News

News

Episcopalians pull 'Druid' rite from site

Material was copyright-protected
Nov 16, 2004
An Episcopal Church official pulled a liturgical script devoted to “Mother God” and “Queen of Heaven” from the denomination’s women’s resources Web site one day after an evangelical critique on the Internet identified the prayers as virtually identical to the rite of a self-described Druid group.

Briefly noted

Nov 02, 2004
New guidelines for starting Southern Baptist churches ask members of new congregations to affirm biblical inerrancy and male-only deacons. The guidelines, adopted October 6 by trustees of the North American Mission Board, do not apply to existing Southern Baptist congregations but can be applied to the 1,500 new churches planted by NAMB each year.

Campaigning for civility, compassion

Three initiatives
Nov 02, 2004
Pastor Jay Geisler had grown weary of fellow Christians squabbling over political ideology. He wanted issues put in the context of the poverty and hopelessness in neighborhoods near his St. Stephen Episcopal Church in McKeesport, Pennsylvania.

High court to hear Commandments cases

Cases from Kentucky and Texas
Nov 02, 2004
The U.S. Supreme Court has decided to hear two cases related to ongoing questions about the constitutionality of displays of the Ten Commandments in public places.

Legal groups who have long hoped the high court would address this issue—for the first time since 1980—welcomed the announcement by the court October 12.

People

Nov 02, 2004
The conservative Institute on Religion and Democracy, a Washington-based critic of mainline denominations, has elected author and philosopher J. Budziszewski as the chairman of its board of directors, succeeding theologian Thomas Oden of Drew Theological School.