
The original issue can be found at: http://www.baptistpress.com/issue-11/09/2012

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FEMA chief praises Baptist DR; chaplains becoming a key need
by Joe Conway
Date: November 09, 2012 - Friday

EDISON, N.J. (BP) -- On the 11th day after landfall of Hurricane Sandy, more than 750 Southern Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers were continuing to aid survivors in hard-hit communities. Their work has not gone unnoticed.

Craig Fugate, chief of the Federal Emergency Management Administration, voiced appreciation to SBDR leaders in a conference call Nov. 7 for their response to Sandy.

"Thanks to everyone," said Craig Fugate, FEMA administrator. "It has been a busy time. The president and the rest of the team appreciate Southern Baptist Disaster Relief. This will not be a short response. We still have a lot to do. Until people are back in their homes, Southern Baptist &#91;volunteers&#93; will be needed. Thank you for all that Southern Baptist Disaster Relief has done."

Coordinating logistics with FEMA, the American Red Cross (ARC), The Salvation Army, state and local governments is a daily task for SBDR leaders. The North American Mission Board routinely maintains representation at the FEMA and ARC national headquarters for the duration of large-scale disaster responses such as Sandy.

The recognition of that service came quickly from another government leader in the hard-hit community of Middletown, N.J., this week, Gov. Chris Christie.

"Ah, my friends with disaster relief," the New Jersey governor said when he met SBDR volunteers from Oklahoma serving in Middletown Nov. 5. Christie thanked the volunteers for their service and sacrifice on behalf of the people of his state.

SBDR volunteers who were among the first responders to Sandy will begin heading home soon. Replacement teams will begin arriving this weekend and into next week. One of those units is a Tennessee recovery team, which completed its 18th job Friday in the Norwalk, Ct., area.

Maryland-Delaware incident commander Carl Brill reported an interesting occurrence in Crisfield, Md., where local leaders developed a system to collect needs and communicate them to volunteers.

"They are using white towels to identify homes where help is needed," Brill said. "It made me think of the passage that the fields are white for harvest. There are a lot of white towels in Crisfield. They need help and we have a lot of work to do."

SBDR is preparing meals at five locations in New York and six in New Jersey. The overall meal count for the response stands at more than 275,000. The SBDR kitchen stationed in Deer Park, N.Y., staffed by volunteers from New York and Arkansas, for example, prepared more than 10,000 meals Friday. Mud-out and cleanup jobs also were on the increase in New York. 

"New York will not have that many chainsaw jobs," said NAMB DR team leader Mickey Caison, who leads the New York incident command team housed at the Metropolitan New York Baptist Association office. "The jobs will be for repairs, mud-out and pump-out. Identifying jobs will also be a challenge at times.

"I want to challenge everyone who comes to bring chaplains," Caison added. "There is a tremendous need."

NAMB DR executive director Fritz Wilson echoed Caison's challenge. Wilson said NAMB DR chaplain Enio Aguero will be arriving soon to coordinate chaplaincy efforts. Wilson said Aguero, a National Guard chaplain, has years of experience in DR response chaplaincy.

"I want to stress the need for chaplains," Wilson said. "We need people who are dedicated to chaplain ministry. Yes, all of our volunteers can share with people but when you are in the middle of a job you may miss an opportunity. We need chaplains coming with teams."

Southern Baptist volunteers in New England were at work in Connecticut, helping homeowners lacking sufficient insurance to cover the damage to their homes. 

"It was just a good connection for ministry and for the local church," said Bruce James, team leader for evangelism, disaster relief and men's ministry with the Baptist Convention of New England. He said Connecticut bore the brunt of the damage from Hurricane Sandy in New England, and SBDR is assessing how they can be of further help to the state.

In West Virginia, the Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia kitchen and crew completed work and returned home Thursday. The Baptist General Association of Virginia kitchen continues to serve, providing more than 4,000 meals Friday, Nov. 9.

Several counties in the state continued to struggle with power outages and heavy snow. 

"Some people have been told not &#91;to expect their power to come back on&#93; till Thanksgiving," said Don Knotts, pastor of Wayside Baptist Church in Buckhannon, adding that if temperatures continue to rise and melt the snow, flooding could be a future concern.

