Court strikes down Louisiana Ten Commandments law

WASHINGTON (ABP) — In the first day of their new term, the Supreme Court declined to review a decision by a California court requiring some religious charities to provide their employees with health insurance for contraceptive drugs. Beginning their 2004-2005…

HARRISONBURG, Va. (ABP) — Bryan Acker is a collector. He doesn't collect autographs or postage stamps or fine art. Acker collects tabs from aluminum cans. During the past 10 years, he's collected over 13 million of them, helping kidney dialysis…

MOUNT LEBANON, Texas (ABP) — Emotional and spiritual support for parents of special-needs children is all around them, but they have to take advantage of those opportunities, according to a chaplain who ministers to mentally challenged people. Parents can find…

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (ABP) — He's a former drug dealer and gang member, hardly the credentials sought by most churches looking for pastors. But Huey Harris' dramatic conversion from gangster to preacher has opened doors of ministry in the roughest areas…

WASHINGTON (ABP) — The House of Representatives followed the Senate's lead Sept. 30 in defeating a proposed constitutional amendment that would ban marriage — and, arguably, marriage-like benefits — for same-sex couples. A House version of the Federal Marriage Amendment…

WASHINGTON (ABP) — President Bush and his challenger, Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) spent much of their first debate Sept. 30 trading charges over the justification for the war in Iraq. In a format designed to focus on foreign-policy and national-security…

NASHVILLE (ABP) — A Baptist World Alliance fund-raising appeal directed to Southern Baptist Convention churches has drawn criticism from Morris Chapman, president of the SBC Executive Committee. In a letter to BWA officials, Chapman claimed the effort violates denominational policy….

ATLANTA (ABP) — In the wake of yet another disaster in Haiti, two Baptist groups have released funds to help the storm-ravaged nation. The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship has donated $10,000 to aid World Vision in its relief efforts following devastation…

WASHINGTON (ABP) — The Baptist Joint Committee on Public Affairs will become the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty after the agency's directors approved a name change Sept. 27. Holding their annual meeting in Washington, D.C., representatives of the national…