Submitted by Brian Blackwell on Mon, 01/28/2013 - 21:30 By Michael Foust, Baptist Press IRVING, Texas (BP) -- The Boy Scouts of America is seriously considering lifting its ban on gay and lesbian troop leaders and could make the change official the first few days of February, a move that likely will disappoint Southern Baptist churches and many faith-based organizations that comprise a majority of all sponsors. About 70 percent of all Boy Scout units are chartered by faith-based organizations, and the Boy Scouts national organization just six months ago reaffirmed its policy on homosexual leaders following a two-year review. But now the national organization appears poised to change its policy under pressure from some local troops and corporations. Boy Scouts spokesman Deron Smith told ABCNews.com in a prepared statement that the new policy would mean "there would no longer be any national policy regarding sexual orientation" and the decision on a policy would be up to each sponsoring organization. A final decision could be made at the Boy Scouts board meeting next week. In July, Bob Mazzuca, then the chief Scout executive of the Boy Scouts, said a "majority of our membership agrees with the … [Read more...]

STATEWIDE – Louisiana Baptist churches and other non-profit organizations could be eligible to receive money as part of the court settlement for the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. They are encouraged to apply for funding soon, though claims are to be accepted through April 2014. According to attorneys representing churches in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and parts of Florida, the BP oil company established a compensation fund as part of its ongoing remediation efforts following the disaster that resulted in widespread economic losses, the death of wildlife and long-term negative effects on habitation in affected areas. “This is a rare opportunity for churches and non-profit organizations throughout our region,” said Mike Johnson, a Shreveport attorney. “The BP settlement is unusual because BP has agreed to remove all the typical hurdles and hassles of litigation in favor of a voluntary claims process. The company wants to make things right, and it knows that churches and charities, like local businesses, will wisely use the funds they receive and reinvest in building their communities.” To qualify, small businesses, churches and non-profit organizations need to show only that they … [Read more...]

Submitted by philip on Thu, 01/31/2013 - 08:29 Women from the interdenominational “Silent No More” campaign stood as public witnesses to the private pain of abortion at the third annual Louisiana Life March, which took place Jan. 12 in Baton Rouge at the State Capitol. By Mark H. Hunter, Regional Reporter BATON ROUGE – Little Jeremiah was so full of energy his mother had a hard time keeping up with the 3-year-old as he darted through a forest of adult legs near the State Capitol steps. The youngster was among the crowd of 1,500 to 3,000 people estimated by various officials to be participating in the third annual Louisiana Life March on Jan. 12. Many marchers carried posters declaring the event’s motto: “Stand Strong, March On, 40 years have come, 55 million lives are gone,” since the U.S. Supreme Court legalized abortion on Jan. 22, 1973. In Louisiana, 457,434 abortions have been performed since then, according to Louisiana Right to Life. The Life March was sponsored by Louisiana Right to Life, Louisiana Family Forum, Louisiana Baptist Convention, the Conference of Catholic Bishops, Knights of Columbus, Baton Rouge Right to Life, the Hippocratic Resource and Concerned Women for … [Read more...]

Submitted by philip on Thu, 01/31/2013 - 08:32 By Brian Blackwell, Marketing Director STATEWIDE – Louisiana Baptist churches and other non-profit organizations could be eligible to receive money as part of the court settlement for the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. They are encouraged to apply for funding soon, though claims are to be accepted through April 2014. According to attorneys representing churches in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and parts of Florida, the BP oil company established a compensation fund as part of its ongoing remediation efforts following the disaster that resulted in widespread economic losses, the death of wildlife and long-term negative effects on habitation in affected areas. “This is a rare opportunity for churches and non-profit organizations throughout our region,” said Mike Johnson, a Shreveport attorney. “The BP settlement is unusual because BP has agreed to remove all the typical hurdles and hassles of litigation in favor of a voluntary claims process. The company wants to make things right, and it knows that churches and charities, like local businesses, will wisely use the funds they receive and reinvest in building their … [Read more...]

By Kelly Boggs, Editor Baptist Message Georgia pastor Louie Giglio was pressured to step down from offering the benediction at President Obama’s upcoming inauguration due to what has been deemed by some as unacceptable remarks made in a sermon almost 20 years ago. Giglio, pastor of Passion City Church in Atlanta and founder of Passion Conferences geared toward college students, delivered a sermon at a conference in the mid-90s titled “The Christian’s Response to Homosexuality.” Think Progress, a blog that identifies itself as liberal and associated with the Center for American Progress Action Fund, reported January 9 on Giglio’s sermon and described the address as “vehemently anti-gay” and full of “rabidly anti-LGBT views.” In the eyes of homosexual activist groups and apparently the White House, Giglio’s transgressions were that he dared not only to articulate the biblical truth that homosexuality is categorized as sin, but he also called attention to the true nature of the activists’ goals. In reality, the only transgression Giglio could be charged with is being right. He not only was theologically correct, but he also was spot-on concerning the sociological goals of the homosexual movement. I listened to … [Read more...]