West Virginians pull together during tough times, Knotts said, so the disaster provides "an opportunity for us to reach out beyond the four walls with no more motivation other than just to help our neighbors and to share Christ."

Referencing two SBDR units that have been stationed in West Virginia preparing meals for distribution to afflicted areas, Knotts said there is "no finer working system" than SBDR, whose volunteers he praises for rising before dawn and working hard throughout the day. 

"These people have been self-sacrificing to meet the need of the folks here in West Virginia," Knotts said. "And their whole motivation is to be Jesus to someone in need." 

From its disaster operations center in Alpharetta, Ga., NAMB coordinates and manages Southern Baptist responses to major disasters through a partnership between NAMB and the SBC's 42 state conventions, most of which have their own state disaster relief programs.

SBDR assets include 82,000 trained volunteers, including chaplains, and some 1,550 mobile units for feeding, chainsaw, mud-out, command, communication, childcare, shower, laundry, water purification, repair/rebuild and power generation. SBDR is one of the three largest mobilizers of trained disaster relief volunteers in the United States, along with the ARC and The Salvation Army.

Southern Baptists and others who want to donate to the disaster relief operations can contact their state conventions or contribute to NAMB's disaster relief fund via namb.net/disaster-relief-donations. Other ways to donate are to call 1-866-407-NAMB (6262) or mail checks to NAMB, P.O. Box 116543, Atlanta, GA 30368-6543. Designate checks for "Disaster Relief."
--30--
Joe Conway writes for the North American Mission Board. John Evans, a writer in Houston, contributed to this article.

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Veterans Day offers ministry opportunities
by Adam Miller
Date: November 09, 2012 - Friday

NORFOLK, Va. (BP) -- This Veterans Day churches throughout the United States are seeing a rise in the number of military veterans returning home after deployment. Many say it is an opportunity for churches to serve and help meet the needs of transitioning soldiers.

Gary Sanders, founder of the Military Missions Network, refers to the simple but far-from-easy task of being the church to returning military personnel. 

"Don't try to be some sort of a therapeutic organization. Just be the church," Sanders said. "The best thing we can do is do what we do best and that's community and everything that comes out of that."

First Baptist Church in Norfolk, Va., where Sanders serves as minister of military ministries, is centrally located to address the needs of service members from all branches of the military from several bases in and around Norfolk. 

The needs of returning veterans range from home repair to financial and family strain to the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. Though a local congregation is not typically equipped to handle clinical needs, they are equipped to provide a support community.

First Baptist Church in Woodbridge, Va., just started its second year of military ministry, and the military community is responding. Through its "Welcome Home" team, the church celebrates returning military on their first Sunday after their return.

"We post a 'Welcome Home Hero' banner in our lobby and throw a party," said Chris Ford, director of military ministry at FBC Woodbridge. 

This includes bringing the family down front to a standing ovation, a time of prayer and a gift package, including a book on reintegration, gift card for a family dinner, a free hotel stay and a coupon for three free hours of babysitting.

"We want to do anything we can to help with reintegration of the military person with their church, their spouse, their family and their community," Ford said. 

This is part of what Sanders calls "missional military ministry."

"Just as you would apply the Gospel and Gospel community to any people group, churches can address the needs and context of military culture," Sanders said. "This applies to discipling military before they deploy, addressing their needs and reintegrating them when they return. And it also applies to outreach within the military community."

FBC Norfolk does this through simple acts of hospitality. The church provides space and refreshments for pre-deployment family briefings. They also reach out online through militarybeliever.com, where service members can find resources for encouragement before they ever make a personal contact with the church.

The church also reaches out in a significant way to military who aren't married -- a segment of the population who may not have a family support network back home. This outreach recently included assembling and sending 129 care packages to the single service members aboard the USS Normandy. 

"Many of them don't ever hear from anybody, especially if they come from broken homes," Sanders said. "We're very proactive in outreach and in speaking their language, and we want to connect with them very fast.

"Hospitality is so important for military ministry," Sanders added. "They move around and it takes too long to connect with people. If they're in our area, we host monthly dinners for new military in the area. Through social networking we connect with them before they ever get to us. Sometimes they end up not coming to our church, and that's OK. The point is to make a significant contact for the sake of the Gospel."

