By Bob Allen More than 50 Texas faith leaders called on Gov. Greg Abbott to reinstate Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood in an open letter released Dec. 10. Abbott, a Republican elected after former Gov. Rick Perry decided not to…
Baylor community offers prayers for Muslim students
By Jeff Brumley Baylor University made clear to its roughly 150 Muslim students during finals week that, whatever rhetoric they hear around the nation, they are welcome and safe at the Baptist institution. More than 400 students, faculty, staff, plus…
Neighbors’ concern with noise prompts dispute over worship
By Bob Allen A Southern Baptist church in Louisiana investigated numerous times for noise complaints has filed a lawsuit claiming intimidation by police and violations of religious liberty under both state and federal law. The lawsuit filed Dec. 10 in…
Church remembers the violence inherent in Advent
By Brian Kaylor On the second Sunday of Advent, the lawn of Highland Baptist Church in Louisville, Ky., was covered with wooden crosses like one sees in a military cemetery. Each cross — about 75 of them — will represent…
Baptist schools seek waiver from LBGT discrimination ban
By Bob Allen The federal government has granted waivers to more than two dozen religious institutions of higher learning from Title IX, which protects LGBT students from discrimination. Carson-Newman University, affiliated with the Tennessee Baptist Convention, recently received exemption for…
State Supreme Court reverses convictions of peeping preacher
By Bob Allen The Mississippi Supreme Court has reversed 10 of the 13 counts of a traveling Southern Baptist evangelist convicted three years ago of video voyeurism. Sam Nuckolls, a former youth camp pastor for LifeWay Christian Resources, was sentenced…
Church adopts Kenyan woman’s cause to fight female mutilation
By George Henson Carolyne Gachibi left Kenya to escape a nightmare only to find a Texas church willing to make her dreams come true — and help other girls attain an education and avoid female genital mutilation. But she has paid…
Franklin Graham echoes Trump’s anti-Muslim stance
By Bob Allen Evangelist Franklin Graham says he agrees with presidential candidate Donald Trump’s proposal to bar Muslims from entering the United States, an idea Graham himself surfaced in July after the fatal shooting of four Marines by a naturalized…
Baptist group in Georgia opposes marijuana cultivation proposal
By Bob Allen Southern Baptists in Georgia are lobbying against a proposal to allow cultivation of marijuana in the state to produce cannabis oil legalized earlier this year for treatment of certain illnesses like late-stage cancer and epilepsy. The law…
Louisiana College off probation
By Bob Allen Officials at Baptist-affiliated Louisiana College announced Dec. 8 the school is no longer on probation with its accrediting agency. The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges put the school on probation in June 2014…
Baptists join other Christians opposing Trump’s anti-Muslim rhetoric
By Jeff Brumley The voices from the right, condemning Islam and fearing Muslims, have gotten noticeably louder in recent days. On Monday, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump issued a call to ban all Muslims from entering the United States. On…
Interfaith leader cites religious liberty threat
By Bob Allen After championing religious freedom for most of his ministry career, former Interfaith Alliance head Welton Gaddy says he does not think the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution would pass if it were being proposed today. Accepting…