She had been called in to cut and style a woman’s hair in her home. She arrived and thought it strange that this one woman lived with quite a few men in a house. There was little furniture except for…
Baylor professor disputes reports of religious, church decline
By Terry Goodrich Reports of religion’s demise have been greatly exaggerated, says Byron Johnson, co-director of Baylor University’s Institute for Studies of Religion. Close examination of data from the General Social Survey and other data sources show that across 40…
Faith leaders protest use of solitary confinement
By Bob Allen The prolonged use of solitary confinement in prisons and jails violates a U.N. treaty the United States both signed and ratified against torture and other “cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment,” a group of faith leaders…
Baptist church says ‘no’ to medical marijuana farm
By Bob Allen A tiny Southern Baptist church snuffed out plans to open a medical marijuana facility in central Florida by rejecting an offer to lease a vacant parcel of land the company needs to comply with proposed state rules…
Warden calls for churches to help break cycle of criminal activity
By Ken Camp A Louisiana prison warden known for pioneering faith-based programs wants to see urban and suburban churches work in partnership to reintegrate ex-offenders into society and minister to inmates’ children. “We want to make the urban church into…
Time to fix broken immigration system, says Paynter
By Aaron Weaver It’s time to explore new strategies to fix the nation’s broken immigration system, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Executive Coordinator Suzii Paynter told a group of religion writers. “If we do the same thing we’ve done before that hasn’t worked…
Crisis or opportunity?
In 1883, Emma Lazarus penned the words to the poem, THE NEW COLOSSUS, to be used commemoration of and as a fund raising initiative for the pedestal on which would stand the Statue of Liberty. Some of the words toward…
Florida Baptists debate alcohol use
By Bob Allen Describing moderate drinking as a non-issue became an issue for a Southern Baptist pastor in Florida — and for the Baptist state newspaper editor who got more than he bargained for by publishing a story he hoped would…
Culture writer Jonathan Merritt says SBC warning against ‘third way’
By Bob Allen A Religion News Service columnist and son of a former Southern Baptist Convention president says a Baptist state convention’s expulsion of a California church is a warning to other congregations considering the affirmation of lesbians and gays….