Doug Carver, executive director of chaplaincy at the North American Mission Board and former Army Chief of Chaplains, said it's through the local church that the greatest change can happen among the U.S. military. NAMB is the endorsing entity for 1,425 U.S. military chaplains serving throughout the world.

"All of our veterans returning home from war require some level of reintegration," Carver said. "That is where the local church can offer a powerful ministry to veterans and their families. When they step into a local Baptist church, veterans should be able to say, 'I'm home with my brothers and sisters in the Lord.' I want the local church to be the champion of change in the lives of our returning troops."
--30--
Adam Miller is a writer for the North American Mission Board.

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Pro-life, pro-family hopes dim in new Congress
by Tom Strode
Date: November 09, 2012 - Friday

WASHINGTON (BP) -- A status quo election has left conservative evangelicals and other social conservatives with little optimism they will see pro-life and pro-family advances by the federal government in the next two years.

The Democrats' retention of the White House and Senate, as well as the Republicans' continued majority in the House of Representatives, appears to do more than set the stage for likely, continued gridlock until at least the 2014 congressional elections. It also seems to place the burden on the House GOP to stop even further intrusions on the sanctity of human life and other socially conservative positions.

"Next year poses significant challenges to progress on many of our greatest concerns," said Barrett Duke, vice president for public policy of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC). "Efforts to protect the unborn and to defend marriage will be much more difficult, but we will look for every opportunity to do so."

Carrie Gordon Earll of CitizenLink, an advocacy affiliate of Focus on the Family, said the GOP's House majority "will offer somewhat of a firewall to protect life, marriage and religious freedom." She acknowledged in a CitizenLink news article, however, the Democrats' control of the Senate and Obama's executive orders "will be harder to limit, even by a strong House."

In the Nov. 6 election, Senate Democrats increased their slim majority slightly, while House Republicans saw their majority diminish -- although it is uncertain by how much at this point.

The Senate's new alignment will be: 53 Democrats, 45 Republicans and two independents, CNN reported. One of the independents caucuses with the Democrats, and the other -- newly elected Angus King of Maine -- is expected to do so as well. Previously, Democrats had a 51-47 edge, with two independents.

In the House, Republicans led Democrats in seats 233-194, with eight races still undecided as of Thursday (Nov. 8), according to CNN.

Repealing the 2010 health-care reform law -- dubbed "Obamacare" by both supporters and opponents -- appears to be out of the question. Speaker of the House John Boehner, R.-Ohio, hinted repeal seems an unlikely pursuit, telling ABC-TV after the election, "Obamacare is the law of the land."

While their hopes appear dashed in Congress, evangelicals, Roman Catholics and other religious freedom advocates are battling the Obama administration's abortion/contraception mandate in the courts. The mandate -- a federal rule in support of the health-care law -- requires all health insurance plans to cover contraceptives, even ones that can cause abortions, and has a religious exemption that covers churches but not most religious organizations. 

Pro-life members of Congress will continue their efforts to protect amendments in yearly spending bills that prevent funding of abortions, but they will again be unable to overturn anything President Obama does by executive order to underwrite abortion providers and promoters.

Tom McClusky, vice president of Family Research Council Action, offered best-case and worst-case scenarios when asked by Baptist Press.

"The best case scenario is that the president understands that half the country didn't vote for him, and there was a reason for that and a very valid reason ... that there needs to be more reaching across the aisle," he said. "And at the same time hopefully the Republicans understand that they need to be more bold."

Conservatives are now where liberals were after the 2004 election, McClusky said. Republicans should "look more to their core" like Democrats did eight years ago, he told BP. 

"The worst case scenario is that Republicans don't follow that model and the Republicans start abandoning some of the core principles that are why they still have a majority in the House," McClusky said. "The people elected a divided government, and in a sense that's what the Republicans should give them and tackle the issues that are most important to the American people."

Efforts on some issues "should see more movement," the ERLC's Duke said. 

The "growing consensus" of the need to reform immigration law is one of those, he said. "We will advocate that to be just toward everyone affected, immigration reform must include such aspects as border security, workplace enforcement and paths to legal status with appropriate restitution," Duke said. 

The ERLC also will be engaged on Iran's threat to become nuclear-armed, intrusions on religious liberty overseas and in this country, and reducing federal debt and the deficit, among other economic challenges, he said.

