By Blake Tommey If you grew up in a Baptist church during the 20th century, you can probably recite these words by heart: “As we sing our final hymn, you are invited to make a public profession of faith, to…
Arkansas lawmakers ban local anti-discrimination measures
By Bob Allen The Arkansas state senate has passed legislation sponsored by a Southern Baptist lawmaker making it illegal for cities to adopt local ordinances banning discrimination against gays. SB-202, approved by both the House of Representatives and Senate, would…
Dean Smith’s pastor remembers him as courageous
By Norman Jameson Some idols hold up under scrutiny. Dean Smith, known best to the world as the man who built University of North Carolina basketball into a program of consistent national significance, died Feb. 7 three weeks short of…
Pastor/blogger says Southern Baptists should be honest about their racial history
By Bob Allen A Southern Baptist pastor and author of a book investigating what went wrong with race and religion in the American South says the Southern Baptist Convention should stop claiming the convention’s founding purpose was missions. Alan Cross,…
Judge denies change of venue for Union University murder trial
By Bob Allen A judge in Jackson, Tenn., has turned down a request to move a former Union University student’s murder trial to another county claiming that pre-trial publicity would make it impossible to seat an impartial jury. As a…
Proposed religious freedom amendment in Texas raises concerns
By Ken Camp Baptists helped craft the Religious Freedom Restoration Act at the national level and secured its passage at the state level in Texas. But some Texas Baptists are leery of language in a proposed RFRA-based state constitutional amendment. The efforts…
Halt drone strikes, say faith leaders
By Bob Allen One of more than 150 religious leaders who drafted a statement opposing the use of lethal drones by the United States military said Feb. 11 it’s an issue that more Baptists should care about. Carol Blythe, past…
Legislator aims to make Bible state book of Tennessee
By Bob Allen A former Southern Baptist pastor turned state lawmaker has introduced legislation to designate the Bible “the official state book” of Tennessee. Rep. Jerry Sexton, a Republican from Bean Station in the Morristown metropolitan area in East Tennessee,…
College sexual assault victims healed by religious communities, chaplains and study say
By Jeff Brumley Theological beliefs and belonging to religious organizations can help college women overcome the emotional damage caused by sexual abuse, a recently published Baylor University study has found. The authors of the study say involvement in faith communities…
Baptists, Catholics oppose D.C. laws
By Bob Allen Faith-based organizations with offices in Washington including the Southern Baptist Convention and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops wrote a letter Feb. 5 asking Congress to reject two new District of Columbia laws they say would restrict…
Ala. Baptist head says churches whose ministers perform gay marriages ‘not in friendly cooperation’
By Bob Allen The churches of Southern Baptist ministers who conduct marriage ceremonies for same-sex couples in Alabama risk losing their standing with the Alabama Baptist Convention, according to a statement added to the convention website Feb. 10. Rick Lance,…
CBF field personnel laments death sentence for two ‘Bali Nine’ members
By Jeff Brumley Australia and much of the rest of Asia are caught up in an international media and political storm swirling around the so-called Bali Nine as two of the group of drug smugglers are scheduled for execution in…