Why coercive religious politics undermine Christianity and democracy

LOS ANGELES (ABP) — Most American college students are more interested in discussing spiritual matters than are their professors, preliminary results from a massive nationwide study suggest. Late last year, researchers at the University of California at Los Angeles' Higher…

ATLANTA (ABP) — A seven-member committee studying the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship's funding of ministry partners is making progress in establishing the scope of its work, according to the chair. The committee met Jan. 8-9 in Atlanta and will next reconvene…

MATAMOROS, Mexico — Baptists in Mexico started about 800 churches in the past year, which leaders hope will help trigger a “spiritual revolution” in Mexico and beyond. The new-church total is impressive because it almost doubles the previous number of…

WASHINGTON (ABP) — Only one of the seven major Democratic candidates for president expressed support for school vouchers, according to an Associated Press poll. Associated Press has been polling major presidential candidates three times a week on major issues. On…

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (ABP) — Already embroiled in legal action against five of its agencies, the Missouri Baptist Convention now faces litigation by a former employee. Former controller Carol Kaylor filed a lawsuit against the Missouri Baptist Convention, its executive…

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (ABP) — Russell Moore, 32, has been named dean of the school of theology and senior vice president of academic administration at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, the Southern Baptist Convention's oldest seminary. Moore, appointed to the post by…

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (ABP) — A group of supporters of ousted Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore asked President Bush to withdraw a nominee for a federal judgeship because of his role in Moore's removal. A group of Alabama pastors and an…

WASHINGTON (ABP) — The Supreme Court has agreed to consider whether it is constitutional to apply the death penalty to convicts who were teens at the time of their crimes. The justices agreed Jan. 26 to review a case in…

Thousands mark Roe anniversary WASHINGTON — Thousands of anti-abortion-rights activists marked the anniversary of the Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion across the country Jan. 22. As they have every year since the Roe vs. Wade ruling in 1973, the…

GREENSBORO, N.C. (ABP) — Moderate Baptists in North Carolina began Jan. 23 what they admit could be a slow and messy process of rethinking their participation in the traditional state convention, which some say no longer represents them. “The days…

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (ABP) — Bob Patterson, coordinator of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of North Carolina, has announced plans to step down “sometime during 2004.” Patterson, hired in February 1999 as the state organization's first coordinator, made the announcement Jan. 20…

WASHINGTON (ABP) — The Senate gave final approval Jan. 22 to a bill that includes the nation's first federally funded school-voucher program. Senators voted 65-28 to approve the massive appropriations package, which comes four months late and includes funding for…