Hillsdale College’s shadowy fundraising and American exceptionalism curriculum

One month before the election, I was forwarded an email originally sent from an organization called “Backing America.” The email was presented by Backing America as “a message from our sponsor.” The sponsor, Hillsdale College, wrote asking for tax-deductible contributions....

Analysis Mara Richards Bim

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Atheists want probe of religion in military

WASHINGTON (RNS) — A na-tional atheist lobbying group is calling on President-elect Barack Obama to overhaul military policies in an effort to reduce what it sees as religious discrimination in the armed forces. The Secular Coalition for America has written…

Three decades later, memories of Jonestown tragedy linger

WASHINGTON (RNS) — In life, the 900 people who followed Jim Jones to build a utopian commune in the South American jungle in 1977 were relatively anonymous. But in death, the Jonestown pilgrims became front-page news when they died a…

Archaeologists find fragments linked to High Priest

JERUSALEM (RNS) — Israeli archaeologists have discovered a fragment from an ancient sarcophagus cover that bears a carved inscription with the words “The Son of the High Priest” in Hebrew. The High Priest was ancient Judaism's highest religious official and…

Faith Digest

Atheists to launch bus ads. Beginning Nov. 18, holiday ads from the American Humanist Association will appear on Washington, D.C., buses, declaring: “Why believe in a god? Just be good for goodness' sake.” The $40,000 ad campaign is not necessarily…

EDITORIAL: Pewboy grapples with a hard faith

As Pewboy drove home from Roanoke where he had attended the annual meeting of the Baptist General Association of Virginia his stomach was in knots. Noting his apprehension, his confidante, spiritual advisor and sounding board, Altarego, materialized in the passenger's…

Return to Chester

Last week's column told about my character portrayal of William E. Hatcher, the noted old-time preacher, when he recently had a return engagement in Baltimore where he served as a pastor in the 1860s. This week's column tells about a…

FAITHSHAPERS: Teaching baptism

Because of its symbolic nature, baptism is very hard to explain to children. They often see baptism as some sort of magical event that draws their attention and activates their powerful need for inclusion. It is the duty of the…

Spirit-filled churches

In the Nov. 6 edition of the Religious Herald, an article attributed to ABP, written by Bob Allen, was entitled “Trinity debate trickles down to gender roles.” One paragraph reads, “In a June sermon .. Bruce Ware, professor of Christian…

Out Loud

“I'm like, OK, God, if there is an open door for me somewhere — this is what I always pray — I'm like, don't let me miss the open door. Show me where the open door is. … And if…