By Amy Butler It is not uncommon to encounter me, on occasion (okay, very frequently, actually), complaining bitterly about all the things I did not learn in seminary. In fact, I do have a comprehensive list of such things somewhere,…
The decade in religious liberty
By Brent Walker Dubbed by Time magazine the “decade from hell,” the past 10 years have been ones for which we can say good riddance: September 11, two costly and deadly wars, the economic meltdown. In terms of church-state relations,…
Haiti has long been a disaster
(Editor’s note: This is an account from British Baptist aid worker Carwyn Hill on his trip from northern Haiti to help earthquake victims in Port-au-Prince in the immediate aftermath of the Jan. 12 quake that devastated the Haitian capital. A…
A lesson in giving from Liberia
By Colleen Walker Burroughs My fifth-grade daughter’s face was wide-eyed with wonder as our carpool drove to school. National Public Radio was reporting on Liberia’s commitment to send $50,000 in aid to Haiti. “Liberia is sending money to Haiti?” she…
How do we best help Haiti recover?
By Norman Jameson Now that Haiti is completely wrecked, how does anyone fix it? With tremors still shaking the island nation that has never recovered from its own birth pains, the world’s nations are sending tons of food and barrels…
Don’t call it an affair. Call it abuse of power
By Diana Garland The murder trial of former pastor Matt Baker in Waco, Texas, last week was mesmerizing for many reasons. It involved sex, lies, premeditated murder, pornography and a clergy member. It should have been a work of fiction;…
Music Review: Patty Griffin’s ‘Downtown Church’
By Kyle Matthews Regardless of whether you think you like traditional gospel music or not, do not miss this album. I say that acknowledging that this material is not where I’m from — neither as country and traditional gospel…
The meaning of Massachusetts
By Jim Denison Ted Kennedy’s Senate seat will be filled by a Republican. On January 19, a state that has not sent a Republican to the Senate in 37 years elected Scott Brown by a decisive margin. Why? Newsweek offered…
For Burmese refugees, new year — same borders
By Pete Maycock I recently went to join in a New Year’s Day worship service in a refugee camp on the Thailand-Burma border. The trip did not quite go according to plan. After nearly 10 hours in the car we…
Martin Luther King and a theology of liberation
By Marty Duren This past Monday, Jan. 17, marked the 24th year since the first official observance of Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday as a national holiday. It seems some are still struggling to get it right. This year, King’s…
Why do Baptists associate?
(Editor’s note: Neville Callam, general secretary of the Baptist World Alliance, recently spoke to leaders of the North American Baptist Fellowship, one of the BWA’s six regional fellowships, in Dallas. He discussed how one of his goals in discussing the…
Pat Robertson, Haiti and the devil, Part III
(Editor’s Note: This is the final of three special opinion pieces by ABP Senior Columnist Jim Denison on Pat Robertson’s comments about the Haitian earthquake disaster. The first was published Jan. 14, and the second on Jan. 15. Denison’s regular…