Most importantly, he said, the ERLC plans to "represent the Lord and Southern Baptists in a way that honors and glorifies the Lord, respects the dignity of everyone we work with and advances the great Gospel mission."

The election broke some barriers in both houses:

-- The number of female senators in the 100-member chamber reached 20 for the first time.

-- Rep. Tammy Baldwin, D.-Wis., became the first open homosexual elected to the Senate.

-- Rep. Mazie Hirono, D.-Hawaii, became the first Asian American female and first Buddhist member of the Senate, according to Religion News Service (RNS).

-- Tulsi Gabbard, a Democrat from Hawaii, won election to Hirono's seat to become the first Hindu in the House, RNS reported.

The current members of Congress will reconvene Nov. 13 for a lame-duck session before the new year. The focus will be on the "fiscal cliff," as it is known. If Congress does not act by Jan. 1, about $7 trillion in tax increases will ensue as the tax cuts implemented under President George W. Bush expire. In addition, sequestration -- automatic cuts to defense and non-defense spending of $55 billion each -- will go into effect. 
--30--
Tom Strode is Washington bureau chief for Baptist Press. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress ) and in your email ( baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp).


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Rep. Lankford (SBC) in line for No. 5 GOP slot
by Staff
Date: November 09, 2012 - Friday

WASHINGTON (BP) -- A Southern Baptist U.S. representative who surprised the political world by winning a seat two years ago now is the favorite to win the No. 5 spot in the House Republican leadership, according to Roll Call newspaper.

Freshman Rep. James Lankford of Oklahoma, who won re-election this year with 59 percent of the vote, will run next week for Republican Policy Committee chairman, which is the fifth-ranking GOP leadership position. He's the only announced candidate. The current chairman, Rep. Tom Price, is stepping down to run for another House position.

A graduate of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, Lankford was program director at the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma's high-profile Falls Creek summer camp from 1996 to 2009 but quit his position because he said he felt God was calling him to run for Congress. He had no previous political experience but upset the favorite to win the GOP primary in 2010. He is a member of Quail Springs Baptist Church in Oklahoma City.

According to the Republican Policy Committee's website, the committee is a place "for Republicans in the House to generate quality legislative proposals."

"I don't see this as 'I'm the policy chair and I'm setting policy,'" Lankford told Roll Call. "... The Speaker &#91;of the House&#93; determines the direction that we're going. I see this as 'I'm the facilitator ... I stay behind the scenes.'"

In 2011, Baptist Press asked Lankford how he saw his faith impacting his decisions in the House. (Read the interview here.)

"Honestly, faith should play out in every decision no matter where you are," he told BP. "In every occupation, your faith should dominate -- how you handle your family, how you handle your business. You're looking through the lens of faith at everything you do. So it better have an impact on the way that I practice my day-to-day life there and here.

"There is this interesting dichotomy in the Christian world sometimes between those who are called to ministry and those who are in secular vocations. And I just don't see that is a biblical concept. I see, ultimately, people being called by God towards a task and gifted for that task, and as they do it with excellence they honor God with what they are doing. So, for me, the primary thing boils down to the simple task of 'follow Me' -- Christ's calling to His disciples was not to an occupation, it was to a person. And He is the person they are called to be. So I feel like I am doing the same thing now I was doing five years ago in ministry, and that is I am still following Christ in what I am doing. My occupation may have changed significantly, but my task is the same."
--30--
Compiled by Michael Foust, associate editor of Baptist Press. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress ) and in your email ( baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp).


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Southern Baptist contingent in Congress grows
by Anne Reiner
Date: November 09, 2012 - Friday

WASHINGTON (BP) -- Southern Baptist representation in Congress increased in the latest election -- its highest number in recent history.

Each Southern Baptist up for re-election in the Senate and House of Representatives held his seat Nov. 6. In addition, five members of Southern Baptist churches won races as non-incumbents.

Five Southern Baptists joined the House of Representatives, bringing the total to 35. One Southern Baptist church member gained election to the Senate, making the total six. 

The number of Southern Baptist representatives appears to be a record -- based on a review of election results since 1994, when a surge of Southern Baptist and other evangelical Christian candidates for Congress began. That total of House members, coupled with the number of senators, seemingly would add up to the largest Southern Baptist contingent ever in Congress.

