Editor's note: This story corrects and updates one issued under the same headline April 8. PHOENIX (ABP) — John McCain has a deep and personal Christian commitment despite his reluctance to speak publicly about it, according to the man McCain…
Historic Wisconsin church destroyed in gas explosion
OCONOMOWOC, Wis. (ABP) — American Baptist Churches USA officials have sent aid in the aftermath of a gas blast that leveled the nearly century-old sanctuary of one of their churches. First Baptist Church of Oconomowoc, Wis., was destroyed in the…
Fundamentalism & militancy: Beliefs alone not to blame when faith turns violent, scholars say
ATLANTA (ABP) — Every faith group has its extremists, but not all extremists turn violent. What makes the difference? While most religious violence follows common patterns, faith seldom turns violent except in response to social oppression, say experts who study…
Fundamentalism & militancy: Religious violence outside the Abrahamic faiths
(ABP) — The three Abrahamic faiths – Judaism, Christianity and Islam – are the most violent of the world's religions, scholars say. But all faiths can resort to violence on occasion, even the normally peaceful Hindus. A common characteristic of…
Opinion: What Dr. King means to me
(ABP) — This week marks the 40th anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. In this column I want to honor Dr. King by offering reflections about what his life and work mean to me today. I aim…
Huckabee, in Ouachita visit, gives campaign-trail insight
ARKADELPHIA, Ark. (ABP) — Describing some aspects of his recent presidential campaign as “just incredible fun,” former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee recently paid a brief visit to his alma mater, Ouachita Baptist University. Huckabee, who served 10 years as Arkansas'…
‘Peace Committee’ for state proposed by Mo. layman
REPUBLIC, Mo. (ABP) — As battles between conservatives continue to roil the Missouri Baptist Convention, one prominent layman in the state is proposing a miniature re-creation of the infamous Southern Baptist Convention “Peace Committee.” But the convention's president — cautioning…
Fundamentalism & violence: Fundamentalists of all stripes want to turn back the clock
(ABP) — Despite all their theological and cultural differences, fundamentalists of every faith share at least one common characteristic: resistance to modernity. That's the assessment of scholars and firsthand observers who have evaluated the varieties of religious expression. “Fundamentalism worldwide…
Fundamentalism & militancy: Defining ‘fundamentalism’
(ABP) — Were the 9/11 terrorists who flew airplanes into the Twin Towers fundamentalists? Technically, no. Practically, yes. “Fundamentalism” specifically refers to a conservative movement within U.S. Protestant Christianity that began about a century ago, according to religious scholars. But…
Missouri Baptist Convention faces $10 million countersuit
CAMDENTON, Mo. (ABP) — The Missouri Baptist Convention could face paying more than $10 million to a developer over land formerly owned by Windermere Baptist Conference Center. William Jester of Springfield, Mo., has filed a counterclaim to legal action convention…
Home sweet home: Chaplain uses cookies to reach out
BAGHDAD (ABP) — For American military personnel serving in Iraq, there's nothing like a taste of home — literally. Soldiers are finding comfort in a coffeehouse that provides homemade cookies run by a Baptist General Convention of Texas-endorsed chaplain, Kari…
Supreme Court to hear case pitting 10 Commandments vs. ‘7 Aphorisms’
WASHINGTON (ABP) – It's the Ten Commandments versus the Seven Aphorisms, and it'll be coming to the Supreme Court sometime in its 2008-09 term. The justices agreed March 31 to hear a case involving a 47-year-old monument to the Decalogue…