One of the ways we can exercise our faithfulness to God is by engaging those who are in positions of public service. One way to do so is by writing them by letter or email. When we do that, we must always be respectful, showing honor to those whom deserve honor while also expressing our view – and most importantly God’s view. Frank DeVenuto is a friend who exchanges posts with me on my Facebook page. If you visit, you will find articles on issues, my comments, cartoons as well as friendly … [Read more...]
Ferguson: One year later
FERGUSON — Despite some violence that arose here, Aug. 9, during the one year anniversary of the shooting death of African American teenager Michael Brown by a white police officer, local church leaders have seen positive changes in both the community and the church. “The Christian community,” Ken Petty, pastor of The Gate, said, “looks to transform the wider community where we live. The racial divide was brought to the surface and many pastors and leaders began praying and leading to … [Read more...]
CDC: More Teenagers Turning to Plan B
(WNS)--Teen pregnancy has declined by 51 percent since peaking in the early 1990s, but new government data show more young girls are relying on the morning-after pill. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 22 percent of sexually active teenagers used the Plan B pill at least once. A decade ago, less than one in 12 girls had used emergency contraception. The popularity of emergency contraceptives is likely due to increased availability. Since 2006, girls 18 and older can … [Read more...]
HLGU, SBU, MBCH react to SCOTUS ruling
JEFFERSON CITY – Leaders from Missouri Baptist entities – Southwest Baptist University (SBU), Hannibal-LaGrange University (HLGU) and the Missouri Baptist Children’s Home (MBCH) – have had time to digest the June 26 United States Supreme Court ruling legalizing gay marriage. They are unanimous in their disagreement with the court, but believe their legal standing is valid – for now – as they maintain the close, covenant relationship with the Missouri Baptist Convention (MBC) and a … [Read more...]
GuideStone loses on abortion mandate
WASHINGTON (BP) -- GuideStone Financial Resources and the ministries it serves must abide by the Obama administration's abortion/contraception mandate or pay crushing fines, a federal appeals court ruled Tuesday (July 14). A three-judge panel of the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver declined to grant an injunction blocking enforcement of the rule, rejecting arguments by GuideStone and a host of other religious non-profit organizations that the controversial mandate and its … [Read more...]
Abortion’s barbaric reality: Planned Parenthood investigations launched after video links St. Louis clinic
ST. LOUIS — Missouri elected officials are pursuing investigations of a St. Louis Planned Parenthood clinic after videos released in mid-July by The Center for Medical Progress (CMP) linked the clinic with the trafficking of aborted infants' organs. Protesters have also gathered outside Planned Parenthood clinics in St. Louis, Columbia and Overland Park, Kan., expressing their outrage that Planned Parenthood, as the CMP video alleges, would dismember pre-born babies for profit. Democratic … [Read more...]
Six questions with Nik Ripken
Editor’s note: Nik Ripken (a pseudonym for security reasons) is a veteran IMB missionary and author who conducted 600 interviews in 72 countries where believers live amid persecution and suffering. Mark Snowden, MBC evangelism/discipleship strategist, interviewed him by phone for The Pathway on July 7. Q: How should Christians respond to an increasingly hostile culture where moral decline and even legislation is perceived as increasingly anti-biblical? Nik: The Bible says we reap what we … [Read more...]
Will your church’s insurance be enough?
In the wake of the Supreme Court’s Obergefell decision, churches are worried about lawsuits. This isn’t an irrational fear. I don’t think any Court will soon order ministers to perform a service that conflicts with the minister’s faith. But there is a shift in public opinion that makes it plausible in the future. The definition of ‘fairness’ is changing. In the past, if one minister or church refused to marry a couple, the couple would find another minister or church. This was “fair,” … [Read more...]
Taking steps to protect our religious freedom
There can be little doubt where the Obergefell v. Hodges ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court, which redefined marriage to include same-sex couples, is headed with regard to religious liberty. The attacks on Christians – who refuse to go against their deepest held beliefs and cave to the fantasized reasoning of judicial tyrants, government hypocrites and bullying activists – are mounting by the day. For now, the targets are government workers and private business owners who are involved in the … [Read more...]
One man, one woman for life, same as it ever was
Across town, the annual Gay Pride parade was setting attendance records. The usual assortment of flamboyant costumes swirled around revelers celebrating the previous day’s victory over an ancient institution they’d found confining. One straight couple said they brought their toddlers, Fox and Bear (no kidding), so they could understand both freedom and homosexuality. About five miles down the road, in the little church my mother attends, the Ledbetter clan was gathered with other great … [Read more...]
Missourians still support biblical marriage
JEFFERSON CITY – Even after the Supreme Court ruled that same-sex “marriage” is legally valid throughout the United States, most of the Missourians that are likely to vote in 2016 still believe that marriage should be between a man and a woman, according to a poll released by the Missouri Alliance for Freedom. The survey, conducted by the Kansas-City based Remington Research company, polled nearly 800 likely voters throughout the state—representing those who live both in rural and urban … [Read more...]
Presidential hopefuls react to gay marriage ruling
NASHVILLE (BP) -- Reaction among 2016 presidential candidates to the Supreme Court's nationwide legalization of gay marriage is divided largely along party lines, with all five Democrats in the race lauding the decision and at least 13 of 14 Republicans opposing it. As marriage and religious liberty moved to center stage of the campaign, one pastor and former U.S. Senate candidate urged Christians to consider supporting a candidate financially. "There are enough believers in this … [Read more...]
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