Baptist Press has learned the following members of Southern Baptist churches will be freshmen in the new congressional session that begins in January, but there may be others yet to be reported:

-- In the Senate, Ted Cruz, a Republican and a member of Second Baptist Church, Houston, will represent Texas. He defeated Democrat Paul Sadler by about 57-40 percent. Cruz served from 2003-08 as Texas' solicitor general, the state's chief lawyer before federal courts.

-- In the House, Doug Collins, a Republican and a member of Lakewood Baptist Church, Lakewood, Ga., defeated Democrat Jody Cooley by a 76-24 percent margin in Georgia's Ninth Congressional District. Collins serves as a chaplain in the United States Air Force Reserves. 

-- George Holding, a Republican and a member of Christ Baptist Church, Raleigh, defeated Democrat Charles Malone by 57-43 percent in North Carolina's 13th Congressional District. Holding is a former U.S. attorney. 

-- Jim Bridenstine, a Republican and a member of South Tulsa Baptist Church, Tulsa, defeated Democrat John Olson by a 63-33 percent margin in Oklahoma's First Congressional District. Bridenstine is a lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy Reserves. 

--Randy Weber, a Republican and member of First Baptist Church, Pearland, Texas, replaced Ron Paul by defeating Nick Lampson by 53-45 percent in Texas' 14th Congressional District. 

-- Steve Stockman, a Republican, will return to Congress after several terms out of the House. Stockman, a member of First Baptist Church, Houston, defeated Democrat Max Martin by 71-26 percent. Stockman gained election to the House in 1994, defeating 42-year veteran Congressman Jack Brooks. He lost to Lampson, however, in 1996. 

Following is a list, as compiled by Baptist Press, of the ballot results for members of Southern Baptist churches who sought re-election to Congress. (The vote totals are from CNN's website. The number of precincts reporting varied from 89 to 95 percent. Some races had more than two candidates on the ballot, but only the top two finishers are included.)

SENATE

Mississippi: Sen. Roger Wicker, Republican, seeking second term, First Baptist Church, Tupelo, defeated Albert Gore, Democrat, 665,191-468,997, 57-40 percent. 

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Alabama: Rep. Spencer Bachus, R., Sixth District, seeking 11th term, Hunter Street BC, Hoover, defeated Penny Bailey, D., 215,966-86,698, 71-29 percent. 

Arizona: Rep. Trent Franks, R., Second District, seeking sixth term, North Phoenix BC, Phoenix, defeated Gene Scharer, D., 127,535-69,190, 64-35 percent.

Arkansas: Rep. Rick Crawford, R., First District, seeking second term, Nettleton BC, Jonesboro, defeated Scott Ellington, D., 137,659-95,243, 56-39 percent.  Rep. Tim Griffin, R., Second District, seeking second term, Immanuel BC, Little Rock, defeated Herb Rule, D., 157,978-112,934, 55-39 percent. Rep. Steve Womack, R., Third District, seeking second term, Cross Church, Pinnacle Hills, had no major party opposition, according to CNN. 

Florida: Steve Southerland, R., Second District, seeking second term, Northstar Church, Panama City, defeated Al Lawson, D., 174,898-156,307, 53-47 percent. Rep. Daniel Webster, R., 10th District, seeking second term, First Baptist Church of Central Florida, defeated Val Demings, D., 164,520-153,155, 52-48 percent. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R., 13th District, seeking fifth term, First BC, Sarasota, defeated Keith Fitzgerald, D., 186,743-161,379, 54-46 percent.  

Georgia: Rep. Lynn Westmorland, R., Third District, seeking fifth term, Orchard Hills Baptist Church, Newnan, had no major party opposition, according to CNN. Rep. Austin Scott, R., Eighth District, seeking second term, First BC, Tifton, had no major party opposition, according to CNN. Paul Broun, R., 10th District, seeking fourth term, Prince Avenue BC, Bogart, had no major party opposition, according to CNN. Rep. Tom Graves, R., 14th District, seeking second term, Belmont BC, Calhoun, defeated Daniel Grant, D., 159,698-59,098, 73-27 percent. 

