Browse Archives
Check out news and opinion posts across the years
Arab Baptist Theological Seminary Goes Green
Arab Baptist Theological Seminary (ABTS) announced the installation of a new solar heating system that will reduce the school's financial costs and show its commitment to being good stewards of God's creation. "[U]sing...
Golden moments, stolen
When work piles up and deadlines loom large, it's easy to ignore other matters -- like the soul's need to breathe. Thankfully, nature sometimes remedies that with the long fingers of an irresistable day. After a...
Catholic Bishops Stay Mum on Economic Turmoil
BALTIMORE (RNS) Twenty-five years ago, as the U.S. faced an economic crisis and a fierce debate over cutting taxes for the wealthy and limiting benefits for the poor, Catholic bishops issued a landmark statement on...
Nurses Say They Were Forced to Assist in Abortions
NEWARK, N.J. (RNS) Twelve nurses on Monday (Nov. 14) accused the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey of abruptly forcing them to assist in abortion cases, despite religious and moral objections to the...
Accused Mo. Bishop Accepts Deal to Avoid Second Indictment
(RNS) A Roman Catholic bishop avoided a second criminal charge for failing to report suspected child abuse by agreeing to allow prosecutors to oversee similar allegations against church officials in their county for...
EthicsDaily.com Steps Up Use of Social Media
EthicsDaily.com is intensifying its use of social media networks. With the tagline "Challenging people of faith to advance the common good," EthicsDaily.com is beginning to utilize social media platforms like Facebook...
Without Cooperation, Seminaries Face Bleak Future
Editor's note: The column below is part three of a three-part series on theological education. Read part one here and part two here. If you haven't noticed, theological education in North America is going through a...
Baptist Prophet Squares Off Against Baptist Governor in Alabama
Baptist prophet Wayne Flynt said Alabama's anti-immigration law is racist. Baptist Gov. Robert Bentley denied being a racist. NBC correspondent Kate Snow interviewed both for a news show, "Rock Center with Brian...
Bishops Welcome Dialogue with Obama as Concerns Remain
BALTIMORE (RNS) The standoff between the White House and the nation’s Catholic bishops over gay marriage and other hot-button issues may be easing after a quiet Oval Office meeting between President Obama and the head...
Gay, Muslim Groups Relieved by Changes to Bullying Bill
(RNS) Gay and Muslim groups say they are relieved after a Michigan lawmaker agreed to drop a provision in an anti-bullying bill that would have carved out an exemption for religious or moral beliefs. State Sen. Rick...
Catholic Bishop Backtracks on Limiting Communion Wine
(RNS) The Roman Catholic bishop of Phoenix has backtracked on plans to restrict Communion wine at Mass after a local outcry and consultation with other bishops. Bishop Thomas Olmsted had said that Vatican guidelines...
Here’s What Christianity is Really All About
The Gospel passage in a recent Sunday liturgy was Luke 10:25-37, the parable of the Good Samaritan. The point of this story, as is the point of the entirety of the gospel, is love of neighbor. We will not be judged on...
What the Occupy Movement Has in Common with the Bible
Editor's note: The remarks below were given by Joe Phelps at an Occupy Louisville (Kentucky) interfaith rally on Sunday, Nov. 12. Phelps is pastor of Louisville's Highland Baptist Church. The views expressed by me...
Baptist Center to Be Built in Iraq
A multipurpose Baptist center that will include a church, seminary, medical clinic and school will be built in northern Iraq. Christians in the autonomous region of Iraqi Kurdistan have been granted two acres of land...
‘The Help’ and the Great Banquet
By John Pierce There was so much public response to the movie, The Help, that I wrote no comments of my own at the time of the release. But one thought related to the novel-turned-film keeps moving around in my mind....
Smart shopping with smart phones?
Today's paper carries an article about a bunch of new mobile phone apps designed to help consumers compare prices and find deals on the fly. I don't think I'll be downloading many of them. The photo in the online...
As Injured Vets Return Home, Congregations Reach Out
NEWTON, Mass. (RNS) Some wounds of war are all too visible—a missing leg, a shattered arm. The invisible wounds of mind and soul are often more difficult to spot, and equally hard to treat. But those who know where to...
Catholic College Sues over Contraception Mandate
(RNS) A small Catholic college has sued the Department of Health and Human Services, saying a new requirement to provide contraceptives contradicts the school’s religious beliefs. Belmont Abbey College in Belmont,...
N.Y. Clerk Who Refused Gay Marriage Licenses Wins Re-election
LEDYARD, N.Y. (RNS) The town clerk in Ledyard, N.Y., who drew national attention after refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples won re-election on Tuesday (Nov. 8). Incumbent Rose Marie Belforti, a...
Reaching Students Who Can’t Go Away to Seminary
Editor's note: The column below is part two of a three-part series on theological education. Read part one here. The decentralized model of theological education that CentralBaptistTheologicalSeminary in Kansas is...
Some Evangelicals Warm Up to Climate-Change Issues
Writers who deal with current topics are expected to "declare an interest," which on occasion – today is an occasion – I do. For many of the 16 years since the FestivalofFaiths has been celebrated in Louisville, Ky.,...