourth of the self-identified Christians in the United States delve into a range of Eastern or New Age beliefs, a new study shows. Asked about their supernatural experiences, significant minorities of American Christian respondents said they believe in astrology…
Obama’s Muslim outreach named top religion story of 2009
WASHINGTON (RNS) — The nation’s religion journalists named President Obama’s speech to the Muslim world as the top religion story of the year. Members of the Religion Newswriters Association ranked the June speech in Cairo, in which the president quoted…
Use the Quran to share Christ with Muslim, veteran missionary suggests
ANGLETON, Texas — Winning Muslim converts to Christianity is difficult, but veteran missionary Kevin Greeson knows a way—start with the Quran. Greeson, who has served 16 years with the Southern Baptist International Mission Board working to start Christian movements among…
RIGHT or WRONG? Emerging Church
Our church just hired a pastor who is young enough to be the child of many members. His language about “the emerging church,” “postmodernism” and “interfaith dialogue” distresses older members. Communication and context seem to be the issues in conflict…
Religious games and toys more than child’s play, authors insists
BOSTON (RNS) — On the first day of her introductory religion class at Merrimack College, professor Rebecca Sachs Norris put her students to work at having some fun. She assigned teams of three or four students to play some of the…
Tumultuous times fuel End Times preparations
WASHINGTON (RNS) — For years, Ken Uptegrove believed another Great Depression was at hand. A computer professional in Springdale, Ark., Uptegrove started a garden and researched ways to live more simply. He studied the lives of early Christians and launched…
Persecution a recent concern in SBC resolutions
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (ABP) — While staunch defenders of human rights and religious liberty for all, Southern Baptists rarely mentioned religious persecution in convention resolutions until the 1990s. That coincides with increased calls by social conservatives, including the newly conservative leadership…