Browse Archives
Check out news and opinion posts across the years
Mississippi Flag Debate Involves State Officials, Religious Leaders
Mississippi legislators set April 17 as the date for a referendum to choose between the 1894 state flag and a new design. If the new design is adopted, the Confederate emblem currently occupying one third of the flag...
The Crisis of Craft in “Christian Cinema”
World Wide Pictures, the film division of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, is exploring a new approach to "Christian cinema." Its latest film, "Road to Redemption," tries to infuse its characters with a sense...
Community Involvement Booming in U.S., People Skeptical of Government Support
A recent survey suggests Americans have a profound sense of connectivity to their neighbors, contrary to the popular belief that they are reluctant to lead a busy community life and spend their leisure time at home...
Connecting with Roberta Gilbert
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S NOTE: Roberta Gilbert, M.D., is a psychiatrist in private practice and author of Connecting with Our Children: Guiding Principles for Parents in a Troubled World (New York: John Wiley & Sons,...
U.S. Population Moves Beyond Black-White Paradigm, Youth Become Multiracial
Nearly seven million people said they belong to more than one race, suggesting increased diversity in a nation where minority groups are growing significantly faster than the white population, according to the 2000...
Previous Supporters of Faith-based Funding Taking a Second Look
President Bush's faith-based funding plan has come under sharp attack from unexpected quarters. Pat Robertson, head of the Christian Coalition, wondered if the faith-based initiative might be "a real Pandora's Box" on...
Falwell Expresses “Deep Concerns” About Federal Funding for Social Services
Jerry Falwell said he had "deep concerns" about President George W. Bush's faith-based initiatives and opposed funding of certain religious groups, including Muslims, according to an exclusive interview with Beliefnet....
Southern Baptists Applaud Bush’s Agenda, Have Cut Their Own Social Services
Southern Baptist leaders have applauded vigorously President George W. Bush's commitment to giving faith a prominent role in the White House, especially through faith-based initiatives. Some have spoken in glowing...
DiIulio To Defend Faith-based Funding at NAE Convention
The head of the new White House Office of Faith-based and Community Initiatives will address the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) this afternoon. John DiIulio Jr., appointed by President Bush to direct the...
Evangelical Mission Under Investigation by a Federal Agency
A federal agency's ongoing investigation of an American evangelical relief organization may prove that what separates church and state is not a wall, but a thin line. Evangelist Franklin Graham's ministry, Samaritan's...
The ‘Wing’ Is the Thing
"The West Wing"--NBC's top-rated drama--brings the White House to your house every Wednesday evening. The show's Web site characterizes "Wing" as a "behind-the-scenes glimpse into the inner-workings of the Oval Office...
The Ethics of Cartography
Last Wednesday's episode of "The West Wing" featured an amusing story line involving the ethics of cartography, or map-making. C.J. Cregg, the White House press secretary, met with a group known as the "Cartographers...
‘Left Behind’ Producers Face Lawsuit by Book Co-author
Despite the phenomenal popularity of the evangelical end-times "Left Behind" book series, which has sold over 25 million copies worldwide since 1995, the film version of the first book in the series, marketed as "Left...
Two-Thirds of Americans Support the Death Penalty
Public support of the death penalty has remained steady over the last year, according to the latest Gallup poll, conducted Feb. 12 through 21. Sixty-seven percent of Americans favored the death penalty for murder,...
St. Patrick’s Day
St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland. "His feast day on 17 March is a religious, public and patriotic holiday in Ireland and is celebrated with flamboyance among the Irish diaspora abroad," according to...
Nobel Laureates Back Stem Cell Research Amid Harsh Criticism
Eighty U.S. Nobel laureates have signed a letter to President Bush urging him not to block the flow of federal grants for research on human embryo cells, The Washington Post reported last Thursday. The letter is one...
Christian Coalition Head Questions Faith-based Funding
Pat Robertson, head of the Christian Coalition, voiced concern over Bush's faith-based initiative. "This thing could be a real Pandora's box," Robertson said on the Feb. 20 broadcast of the "700 Club." "What seems to...
Real Baptist Writer Responds to Misrepresentation of Lesson
EDITOR'S NOTE: Ken Hemphill, president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, has authored two articles on the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message which appear on the seminary's Web site. One article references a...
Faith-based Funding: A Pastor’s Perspective
As pastor of an urban church that just initiated--without government money--a free tutoring program for neighborhood kids, I have listened to the national debate on funding "faith-based" programs. A few ideas and...
Catholic Conference Names Top Movies of 2000
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was the best movie of 2000, according to America's Catholic bishops. It topped a list of the year's ten best films, ranked by the Office for Film and Broadcasting of the U.S. Catholic...
White Supremacist David Duke Seeks Support in Russia
Former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke is promoting his movement against Jews and non-Europeans in Russia, according to various news agencies. During several trips to Russia over the past year and a half, Duke targeted...