By Bob Allen An Arkansas judge who also is pastor of a Cooperative Baptist Fellowship church has halted the executions of eight death row inmates challenging a new law allowing the state to withhold information that could publicly identify the…
Baylor rescinds Bill Cosby’s honorary degree
By Bob Allen Baylor University acted Oct. 8 to rescind an honorary doctorate the school awarded to accused serial rapist Bill Cosby in 2003. The 78-year-old comedian, facing legal challenges from more than 50 women who accuse him of drugging…
Increasing diversity offers platform for authenticating faith
Diversity is scaring the bejabbers out of America. Watch news programs on television. Listen to call-in stations on radio. And if you’ve got the gumption, read posts on Facebook and pay attention to the stuff that gets forwarded on email….
Moving beyond hope to confidence in fight against hunger
By Ken Camp In spite of some discouraging trends, the problem of hunger in the United States — particularly among children — can be solved, the leader of the national “No Kid Hungry” movement told participants at the Together at the…
Former youth minister sentenced to prison
By Bob Allen A former Texas Baptist youth minister has been sentenced to 22 years in federal prison for enticing a 13-year-old girl into a nine-month sexual relationship in 2014. Derek Hutter, 38, pleaded guilty in June to enticing a girl…
God, guns, freedom, and idolatry in America
After another mass shooting last week, I watched countless conversations about mass killings unfold on social media and in the news cycle. As many Christians defended complete and total legislative inaction in the wake of wonton violence, I was literally…
Facts or beliefs?
A recent headline caught my eye about the teaching of Islam in some public schools in Franklin County, TN. Apparently some parents were concerned that students were receiving not simply an education in Islam, but an indoctrination. The article was…
McAfee prof sees hope in Gissendaner’s life and example, despite execution
By Jeff Brumley Melissa Browning’s Facebook page tells the story. More specifically, it tells Kelly Gissendaner’s story. Post after post describes the life and death of the Georgia inmate executed by lethal injection last week. “The amazing grace of Kelly…
Louisville churches offer ‘another voice’ on homosexuality
By Bob Allen A Southern Baptist seminary president said Oct. 7 that two rival meetings about how churches should respond to LGBT individuals held Monday night in Louisville, Ky., represents not just different views of homosexuality but of the nature…