Indiana: Rep. Marlin Stutzman, R., Third District, seeking second term, Community BC, South Bend, defeated Kevin Boyd, 187,610-92,179, 67-33 percent. 

Kentucky: Rep. Harold Rogers, R., Fifth District, seeking 17th term, First BC, Somerset, defeated Kenneth Stepp, D., 194,451-54,166, 78-22 percent.

Louisiana: Rep. John Fleming, R., Fourth District, seeking third term, First BC, Minden, had no major party opposition, according to CNN. Rep. Rodney Alexander, Fifth District, seeking sixth term, Sweetwater BC, Quitman, had no major party opposition, according to CNN. 

Mississippi: Rep. Alan Nunnelee, R., First District, seeking second term, Calvary BC, Tupelo, defeated Brad Morris, D., 178,594-107,938, 60-37 percent. Rep. Gregg Harper, R., Third District, seeking third term, Crossgates BC, Brandon, had no major party opposition, according to CNN.

Missouri: Rep. Sam Graves, R., Sixth District, seeking seventh term, First BC, Tarkio, defeated Kyle Yarber, D., 216,721-108,414, 56-33 percent.

New Mexico: Rep. Steve Pearce, R., Second District, seeking fifth term, Taylor Memorial BC, Hobbs, defeated Evelyn Erhard, D., 132,250-91,560, 59-41 percent.  

Oklahoma: Rep. Frank Lucas, R., Third District, seeking 11th term, First BC, Cheyenne, defeated Timothy Murray, D., 200,963-53,295, 75-20 percent. Rep. James Lankford, R., Fifth District, seeking second term, Quail Springs BC, Oklahoma City, defeated Tom Guild, D., 153,421-97,359, 59-37 percent. 

South Carolina: Jeff Duncan, R., Third District, seeking second term, First BC, Clinton, defeated Brian Doyle, D., 168780-84,312, 67-33 percent. Rep. Trey Gowdy, Fourth District, seeking second term, First BC, Spartanburg, defeated Deb Morrow, D., 168,780-84,312, 67-33 percent. 

Texas: Rep. Louie Gohmert, R., First District, seeking fifth term, Green Acres BC, Tyler, defeated Shirley McKellar, D., 182,621-67,758, 72-26 percent. Rep. Al Green, D., Ninth District, seeking fifth term, Cullen Missionary BC, Houston, defeated Steve Mueller, R., 143,850-36,073, 78-20 percent. Rep. Mike Conaway, R., 11th District, seeking fifth term, First BC, Midland, defeated Jim Riley, D., 177,166-41,842, 79-18 percent. Rep. Bill Flores, R., 17th District, seeking second term, Central BC, Bryan, had no major party opposition, according to CNN. Rep. Randy Neugebauer, R., 19th District, seeking sixth term, First BC, Lubbock, had no major party opposition, according to CNN.

Virginia: Rep. Randy Forbes, R., Fourth District, seeking sixth term, Great Bridge BC, Chesapeake, defeated Ella Ward, D., 198,081-148,802, 57-43 percent. 
--30--
Anne Reiner is an intern with the Washington bureau of Baptist Press. If you know of other incoming Senate or House members who are members of Southern Baptist churches, please e-mail bpress@sbc.net. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress ) and in your email ( baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). 


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Marijuana laws likely to face federal challenge
by Staff
Date: November 09, 2012 - Friday

WASHINGTON (BP) -- Marijuana initiatives approved by voters in Colorado and Washington may be short-lived, according to reports that the U.S. Department of Justice will challenge the laws, asserting federal supremacy.

Kevin Sabet, a former drug adviser to three U.S. administrations, including President Obama, said marijuana remains illegal on the federal level and the measures in Colorado and Washington "will be curtailed."

Governors in Colorado and Washington said they planned to talk by phone with U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder about the measures, according to the Associated Press Nov. 9.

If the laws are implemented in the two states, for the first time in U.S. history adults will be allowed to possess small amounts of marijuana for recreational purposes. A similar initiative was rejected in Oregon Nov. 6.

"When you have the governors of both states &#91;opposing it&#93; as well as the president and Congress &#91;having&#93; already determined that marijuana is illegal, this is not going to be a walk in the park for marijuana enthusiasts," Sabet told ABCNews.com.

