Why coercive religious politics undermine Christianity and democracy

WASHINGTON (ABP) — When one thinks of international violators of religious freedom, totalitarian communist regimes such as North Korea or China often come to mind — as do theocratic Islamic nations such as Saudi Arabia or Iran. But members of…

WASHINGTON (ABP) — As the May 17 deadline for the United States' first legal gay marriages approaches, members of Congress debated a nationwide ban on same-sex marriage, and one more state legislature narrowly rejected a similar amendment. “Gays are not…

ARLINGTON, Texas (ABP) — Rather than retreating from the challenge of world religions in an increasingly pluralistic society, Christians should enter into honest dialogue with people who hold different beliefs, two speakers told a national conference examining “ultimate questions.” “We…

DALLAS (ABP) – Nearly five years after it happened, Pastor Al Meredith still remembers vividly the phone call that changed his life and the path of his congregation: “You've got to get down here. Someone's shooting the kids.” It was…

(ABP) — When churches decide whether to publish the names and photos of children, a growing number cite protection as their guiding principle — protecting the children from predators and the church from legal action. Churches probably have little cause…

(ABP) — When churches decide whether to publish the names and photos of children, a growing number cite protection as their guiding principle — protecting the children from predators and the church from legal action. Churches probably have little cause…

ARLINGTON, Texas (ABP) — Creeds have a clarifying role in Christian life but they build barriers between believers when used incorrectly, Baptist leaders told a national leadership conference. Using human words as a tool for enforcing orthodoxy is a misuse…

SAN ANTONIO, Texas (ABP) — God made peace with mankind through Jesus' “non-violent self-sacrifice rather than violent retribution,” and that is how Christians should make peace with others, said Dallas pastor George Mason. Christian belief and practice should “shape us…

RICHMOND, Va. (ABP) — Alma Hunt, who led the Southern Baptist Woman's Missionary Union from 1948-1974, received the fourth annual Judson-Rice Award April 30 at Richmond's Second Baptist Church. The award, which bears the names of Luther Rice and pioneer…

WASHINGTON (ABP) — The federal Food and Drug Administration has declined permission for over-the-counter sales of an emergency contraceptive — despite recommendations for approval from its own staff and an expert panel. The agency acknowledged May 6 that it had…

WASHINGTON (ABP) — A Florida judge ruled May 6 that a law specifically created to keep a brain-damaged woman alive violates the state's constitution. Pinellas County Circuit Judge Douglas Baird said the bill — passed in emergency session Oct. 21…

WASHINGTON (ABP) — When Shirley Dobson — wife of Focus on the Family founder James Dobson — introduced a White House ceremony marking the National Day of Prayer May 6, she lamented the deep divisions in the United States and…