VISTA, Calif. (ABP) — As several religious leaders criticized Pat Robertson's comments blaming Haiti's massive Jan. 12 earthquake on a pact supposedly made by its people with the devil, one came out to defend him. Gary Cass, chairman and CEO…
OPINION: Pat Robertson, Haiti and the devil
(ABP) — Is God punishing Haiti for worshiping the devil? Pat Robertson claims that Haiti’s founders, 200 years ago, made a pact with Satan for which the island's 9.7 million inhabitants are now facing the wrath of God in the…
Haitian Baptist college president describes country ‘in shock’
FALLS CHURCH, Va. (ABP) — A Christian college president in Haiti told Baptist World Alliance officials that the magnitude 7.0 earthquake that hit near the country's capital Jan. 12 "will affect everybody in Haiti." "The whole country is in shock…
ABC, CBF plan multi-pronged responses to Haitian earthquake
VALLEY FORGE, Pa. (ABP) — American Baptists plan to tap both international relief efforts and local churches with strong ties to the Haitian-American community in responding to human suffering caused by the Jan. 12 earthquake in Haiti. The Cooperative Baptist…
Florida Baptists will lead initial SBC disaster relief response in Haiti
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — Southern Baptists are mobilizing to assess disaster relief needs after the largest earthquake in more than 200 years rocked Haiti the evening of Jan. 12. The initial Southern Baptist disaster relief effort will be led by Florida…
REVIEW: ‘The Book of Eli’ casts Bible as a major theme
MALIBU, Calif. (ABP) — The Bible plays a starring role in "The Book of Eli," a post-apocalyptic action film starring Denzel Washington that opened in theaters Jan. 15. Washington, a two-time Academy Award winner widely known in Hollywood for his…
Television program profiles friendships between Muslims, Baptists
{youtube}9M_KIOG7s04{/youtube} NASHVILLE, Tenn. (ABP) — One thing Muslims and Baptists have in common is they are often identified by their extremists, according to a documentary airing on ABC television stations in January and February. "Different Books, Common Word" offers an…
Persecution a recent concern in SBC resolutions
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (ABP) — While staunch defenders of human rights and religious liberty for all, Southern Baptists rarely mentioned religious persecution in convention resolutions until the 1990s. That coincides with increased calls by social conservatives, including the newly conservative leadership…
Blessed are the Persecuted: Where persecution is real, it’s intense
WASHINGTON (ABP) — During the holiday season every year, America’s dutiful culture warriors spar over things like whether ecumenical holiday greetings are appropriate for retailers or Christian Nativity scenes should be displayed on courthouse lawns that Jews, Muslims and atheists…
Baptists worldwide take low-key approach to religious-liberty concerns
FALLS CHURCH, Va. (ABP) — Baptists generally prefer to handle violations of religious freedom through quiet diplomacy instead of media headlines denouncing “persecution” of Christians, said a freedom-and-justice specialist for the Baptist World Alliance. That approach contrasts with well-known organizations…
Most American Protestant pastors view Islam as ‘dangerous’
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP) — Two-thirds of Protestant pastors in the United States believe Islam is a dangerous religion, according to survey results released by LifeWay Research. The survey, however, did not explore the issues behind their concern. While opinions vary…
Fear of flu prompts panic in cautious congregations
WASHINGTON (RNS) — Hand sanitizer appears at the sanctuary entrance. Worshippers greet each other with a cautionary bow rather than a warm handshake or hug. Absences increase in Bible classes. The H1N1 flu pandemic is shaking up religious communities and…