Why coercive religious politics undermine Christianity and democracy

ALPHARETTA, Ga. (ABP) — The North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention will cease endorsing women to chaplain positions “where the role and function of the chaplain would be seen the same as that of a pastor.” The…

(ABP) — Scientists in South Korea report that they have created human embryos through cloning and extracted embryonic stem cells, the universal cells that hold great promise for medical research, according to the Boston Globe. Their goal, the scientists say,…

WASHINGTON (ABP) — Members of a House panel grilled a television executive and the National Football League's head Feb. 11 in a hearing on the lingering controversy over TV indecency at the Super Bowl. The House subcommittee on telecommunications is…

PARIS (ABP) — France's lower house of parliament has voted overwhelmingly to prohibit students from wearing “conspicuous” religious symbols in public schools, sparking an outcry from religious liberty advocates in the United States. The French National Assembly voted 494 to…

PARIS (ABP) — France's lower house of parliament has voted overwhelmingly to prohibit students from wearing “conspicuous” religious symbols in public schools, sparking an outcry from religious liberty advocates in the United States. The French National Assembly voted 494 to…

WACO, Texas (ABP) — A Waco judge dismissed Feb. 6 most of a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the father of slain Baylor University basketball player Patrick Dennehy. Ralph Strother of Waco's 19th State District Court threw out six of…

RICHMOND, Va. (ABP) — The Baptist World Alliance's decision to accept the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship into membership helped persuade the Southern Baptist Convention to withdraw from the BWA, an SBC leader said. Jerry Rankin, president of the SBC's International Mission…

BOSTON (ABP) — The Massachusetts legislature convened an unusual constitutional convention Feb. 11 to consider ways to reverse or limit the state supreme court's recent legalization of gay marriage. With thousands of protesters gathered outside, legislators began debating legal measures…

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (ABP) — The Ten Commandments are back on display in Alabama's judicial headquarters, but their self-appointed cheerleader reportedly isn't happy about it. On Feb. 5, workers installed a display containing a manuscript of the Commandments as well as…

WASHINGTON (ABP) — The House of Representatives has turned back a challenge to a bill that would allow religious organizations receiving federal funding to discriminate in hiring. In debate on the bill Feb. 4, Democrats attempted to offer a substitute…

WASHINGTON (ABP) — As far as the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court is concerned, a civil-unions bill would be a separate and unequal response to their earlier ruling legalizing same-sex marriage. Their latest pronouncement was read publicly for the first time…

DALLAS (ABP) — After initially refusing to show a 30-second advertisement produced by the Baptist General Convention of Texas because it was “too dark,” AMC Theatres tentatively have agreed to show a modified version of the clip. On Feb. 4,…