Court strikes down Louisiana Ten Commandments law

A Louisiana law requiring the Ten Commandments be posted in every public classroom is “unconstitutional on its face” and may not go into effect Jan. 1 as state officials hoped, a federal judge has ruled. U.S. District Judge John W....

News Jeff Brumley

Featured

Federal court rules against Wiccan in municipal prayer dispute

WASHINGTON (ABP) — A federal appeals court has ruled that a Virginia county can exclude a member of a minority religion from offering prayers at county board meetings — even though adherents of “Judeo-Christian” religions are allowed to lead invocations….

President to retire from Samford after 22 years at Baptist college

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (ABP) — Samford University President Thomas Corts, who has led Alabama's largest private university for 22 years, will retire in May 2006, or earlier if a presidential search committee identifies his successor before then. Corts announced his retirement…

Gay-union proponents get two wins, one loss

(Editor's note: This updates the April 13 ABP story titled “Connecticut, Maryland legislators pass domestic-partner bills.”) WASHINGTON (ABP) — Proponents of legal recognition for same-sex couples have taken two steps forward and one step back, thanks to votes in Connecticut…

Baptist Joint Committee hires staffers for legal, communications positions

WASHINGTON (ABP) — The Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty has recently acquired two new professional staffers. The BJC has hired Stephen Reeves as staff attorney and Emilee Simmons as associate director of communications. Reeves served last fall as a…

Virginia Baptists, Averett University agree to ‘walk separate paths’

Virginia Baptists have approved a joint statement developed with Averett University leaders that will end their 145-year-old ties to the school. The Virginia Baptist Mission Board adopted the statement during its spring meeting April 6. Averett's trustees are set to…

A favorite of the left and the right

Personalities for April 14, 2005 By Chris Herlinger When Dietrich Bonhoeffer, 39, quietly strode toward Nazi prison gallows as the Second World War neared its end, he could hardly have known that 60 years later, his life, memory and legacy…

Many reasons to ‘Smile’

Another View for April 14, 2005 By Phil Boatwright Occasionally-it doesn't happen often-going to the movies serves our fellow man. Such is the case with an impressive little drama called Smile. The film begins in a rural Chinese village after…

CP power

Guest Editorlal for April 14, 2005 By Bill Nieporte Having just returned from the April meeting of the Virginia Baptist Mission Board, I am dealing with mixed emotions. On the one hand, I am overjoyed about the continued the work…

Splitting wood

Heritage Column for April 14, 2005 By Fred Anderson Abraham Lincoln said it. “Chop your own wood. It will warm you twice.” John Farrar is a Southerner, but he follows the rail-splitter's good advice. Last fall this columnist visited Falling…