WASHINGTON (ABP) — Religious leaders are calling on the consciences of members of Congress to avoid cutting social-welfare programs and taxes at the same time. “This is the message going out [from Congress]: In response to Hurricane Katrina, we're going…
Thousands of mourners ’embrace beauty’ in life of electrocuted Waco pastor
WACO, Texas (ABP) — For many, it was only appropriate to remember Kyle Lake on All Saints Day, two days after the 33-year-old pastor of University Baptist Church died after being electrocuted while standing in the church's baptistry. “Kyle, in…
Baptist ‘brewhaha’: Leaders deny reports volunteers refused to pass out water
CLEWISTON, Fla. (ABP) — Southern Baptist disaster-relief leaders are denying reports, spread widely across the Internet, that a group of their volunteers in Florida refused to give water to victims of Hurricane Wilma because it came from a beer-brewing company….
Baylor’s trustee reduction: politics or efficiency?
Baylor University regents approved a charter change to downsize the school's governing board from 36 to 16 members over nine years. Chairman Will Davis of Austin characterized the vote on the reduction in board size as “not unanimous but overwhelming.”…
Missouri Baptists exclude CBF churches
The Missouri Baptist Convention is no longer open to churches that support any other organization considered to compete with the state convention or the Southern Baptist Convention. The changes will shut out congregations that participate in the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship…
Letters for November 3, 2005
The best of America Thank you for the excellent front page article “A Marine is remembered” [Herald, Oct. 20]. Sgt. Jayton Patterson represents the best of America. Freedom is not free and it has been won and protected by fine…
Alito would give Catholics historic majority on Supreme Court
WASHINGTON (ABP) — If Samuel Alito is confirmed to the Supreme Court, it will give the court a Roman Catholic majority for the first time in its history. That certainly would signal that Catholics — once a persecuted minority in…
Methodist court defrocks lesbian minister, reinstates pastor who denied gay member
WASHINGTON (ABP) — Conservatives in the United Methodist Church scored several victories on Reformation Day Oct. 31, but liberals viewed them more skeptically. A divided nine-member Judicial Council, the highest court in the hierarchical denomination, defrocked a Philadelphia minister for…
Court hears case on Christian sect’s use of hallucinogen in worship
WASHINGTON (ABP) — Hearing a case on All Saints' Day, the Supreme Court struggled with the rights of a tiny Christian group whose members believe the road to sainthood is lined with cups of a hallucinogenic tea the federal government…