LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (ABP) — Ralph Brodie has been waiting for 50 years to tell his side of the desegregation crisis at Little Rock Central High School. A lot of his classmates have been waiting, too. “The main thing ……
OUTLOUD
“A convergent Christian, in many ways, is what [theologian] Don Carson calls a world Christian. Their allegiance to Jesus Christ and his Kingdom is self-consciously set above all national, cultural, linguistic and racial allegiances. Their commitment to the church and…
‘In God We Trust’ motto still mints controversy after 50 years
WASHINGTON—Fifty years after “In God We Trust” first appeared on U.S. paper currency, those four little words have proven to be the source of big debate in the courts. Michael Newdow, the California atheist known for trying to strip “under…
State Department reports Iraqi insurgency hurts religious freedom
WASHINGTON (RNS)—The continuing insurgency in Iraq is significantly harming the freedom of worship in that country, the State Department said in its 2007 International Religious Freedom Report. The recently released report lists Iraq among 22 countries it notes for either…
Move over She-Hulk. Make room for Samson
HARRISBURG, Pa. (RNS)—Jesus and Moses were sold out, but consumers still could line up at the checkout counter to pay for Mary, Noah, David and a ferocious-looking Samson, packaged with Delilah in hot pink. The world of posable action figures…
Theology, attitudes hinder Mormon entry into Christian mainstream
WASHINGTON (ABP) — While a Mormon presidential candidate continues to occupy a prominent place in the race for the White House, a recent study has found that most Americans say they know little about the practices of the Church of…
Jack Snell, Baptist pastor, mission advocate, dead at 66
ATLANTA (ABP) — Jack Snell, a well-known Baptist pastor and global missions coordinator, died Oct. 2 after a nine-month battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 66. Snell, who at the end of his life oversaw more than 150 Cooperative Baptist…
Opinion: On behalf of indoctrination
Several years ago, I invited a local surgeon who was an Orthodox Jew to come and speak to my undergraduates about the specifics of his faith. One of the points he emphasized was the importance of family and of marrying…
Survey: Christians still not agreed about problem of global warming
NEW YORK (ABP) – Despite a newfound focus among many Christian leaders on environmental care, a new survey suggests that rank-and-file Christians are far less concerned than non-believers about environmental issues. According to the survey, conducted by the Barna Group,…
Global Women conference focuses on world’s needs
SUNNYVALE, Calif. (ABP) — Women from 11 different countries and of diverse faith traditions gathered here Sept. 14-16 to investigate issues affecting women worldwide. Held at the Iranian Christian Church in Sunnyvale, Calif., the annual Global Voices conference, sponsored by…
Texas Baptist board approves big staff, budget cuts
DALLAS (ABP) — After extensive debate, the Baptist General Convention of Texas executive board voted 52-28 to approve a $50.1 million budget recommendation — a move that eliminates as many as 30 staff positions for Baptists' largest statewide body. The…
In first day of session, court declines church-state cases
WASHINGTON (ABP) — On the first day of their 2007-2008 term, the justices of the Supreme Court declined to hear two church-state cases that could have yielded controversial rulings. Among the hundreds of cases the court turned away Oct. 1…