National News

Healing the sick
By Ken Camp, Baptist Standard
Date August 21, 2008

Jesus Christ healed sick people. But many of his followers struggle to find the best way to follow his example.

Texas’s Bethesda Clinic brings hope to the uninsured
By Kaitlin Chapman, Baptist Standard
Date August 21, 2008

TYLER, Texas -- A trip to the doctor can be financially catastrophic for some people -- the 45 million uninsured or underinsured Americans.

Baptist layman provides gift of life to music minister
By George Henson, Baptist Standard
Date August 21, 2008

LUBBOCK,Texas -- Alzheimer’s disease may cloud Hal Rowe’s memory or derail his train of thought, but it has done nothing to damage his love of life and his desire to help others.

Candidates’ healthcare plans reflect different visions
By Robert Marus, Associated Baptist Press
Date August 21, 2008

WASHINGTON (ABP) -- Differences in presidential candidates John McCain’s and Barack Obama’s plans for reforming the American healthcare system reflect differing views on the proper role of government.

Faith groups push to increase minimum wage to $10 an hour
By Ashly McGlone,Religion News Service
Date August 21, 2008

WASHINGTON (RNS) -- A nonpartisan coalition of more than 90 faith, community, labor and business organizations has launched an ambitious “$10 in 2010” campaign to raise the federal minimum wage within two years.

Survey suggests ‘unchurched’ represent a pretty fluid group
By Ashly McGlone,Religion News Service
Date August 21, 2008

WASHINGTON (RNS) -- A new survey shows that “unchurched” Americans may be worshipping more, and “churched” Americans worshipping less, than many people might think.

Faith no laughing matter, court says
By Kate Coscarelli, Religion News Service
Date August 21, 2008

NEWARK, N.J. (RNS) -- Making jokes and comments about a person’s religion can create a “humiliating and painful environment” and be a form of on-the-job discrimination, New Jersey’s highest court recently ruled.

Reading the Bible anew -- with the chronology clarified
By Tim Murphy, Religion News Service
Date August 21, 2008

Bob Sanford wanted to create a Bible that would bring order and clarity to the text. Instead, he’s waded right into one of the great debates of biblical scholarship.

FAITH DIGEST
Date August 21, 2008

Former planter files libel suit against Texas Baptists
By Vicki Brown, Associated Baptist Press
Date August 21, 2008

EDINBURG, Texas (ABP) -- A former Hispanic church planter implicated in a 2006 Baptist General Convention of Texas scandal has filed a defamation lawsuit against the BGCT and several other Texas Baptist entities and individuals.

2008 Baptist Hymnal makes official debut
By Polly House, Baptist Press
Date August 21, 2008

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP) -- The new 2008 Baptist Hymnal made its official debut during a morning worship Aug. 8 at LifeWay Christian Resources’s home office in Nashville, Tenn., and again that evening at the city’s Schermerhorn Symphony Center.

Falling revenue causes LifeWay to cut staff
By Steve DeVane, Associated Baptist Press
Date August 21, 2008

NASHVILLE (ABP) -- LifeWay Christian Resources will cut 5 percent of its workforce by Sept. 30 because revenues are lower than expected, officials of the Southern Baptist Convention’s publishing arm have announced.

Religion rivaled race, gender coverage during primaries
Date August 21, 2008

WASHINGTON (RNS) -- Religion rivaled race and gender combined during media coverage of this year’s primary campaign season, according to a recent study by the Pew Research Center.