The Diocese of Pittsburgh voted Oct. 4 to split from the Episcopal Church, becoming the second diocese to leave the national church over differences on homosexuality and the Bible. A wide majority of clergy and lay people — 240 voted…
OUT LOUD
“We see it now in the collapse of the great banks: this money disappears, it is nothing. And so all these things, that seem the true reality to count on, are realities of secondary importance. He who builds his life…
For Italian Baptists, a struggle for liberty
Virginia Baptists have a long partnership with Italian Baptists, with whom they have much in common. This article by an Italian Baptist leader sheds light on his country's attitude toward religious liberty. The issue of religious freedom in Italy is…
RIGHT OR WRONG?
The Old Testament talks about polygamy — multiple wives, never multiple husbands. Increasingly, I'm hearing about Christian sects that practice polygamy. State laws preclude multiple spouses, but what is a New Testament/Christian argument against polygamy? The eyes of the nation…
Thanks from Texas Baptists
On behalf of a grateful community and church, thank you for your ministry to the folks of Liberty, Texas, by Virginia Baptist disaster relief. As soon as Hurricane Ike had passed Liberty and we started to survey the damage left…
Young evangelicals less enthusiastic than their parents about McCain
WASHINGTON (RNS) — Father may know best, but when it comes to this year's election, fewer young evangelical voters are taking Dad's advice into the voting booth, according to a new survey. While Sen. John McCain maintains a winning margin…
Which Scriptures?
As an ex-Baptist, contrarian and liberal heretic, I would like to share my reaction to the Second Opinion by David Gushee [Herald, Oct. 2]. For me the article, “Gender debate ultimately about Jesus,” misses the root of the problem, although…
FAITH DIGEST
Disputed dinner fails to deliver dialogue. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad dined with 300 religious and political leaders in New York, but the controversial event offered far less dialogue than advertised. Ahmadinejad delivered a 45-minute address that cut short any possibility…
State Department blasts China for religious freedom violations
WASHINGTON (RNS) — In its annual report on international religious freedom, the U.S. State Department admonished several Asian nations, including China, for severely repressing religion. Listing “countries of particular concern” that engage in or tolerate “particularly severe violations of religious…