By Wayne Taylor & Jerry Love, Louisiana Baptist Foundation As usual the title given to a bill recently passed by congress doesn’t reflect what the legislation actually does. Most of the provisions in the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 don’t apply to all American taxpayers; most of the provisions apply to upper income earners. The new legislation also provides very little relief to taxpayers.  It wasn’t even passed or signed in 2012. Neverthe-less, it is a legislative act and must be dealt with. The Louisiana Baptist Foundation assists individuals with gifts that benefit Baptist churches and Baptist ministries in Louisiana and worldwide. As part of our service to Louisiana Baptists we attempt to stay current and provide information on changes in the tax code in general, especially how it impacts charitable giving. Here is a summary of the good, the bad and the ugly of the so-called American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012.   The Good n The IRA Charitable Rollover was renewed through 2013. This reinstates the ability for individuals age 70 ½ and above to make a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) up to $100k directly from an IRA to a charitable organization (other stipulations also apply). A … [Read more...]

By Albert Mohler Jr., President Southern Baptist Theological Seminary A new chapter in America’s moral revolution came recently as Atlanta pastor Louie Giglio withdrew from giving the benediction at President Obama’s second inaugural ceremony. In a statement released to the White House and the Presidential Inaugural Committee, Giglio said he withdrew because of the furor that emerged Jan. 9 after a liberal watchdog group revealed that almost 20 years ago he had preached a sermon in which he had stated that homosexuality is a sin and that the “only way out of a homosexual lifestyle ... is through the healing power of Jesus.” In other words, a Christian pastor has been effectively disinvited from delivering an inaugural prayer because he believes and teaches Christian truth. The fact that Giglio was actually disinvited was made clear in a statement from Addie Whisenant of the Presidential Inaugural Committee: “We were not aware of Pastor Giglio’s past comments at the time of his selection, and they don’t reflect our desire to celebrate the strength and diversity of our country at this inaugural. “Pastor Giglio was asked to deliver the benediction in large part because of his leadership in combating human … [Read more...]

By Waylon Bailey, LBC President and Pastor of First Baptist Church Covington With President Barack Obama’s inauguration complete and the second four years of his administration officially begun, what can Christians and the church expect over the next 48 months? While we don’t know the specific answer in many areas like who will fill vacant cabinet positions and what policies will be emphasized, we do know what we have seen over the last four years. I understand people can change, and I certainly hope and pray for change in President Obama, his world-view and political philosophy. I also know that the best predictor of the future is the past. Based on this truism, I believe we can expect a continuation of policies that are antagonistic to the church. First, we can expect an erosion of the First Amendment right of the freedom of religion. We have already seen an emphasis on freedom of worship rather than freedom of religion. Freedom of worship is vastly different from freedom of religion. Freedom of worship means we have freedom within the confines of our worship services and homes but we do not have freedom in public forums. Yesterday I read an article about a mother explaining why she is raising her … [Read more...]

By Rex Butler, NOBTS “Costly grace ... is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life…. Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of his Son: ‘Ye were bought at a price’, and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us” (Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Cost of Discipleship). Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a disciple of Jesus Christ, and the cost of his discipleship was his life – not only at the end of his life, when he was hung as a conspirator in the attempted assassination of Adolf Hitler, but also throughout his life, as he gave himself to his family and friends and to the true church. Dietrich was born on February 4, 1906, one of eight children in an intellectual, talented, but only nominally religious family in Germany. Dietrich surprised everyone when he decided at age 14 to become a theologian and pastor. At the University of Berlin, he studied under liberal theologians, but he also came under the influence of Karl Barth, who criticized liberal theology for its irrelevance to the church. Even while being trained in theology, Bonhoeffer’s heart was always in the … [Read more...]

By Bill Warren, NOBTS Question: What are the differences in the words “sheol,” “hades,” and “gehenna” in the Bible? Bill Warren responds: The word sheol is a transliteration of the Hebrew term used in the Old Testament rather than a translation of that term. Likewise, the word hades is a Greek term that is transliterated into English rather than being translated. So what do these two terms mean and what do they have in common? In the Septuagint, a Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament, normally hades is used to translate the Hebrew term sheol, with the primary meaning being the abode of the dead. The emphasis could be positive, negative, or neutral, so this is not actually a term for “hell.” For example, David says in Psalms18:5 that God delivered him, noting: The ropes of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me. Sheol and death are being used as parallels, with sheol referring to the abode of the dead. Only the context can show when sheol and hades refer to a specifically negative place where the evil suffer punishment since the terms themselves don’t require a negative emphasis. Gehenna, however, is definitely a negative term used to refer to a place of judgment and … [Read more...]