Why coercive religious politics undermine Christianity and democracy

WASHINGTON (ABP) — A federal panel charged with monitoring global religious freedom conditions has picked 11 countries as the world's worst violators of that basic human right. In a Feb. 18 press conference, commission members announced they are asking Secretary…

In the Feb. 18 ABP story “New York Baptist leaders Quinn Pugh dead at 74,” please change the reference of East Texas State University to East Texas Baptist University. -30-

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (ABP) — Enron whistleblower Sherron Watkins warned Samford University students Feb. 19 to avoid “the slow steps to disaster” that can result in ethical failures in business. Watkins, one of Time magazine's Persons of the Year in 2002,…

MARS HILL, N.C. (ABP) — A longtime professor at Mars Hill College is leaving the Baptist-affiliated school after a student took off his clothes in class. The professor called Mars Hill President Dan Lunsford on the evening of Feb. 12…

MINNEAPOLIS (ABP) — Clad in faded jeans, paisley shirt, and sandals, Doug Pagitt doesn't look much like a preacher. But Pagitt, 30-something pastor of Solomon's Porch in Minneapolis, is on the vanguard of an effort to help today's emerging, largely…

RALEIGH, N.C. (ABP) — A Rocky Mount pastor has filed a formal complaint with the North Carolina Attorney General charging the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina with violating its constitution by expelling a church over the issue of homosexuality….

KINGSVILLE, Texas (ABP) — A small South Texas church could owe up to $10,000 in back taxes on two church-owned properties unless a county authority restores the facilities' tax-exempt status. Kleburg County Tax Assessor Tina Flores removed the property tax…

SAN MARCOS, Texas (ABP) — An employee of San Marcos Baptist Academy has been dismissed and subsequently arrested on charges of molesting a 17-year-old academy student. Santiago “Jimmy” Morales Jr., 25, has been charged with “improper relationship between an educator…

DALLAS (ABP) — Some schoolchildren may use daily classroom moments of silence to pray for all “As.” Now a Dallas church has created a cheat sheet to help them do it. Last year, the Texas legislature mandated a moment of…

In the Feb. 18 ABP story, “New Orleans Seminary delays SBC effort to consolidate control,” please replace the 16th graph with the following paragraph. The attorney hired by the seminary was mistakenly identified as Greg Irwin. Richard Wolfe was the…

LOS ANGELES (ABP) — The blood of Jesus Christ. Christians sing hymns about it and debate its real or symbolic presence in the communion wine. But in Mel Gibson's controversial “The Passion of the Christ,” they will see it splattered…

— Editor's note: This story updates one issued Feb. 17. A photo is available from Associated Baptist Press. NASHVILLE (ABP) — Southern Baptist Convention leaders intent on severing ties with the Baptist World Alliance took a major step in that…