BWIM puts up a billboard in Orlando

A church-state separationist group has filed suit to try to halt a new law calling for the distribution of taxpayer funds for the historical preservation of California mission churches. Americans United for Separation of Church and State, a Washington-based watchdog…

What did the real Santa Claus look like? Viewers of a program broadcast Dec. 18 on British TV found out. A team of forensic scientists at Britain's Manchester University has reconstructed the face of St. Nicholas of Myra-the precursor of…

By Timothy Harper The Christmas tree remains a powerful symbol for many of us. “Christmas trees probably add more to mark the period of ‘peace on earth, goodwill toward men' than any other product of the soil,” says Ann Kirk-Davis,…

By Kim Lawton It's Christmas-and for Protestants, that means it's time for the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus, to make her annual cameo appearance in creche sets, carols and children's bathrobed Christmas pageants. But for some Protestant theologians and…

Leading the way into the Bethlehem Peace Center, Hatem Abu Tarboush, a wiry, 30-year-old tourism agent, remarks: “They're talking about peace. But I don't think there's any peace to talk about.” The center, housed in the old British headquarters on…

Catholic festival or religious holiday? Christians have celebrated the birth of Christ for hundreds of years, but over the centuries evangelicals and other conservative believers have wondered about the best way to observe it. By Yvonne Betowt Did you know…

Another View for Dec. 23, 2004 By Patrick Borders For many people, the Christmas season is filled with anything but peace. Too much rushing around. Too much traffic. Too many activities, crowded stores and long lines. Too much stress. Not…

Another view for Dec. 23, 2004 By Tony Carnes They are patriotic, hard-working, mostly Democratic and mainly from immigrant families. They are also born-again Christians. Their faith is increasingly typical of New York City. On Sunday mornings about 1.5 million…

When did corporate America become responsible for my Christmas cheer? In my 47 years on this earth, it has never occurred to me that I should look to advertising or store clerks for affirmation of my faith. That's what church…

The invitation came to visit Alana Woolley's house and look over her book collection. Obviously this highly-educated and well-read woman had surrounded herself with good books. There were Bible helps, literature, history, mathematics, scientific theory, spiritual growth, women's studies, and…

I await my Religious Herald every week and read it cover to cover. I am a new deacon at Monument Heights Baptist and found “The noose tightens” [Herald, Dec. 9] disturbing. I confess I really don't completely understand the difference…

S T A F F • C H A N G E S Benjamin Todd Thomason, to Baptist Temple Church, Alexandria, as senior pastor. Charlie Hoffler, to Cooper's Cove Church, Hardy, as pastor. Robert Hudman, to Enon Church, Roanoke, as…