ORANGE BEACH, Ala. (BP) – The U.S. Supreme Court likely will legalize gay marriage nationwide, labeling it a constitutional right under the 14th Amendment, Southern Baptists' lead ethicist told state convention executives and Baptist state paper editors Feb. 11. Associate Justice Clarence Thomas was "probably right" in his apparent prediction that the Supreme Court's recent denial of a stay to halt legalized same-sex marriage in Alabama "is a signal of what the court intends to do," … [Read more...]
MO lawmakers defend marriage by filing brief in 8th circuit
KANSAS CITY – The leaders of the Missouri Senate and House filed a friend of the court brief on Feb. 24 in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, defending the Missouri Marriage Amendment passed by a million voters in 2004. The “amicus curiae” brief supports the State of Missouri’s legal position, seeking reversal of an order by a Kansas City federal judge striking down the state’s constitutional provision. The Missouri Marriage Amendment, Article I, §33 states: “That to be … [Read more...]
Asbury enters gov’s race
MOBERLY – The election is more than a year-and-a-half away, but a Missouri Baptist has already thrown his hat into the ring to be elected governor next November. Randy Asbury, a member of First Baptist Church, Salisbury, made the announcement Feb. 12 at Moberly Area Community College. Asbury, a Republican, served in the Missouri House beginning in 2010 as the representative from the 22nd district, but lost his seat due to redistricting in 2012. He is a former deputy director for the … [Read more...]
Length of creation days debated
NASHVILLE (BP) – An article by a popular evangelical blogger arguing that the six "days" of creation in Genesis were not literal 24-hour periods has prompted discussion among Christians about the earth's age and whether orthodoxy necessarily entails believing in a young earth. Justin Taylor, senior vice president and publisher for books at Crossway, posted a blog article Jan. 28 arguing that there are "biblical reasons to doubt the creation days were 24-hour periods." The article, which … [Read more...]
White church dissolves ‘to glorify God’
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (BP) – What should a traditional, white Southern Baptist congregation do when they can no longer sustain their ministries or their facilities, when the community around them looks nothing like their membership, when they know they are dying? Emmanuel Baptist Church was a thriving rural fellowship. But after 61 years of ministry, the North Carolina church's leaders faced some painful decisions. In June 2014 by unanimous vote, Emmanuel's property was deeded to Meeting … [Read more...]
Petitions, legislators working to legalize pot
JEFFERSON CITY – A group based out of Columbia, called Show-Me Cannabis, recently received Missouri Secretary of State Jason Kander’s approval to circulate petitions seeking a statewide vote in 2016 to legalize the sale and use of marijuana. The petition proposes an amendment to Missouri’s Constitution, which would take effect on Jan. 1, 2017. If approved by voters, the amendment would prohibit state laws banning the possession or use of marijuana, the purchase or sale of marijuana, or … [Read more...]
’50 Shades” best-kept secret
EDITOR'S NOTE: The movie version of "50 Shades of Grey" will open in theaters on Valentine's Day. Katie McCoy of BiblicalWoman.com provides counsel to women -- who are the fastest-growing consumers of pornography -- for attaining freedom from "the never-ending cycle of lust." FORT WORTH -- We used to blush about it. It was the kind of thing that women kept quiet about. It was personal -- too personal -- and not at all "ladylike." Now, all of that has changed. The "50 Shades of Grey" … [Read more...]
Michigan judge mocks Bible over same-sex marriage
DETROIT – A U.S. District Judge mocked the Bible in a decision that validated 300 same-sex “marriages” that took place in Michigan last year. “In these circumstances, what the state has joined together, it may not put asunder,” said Judge Mark Goldsmith in his Jan. 15 decision. The ruling came after nearly a year of uncertainty regarding same-sex couples who were “married” the day after a different judge said Michigan’s marriage law was unconstitutional. The 2014 decision was put on hold, … [Read more...]
Sunday morning in America still segregated
NASHVILLE – Sunday morning remains one of the most segregated hours in American life, with more than 8 in 10 congregations made up of one predominant racial group. And most worshipers like it that way. Two-thirds of American churchgoers (67 percent) say their church has done enough to become racially diverse. And less than half think their church should become more diverse. Those are among the findings of a study of church segregation by Nashville-based LifeWay Research. Researchers … [Read more...]
Seahawks coach ponders wins, losses for Christ
PHOENIX (BP) – Going into Sunday's Super Bowl matchup against the New England Patriots, Sherman Smith shared how victory on the football field without Jesus Christ would be, for him, a "serious waste of time." "I'll never forget when I got drafted in [1976], my father told me, 'Son, remember this, playing professional football is how you make your living but it's not your life because it's gonna end. You're gonna stop playing one day and life will continue.' I never forgot that," the … [Read more...]
Pigskin or pews?
NASHVILLE – Most American churchgoers would rather attend church than watch their favorite football team. But a few diehard fans are willing to miss out on worship to watch a game. About 1 in 7 churchgoers (15 percent) say they’d skip church in order to watch their favorite football team, according to a survey of 994 churchgoers from Nashville-based LifeWay Research. Researchers found most of the faithful balk at skipping church for football. More than 8 in 10 (83 percent) disagree with … [Read more...]
Law sheds light on reading the Bible in schools
MARSHALL – A small town in Missouri briefly became a flashpoint of religious freedom when inconclusive reports hit media outlets that a student at Bueker Middle School here was told he was not allowed to read his Bible during his free time. A seventh grader there told his parents and WDAF-TV in Kansas City a teacher told him he could not read the Bible at school. However, there has not been validation of the accusation and the principal has since made public comments assuring the Bible and … [Read more...]
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