NEW YORK (ABP) — Christian leaders on Dec. 18 called on President-elect Barack Obama to ease travel restrictions to Cuba they say hinder religious work. Denominational and ecumenical leaders from a variety of faith groups said restrictions imposed in 2005…
Survey says most Americans believe in multiple paths to salvation
WASHINGTON (ABP) — A majority of American Christians believe that at least some non-Christian faiths can lead to eternal life, says a new survey by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. Even among evangelicals, a branch of Protestant…
Southwestern Seminary cuts budget
FORT WORTH, Texas (ABP) — Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary has announced plans to cut its budget by about 10 percent — a reduction between $3.5 million and $4 million — in an effort to "protect the institution from future financial…
OUT LOUD
“I think the tradition is that they use all three names, and I will follow the tradition. I'm not trying to make a statement one way or another. I'll do what everybody else does.” Barack Obama The president-elect was telling…
BOOK REVIEW: In Search of a Confident Faith: Overcoming Barriers to Trusting God, By J.P. Mor
This is an excellent book, written by two college professors, but it doesn't have the feel of one written by scholars. While their research and scholarship are evident, the book is neither difficult to read nor dry. One of the…
Unto us a child is born
The crowd waited patiently at the international arrivals gate, holding signs and posters, whispering to each other and frequently shifting left or right like a giant caterpillar. A group of 50, young and old, were eagerly awaiting their first glimpse…
FAITHSHAPERS: Teaching baptism (2)
So what is baptism really? Because of its importance in Baptist life, I fear that we sometimes overemphasize the role of baptism. Children tend to see things in somewhat mystical ways by their very nature, and symbolic rituals with deep,…
BOOK REVIEW: Great Prayers of the Old Testament, By Walter Brueggemann (Westminster John Knox
In every culture throughout human history, people have prayed. But the manner in which they pray depends upon the deity they address. Old Testament scholar Walter Brueggemann reminds readers that people in the Hebrew Scriptures specifically prayed to the God…
Adoption services offered by Virginia Baptists’ HopeTree
SALEM — Virginia Baptists' HopeTree Family Services is one of several agencies that provide adoptive home studies and supervisory visits. HopeTree is licensed to accept children from their birth parents with the purpose of agency adoption. Adoption Services also facilitates…
Global downturn necessitates increased U.S. anti-poverty efforts
WASHINGTON (ABP) — The global financial crisis makes it even more urgent that the United States not only take care of its own economy, but also redouble efforts to aid the world's poorest, according to a new report and several…
BOOK REVIEW: The Future of Faith in American Politics: The Public Witness of the Evangelical Cent
When many Americans think of evangelicals and politics, they often think of the “religious right” or possibly the “religious left.” Ethicist David Gushee makes a reasoned case for a movement toward an already existing and growing “evangelical center” as a…
Family completed through foster-to-adopt program
SAN ANTONIO — Timothy and Karen LeRoy of San Antonio realized fairly quickly after having difficulty getting pregnant that God was leading them away from infertility treatments and instead toward adoption. And the LeRoys' long journey to parenthood ended in…