By Bob Allen An Oklahoma scholarship program to help children with disabilities attend private schools violates the state’s constitution because it uses public funds to support religious instruction, according to a brief filed April 13 in a case before the…
Georgia Baptist college gets tax break
By Bob Allen A tax rebate tailored to benefit a single Georgia Baptist college was slipped into a 49-page spending bill passed by the Georgia legislature just before this year’s lawmaking session expired April 2. State Sen. Bruce Thompson, a…
Film focuses on U.S. economic policies that cause Latin American poverty
By Norman Jameson American economic policies caused much of the debilitating poverty that now compels Latin Americans to risk everything trying to find work in the United States, according to the producer of “The Second Cooler,” a documentary on immigration….
Faith leaders support Iran framework deal
By Bob Allen Four dozen Christian leaders voiced support for a framework agreement for a peaceful path to prevent Iran from building nuclear weapons in a full-page ad in Roll Call paid for by Sojourners, a Washington-based social justice ministry…
Circle of Protection asks presidential contenders what they would do for the poor
By Bob Allen Christian leaders from various denominations called on newly announced presidential candidate Hillary Clinton April 12 to produce a three-minute video telling Americans that if elected what she would do for the hungry and poor. “We are praying…
More than body cameras needed to stop police violence, Baptist clergy say
By Jeff Brumley Body cameras for police, it seems, are what the nation needs to ensure justice in the wake of last Saturday’s officer-involved shooting death of Walter Scott in North Charleston, S.C. Christianity Today published a story Wednesday citing numerous…
Prof says homosexual orientation is a sin
By Bob Allen While many Christians read the Bible as forbidding homosexual acts, a Southern Baptist scholar argues in a recent article that same-sex orientation itself is sinful. Denny Burk, professor of biblical studies at Boyce College, the undergraduate arm…
Central Seminary among fastest-growing theology schools
By Bob Allen Central Baptist Theological Seminary ranked second among the fastest-growing seminaries in North America, according to a new report by the Association of Theological Schools. The seminary in Shawnee, Kan., has grown by nearly 180 percent during the past…
Baptist schools raise RFRA defense in federal appeals court
By Bob Allen A lawyer representing two Baptist General Convention of Texas-affiliated Christian universities asked a federal appeals court April 7 to affirm a lower court ruling that mandated contraceptive coverage in employee insurance plans violates the Religious Freedom Restoration…
Baptist nursing students learn ropes on Ethiopia medical mission
By Ken Camp Student nurses grow accustomed to signs prohibiting firearms and other weapons on hospital property. So, treating spear-carrying tribesmen at a remote clinic on the banks of the Omo River in southern Ethiopia required mental adjustment for five Baylor University graduate…
Richmond grateful for growth of Burmese refugee ministry
By Blake Tommey “When these kinds of things happen in my life, things that are so clearly filled with more beauty or redemption or reconciliation than my cranky personality and stony heart could ever manufacture on their own, I just…
Liberian Baptists oppose ‘Christian nation’ label
By Bob Allen Baptist leaders in Liberia have spoken in opposition to a proposed constitutional amendment declaring the West African republic a Christian state. A committee charged with reviewing Liberia’s 1986 constitution recommended 19 changes during a five-day conference March…