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Check out news and opinion posts across the years
Highlighting Cultural Diversity During Black History Month
Black History Month is a time to celebrate black history but also cultural history and ethnic diversity, said an Atlanta, Ga., pastor. "We do not emphasize black history but cultural history," said Emmanuel McCall,...
Black History Month: A Celebration of Historical Memory and Social Reformation
Black History Month gives churches opportunity to celebrate both historical memory and Christianity's role in social reformation in the United States, said an Alabama history professor. "Religious groups ought to...
Protestant Pastors Lukewarm to Bush’s Faith-Based Plan, Study Reveals
A nationwide study of Protestant church pastors shows they do not have strong feelings one way or another about increasing federal funding for faith-based charity and social service programs. The study, released Feb. 1...
Poll Data Shows Americans Hold Government Most Responsible for Addressing Poverty
Most Americans say the federal government is more responsible than organized religion for caring for the poor, according to a recent review of poll data. "A review of Gallup poll data shows that, on one hand, Americans...
“Left Behind” Misses Revenue Goal, Gets Mixed Reviews
Producers of the movie Left Behind missed their goal of making the film the number-one-ranked movie in America in the first weekend of February. According to box office figures on Entertainment Weekly's Web site, Left...
Leave “Left Behind” on the Video Store Shelf
Having spent an afternoon watching this PG-13 video, I can vouch for the critical reviews of the most expensive Christian movie ever produced. The most compelling segment of Left Behind is at the very beginning when a...
Strategy for “Left Behind” Includes Promotion in Local Churches
Left Behind was first released Oct. 31 on video and aggressively promoted within conservative Christian circles. The Los Angeles Times reported that Left Behind sold 2.5 million video copies, "making it 2000's best...
Four Problems with Federal Dollars to Faith Community
Jesus told his disciples to be "wise as serpents and harmless as doves." Serpentine wisdom referred to tough-mindedness, according to Martin Luther King, Jr. The nature of doves related to compassion. People of faith...
What Is Soft Money?
Soft money is unregulated and unlimited money that corrupts the political process at the federal level. Soft money goes to groups that support candidates, even though candidates do not control the group campaigning on...
Bipartisan Leaders Introduce Campaign Finance Reform Bill
Senators John McCain, R-Ariz., and Russell Feingold, D-Wis., introduced a bill in the United States Senate in January to ban "soft money" contributions that corporations, labor unions and wealthy individuals make to...
Religious Public Policy Agencies Divided Over Campaign Finance Reform
Many of America's religious public policy organizations are divided on campaign finance reform. Those on the religious right argue against reform on free speech grounds. In a joint letter to the United States Senate in...
Baptist Leaders Headline Conference That Prioritizes the Evangelism of Jews
Southern Baptists are providing leadership at a conference that prioritizes Jewish evangelism in the new millennium, scheduled for Feb. 8-10, at the First Baptist Church of West Palm Beach in Florida. "Come and hear...
Biblical Prophecy Foretells Mixed Future of Arab States, According to Dispensational Premillennialist
Biblical prophecy foretells three paths to peace between Arab states and Israel, according to Michael Rydelnik, professor of Jewish studies at Moody Bible Institute. Peace "will arrive when the Peacemaker, Messiah...
Americans’ Socioeconomic Status Affects Opinions of Immigrants
Immigration ranks fairly low among social concerns for most Americans, according to the December 2000 issue of American Demographics. "The public, in general, seems to be more concerned about illegal immigrants than...
From Neighborhood to Community
Current lifestyles inhibit the creation of community, according to a recent article. "For most of human history, we have lived in small tribal groups of 50 to 250 people, and at an instinctual level we still crave...
Religious Faith at the Heart of Georgia Flag Debate
Jesus' position was referenced often during a heated four-hour debate in the Georgia state Senate Jan. 30 over changing the state flag, which resulted in a diminished Confederate battle emblem. Addressing the Senate,...
Jesus and the Georgia Flag
EDITOR'S NOTE: The following fictional story was written from the heart of the battle over the Georgia state flag. Any resemblance to actual persons or events is absolutely intentional. Nine-year-old Eric taps on the...
Public Supports Religion in Social Sector, Questions Politics, Says Report
The American public is optimistic about the role religion can play to improve the nation's moral quality, said a report released last month by Public Agenda, a research organization founded in 1975. Americans "see...
An Official of South Carolina Convention Clarifies Ashcroft Endorsement, Restates Original Memorandum
The South Carolina Baptist Convention (SCBC) issued an e-mail memorandum today clarifying an earlier memorandum urging South Carolina pastors to endorse former Sen. John Ashcroft's nomination in their churches. Scott...
A View of Valentine’s Day
Most of us recognize Feb. 14 as Valentine's Day. We think of hearts, flowers, candy, cards and Cupid. These symbols dominate the holiday. And like all holiday symbols and traditions, they arose in contexts. These...
The Aftermath of Scandalous Behavior: Following the Biblical Witness
The highly publicized scandal of the Rev. Jesse Jackson fathering a child out of wedlock--at the very time he was counseling the President about marital infidelity--has rightly left many people reeling. It is one thing...