Americans value freedom but there are differences on what it means

NASHVILLE (ABP) — The strong commitment to religious liberty by the early Baptists who shaped American democracy is now at risk of disappearing, said several speakers during the third annual convocation of the Mainstream Baptist Network Feb. 27-28. Participants in…

WASHINGTON (ABP) — Nearly a year after American forces liberated Iraq from the oppressive government of Saddam Hussein, some religious-liberty advocates are worried the country's new constitution won't protect religious minorities. Members of the Iraqi Governing Council reportedly reached agreement…

DALLAS (ABP) — The Baptist General Convention of Texas has launched a process of “revisioning” that is expected to lead to reorganization of the convention's work. Charles Wade, executive director, announced formation of four “Revisioning Teams” of 10-13 people each…

LUBBOCK, Texas (ABP) — Billy Ray Parmer, former two-time Baptist General Convention of Texas second vice president, died Feb. 28 in a car crash outside Abernathy, Texas. Parmer, 78, pulled his sports utility vehicle around two stopped cars at an…

WASHINGTON (ABP) — Moderate Baptists are known for being more sensitive about interfaith relations than some of their conservative brethren. But with a film controversial for its depiction of Jews becoming a cultural phenomenon, some moderate churches have decided to…

WASHINGTON (ABP) — Just like interpretation of the Bible, interpretation of Supreme Court decisions are often in the eye of the beholder. That observation was borne out Feb. 27 by a group of legal scholars interpreting the court's latest major…

WASHINGTON (ABP) — The U.S. House of Representatives voted Feb. 26 to treat an attack on a pregnant woman as two separate crimes against her and the fetus she is carrying. Critics say the bill would undermine abortion rights by…

WASHINGTON (ABP) — About 4 percent of the Catholic priests who served in the United States during the past half century were accused of sexual abuse, according to a first-ever report issued by a Catholic study commission Feb. 27. The…

LOS ANGELES (ABP) — Once upon a time, pastors warned churchgoers against the evils of the silver screen. Now they are packing believers and unchurched guests alike into movie houses across the land. The difference is what's playing — “The…

WASHINGTON (ABP) — The reviews of the controversial film “The Passion of the Christ” are in — and while both Christian and secular observers offered praise for it, many of the same reviewers also took significant issue with the movie….

(ABP) — While many Christians have geared up for Mel Gibson's “The Passion of the Christ” to be the greatest evangelistic opportunity since Pentecost, non-Christian reaction to the film has been mixed. Message boards across the Internet are filled with…

DALLAS (ABP) — Christians may want everyone to hear the gospel, but parents should be wary of letting their younger children view Mel Gibson's “The Passion of the Christ,” according to faith leaders. Christian leaders are cautioning parents to use…