Court strikes down Louisiana Ten Commandments law

SAN ANTONIO (ABP) — Messengers to the Baptist General Convention of Texas sidestepped the controversy over leadership at Baylor University when convention president Ken Hall ruled a motion to escrow funds for Baylor was out of order. Hall, president of…

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (ABP) — Florida Baptists voted to back amendments to the state and federal constitutions to ban gay marriage and to work with other denominations for their passage. The motion passed apparently without opposition during the annual meeting of…

ROANOKE, Va. (ABP) — Messengers to the Baptist General Association of Virginia's 181st annual meeting elected the group's first African-American officer, agreed to apply for membership in the Baptist World Alliance, and engaged in unexpected debate over the sale of…

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (ABP) — Though voters nationwide defeated most attempts to expand gambling Nov. 2, another razor-thin Florida vote count could bring slot machines to the state. By a margin of 50.6 percent to 49.4 percent — or 3,606,045 to…

WASHINGTON (ABP) — Even though both houses of Congress became more Republican in the Nov. 2 elections, that doesn't necessarily mean President Bush will have an easier time appointing conservative judges or passing the most controversial parts of his social…

(ABP) — Voters defeated most attempts to expand gambling in five states Nov. 2, which opponents say continues a trend to rein in gambling expansion nationwide. Only in Oklahoma, where voters approved a state-run lottery, could gambling proponents claim clear-cut…

DALLAS (ABP) — Hispanic congregations face a familiar struggle — how to preserve church traditions without losing younger generations. The problem is becoming all too common among Hispanic congregations, particularly in Texas. They are filling their pews with older generations…

HELENA, Ala. (ABP) — In Alabama, where devotion to hunting can approach a religion, several organizations are trying to match the passion hunters and fishermen feel for the outdoors with a passion for Christ. Wayne Vining, a member of the…

WASHINGTON (ABP) — Heavy turnout among evangelical voters concerned with moral issues was widely credited with lifting President George W. Bush to re-election Nov. 2, confounding the conventional wisdom about large-turnout elections. Exit polls suggest “moral values” issues were one…