News-Record.com

Can a Baptist preacher win it all?

They were as diverse as their particular faiths.

'We had abortions,' say men whose lovers ended pregnancies.

Somehow, Alcides Moreno survived.

"The history of Christian institutions of higher education in this country justifies caution in this area. Nearly all Christian colleges and universities that distanced themselves from their founding denominations and theological traditions eventually also drifted away from being Christian in any meaningful way."

A new nationwide survey by The Barna Group explored a half dozen stories drawn from the Bible. The Barna researchers asked a sample of 1005 adults if they trusted those stories to be factually accurate or to be narratives that were not factually accurate but were designed to teach principles. A majority of adults indicated that they accepted five of the six stories -- including the virgin birth of Jesus Christ -- as being literally true, while half accepted the sixth story as an accurate depiction of an historical event.

The Virgin Birth
Three out of four adults (75 % said that they believe Jesus Christ was born to a virgin, Mary, as described in the gospel narratives.

In this age of 'prove it to me,' what convinces you?

Mitt's stumbles this past week puts this article in an extremely interesting light:

"Our post-denominational age should be the perfect time for a Mormon to become president, or at least the Republican nominee. Mormons share nearly all the conservative commitments so beloved of the evangelicals who wield disproportionate influence in primary elections. Mormons also embody, in their efficient organizational style, the managerial competence that the party's pro-business wing considers attractive. For the last half-century, Mormons have been so committed to the Republican Party that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints once felt the need to clarify that Republican affiliation is not an actual condition of church membership."

The parents who sued are Christian but believe religious beliefs should be taught in the home, not school, said Anthony Rothert, legal director of the ACLU of Eastern Missouri.

A number of haloed Hindu gods and goddesses have debuted in the frenetic world of animation over the past five years. Their appearance marks a shift from a decades-long period in which Indian children grew up almost exclusively on American TV and movie characters, including Mickey Mouse, Tom and Jerry, and Spider-Man.

To many parents, though, the "mytho-cartoons" are more than a novelty; they are a way to introduce the ancient tales to a generation that seems to be losing touch with its 5,000-year heritage.

I had an unscheduled absence this week and wasn't able to update the blog. I'm sorry and I hope to do a better job in keeping up the blog in the weeks to come.

Nancy

Should faith be a factor when the rules are clear?

Religion and the High Court.

Great conversation at Ed Cone's blog:
"Many of the social problems we face today are because nearly everything has become acceptable out of fear of judging anybody. A society that stands for nothing will fall for anything."

" It is widely accepted that we are all a product of history, but what many do not realize is who we have become is a consequence of who our ancestors were told they had to be," says Claire Heaton of the just released book, " Martha's Voice: Portrait in Words."

Bob Henderson of Westminster Presbyterian Church , a church best known for its outreach and mission work, is headed to Charlotte.

Go to 'related links' here to go inside the "World Religion Day" event in Greensboro.

Joel Osteen is coming to Greensboro.Osteen pastors the largest church in America.
Tickets for the "worship event" are $15.
Would you have a problem with paying for a seat?

Mormon leader Gordon B. Hinckley died Sunday night at age 97, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced.
Archbishop Christodoulos of the Greek Orthodox Church died Monday after a battle with cancer, church officials told CNN. He was 69.

For more than 150 years, Baptists in the United States have splintered along political, theological and racial lines. But this week, some of the country's largest Baptist groups -- representing about 20 million believers -- will meet to try to mend the old fractures and, some leaders say, present a more diverse and moderate image of their faith than the one offered by the conservative Southern Baptist Convention.

The difference between Islam and radicals.

A second illegal immigrant takes sanctuary in a Chicago church.

"It's unfortunate we have to do this. This church has other priorities, like helping the poor in this neighborhood," the Rev. Walter Coleman said. "But God didn't give us a choice. When God says do this, we say, 'Yes, sir!'"

"It was designed so that small congregations and ministries that had long served needy neighbors on shoestring budgets -- and not just large, national religious charities -- could get their fair share of government aid.
"Every nonpartisan study has concluded that the initiative has not delivered the grants, vouchers, tax incentives and other support for faith-based organizations that the president originally promised."

Where did the money go?

"Over the past few weeks I have been tracking an intriguing trend: assorted presidential candidates are acknowledging that nonbelievers might actually be decent, patriotic Americans."

But does it have a place among the merriment and nearly-naked girls?

I also wonder if there are some Detroit separation of church and state advocates howling about the mayor's chosen location to speak to city residents about his alleged misconduct with an aide and text messages that are now being investigated as part of a potential perjury charge.
(How Kwame Kilpatrick got 'busted'.And "busted" is his own word.)

ATLANTA - Former President Jimmy Carter said people around the world know Christians for their divisions rather than their unity, a painful legacy he tried to correct Wednesday by bringing together 30 Baptist groups under one roof.
The Celebration of the New Baptist Covenant, a historic gathering of African-American Baptists and moderate to liberal white Baptists gathered at the Georgia World Congress Center to sing, pray and consider common ministries.
Looking out at more than 10,000 people, the former president choked up and called the meeting "the most momentous event in my religious life."