The Justice Department said enforcement of the federal Controlled Substances Act "remains unchanged," according to Reuters.

"We are reviewing the ballot initiatives and have no additional comment at this time," a government statement said.

Sabet said the federal government won't "take this lying down," and he expects the issue to be tied up in courts for a long time.

"The government has multiple avenues. They can wait until it's implemented, take action before it's implemented, reiterate what federal law is, send warning letters," Sabet said. 

Perhaps an unintended consequence of voters' actions in Colorado and Washington is the effect that marijuana legalization in the United States will have on the drug war in Mexico. 

A top aide to Mexico's President-elect Enrique Pena Nito said the new laws will complicate his country's commitment to stopping the growing and smuggling of marijuana, according to The Washington Post.

"Obviously we can't handle a product that is illegal in Mexico, trying to stop its transfer to the United States, when in the United States, at least in part of the United States, it now has a different status," Luis Vidagaray said Nov. 7.

Mexico's new president is scheduled to meet with Obama in Washington in three weeks, and the aide said marijuana laws are sure to be a priority in talks between the two leaders. 

"The legalization of marijuana forces us to think very hard about our strategy to combat criminal organizations, mainly because the largest consumer in the world has liberalized its laws," Manlio Fabio Beltrones, leader of Pena Nito's party in Mexico's Congress, said, according to The Post.

FoxNews.com predicted that Mexico's president-elect would pressure the Obama administration to strictly enforce U.S. federal law. The current Mexican administration, headed by Felipe Calderon, "vehemently opposed" pro-marijuana measures in the United States, FoxNews.com said.

A former Mexican official told AP it's slightly likely that the loss of income to marijuana cartels might lead them to branch into other criminal activities. 

Also in the wake of the votes in Colorado and Washington, people were wondering whether the states would become destinations for marijuana tourism. As long as visitors to the states purchase and use the drug while in those states, they would be within the bounds of the new laws, AP said.

Some were comparing the possibilities to Amsterdam, which has marijuana cafes. Experts said it's reasonable to assume entrepreneurs will try to take advantage of the new laws. 

In Colorado's top tourism towns, support for legalized marijuana was strong, AP said. Aspen approved the measure 3-to-1, more than two-thirds of Vail backed it and nearly 8 in 10 voters favored the initiative in Telluride. 

A Denver tourism official, though, expressed regret over the outcome of the vote.

"Colorado's brand will be damaged, and we may attract fewer conventions and see a decline in leisure travel," Richard Scharf, CEO of Visit Denver, said.

Concern about public health has been another topic of conversation now that two states have liberalized marijuana laws. Unless the federal government prevents implementation, the laws will lead to a public health experiment, experts said.

Legalizing marijuana clearly has the potential to harm people, Rosalie Liccardo Pacula of the Drug Policy Research Center told FoxNews.com. 

The drug temporarily impairs memory, coordination and perception, and studies indicate people who drive within a few hours of using marijuana are more than twice as likely to be involved in a car crash compared to other drivers.

Legalized marijuana in Colorado and Washington most likely will lead to an increase in use by teenagers, Pacula said. 

A study in Colorado found that among teenagers receiving treatment for substance abuse, nearly 75 percent had used medical marijuana that was recommended for someone else -- something now called "diverted" medical marijuana. 

Eighteen states and the District of Columbia have legalized marijuana for medical purposes, including Colorado, Washington and Oregon. 
--30--
Compiled by Baptist Press assistant editor Erin Roach. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress ) and in your email ( baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp).


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Wash. 9th state to legalize gay marriage
by Staff
Date: November 09, 2012 - Friday

SEATTLE (BP) -- Washington state became the ninth state to legalize gay marriage Thursday (Nov. 9) when a race that was tight on Election Night finally was called, but the head of a traditional group there says he doesn't believe it's a turning point for the issue nationwide.

Referendum 74, as it was known, won with 52.6 percent to 47.4 percent of the vote, which was much tighter than most polls predicted but nevertheless disappointing for traditionalists in the state. The new law will take effect Dec. 6.

In what was a historic Election Day for gay activists, voters in Maine and Maryland also legalized same-sex marriage by margins similar to Washington's. 

"While we are disappointed, we are not defeated," Joseph Backholm, chairman of the traditional group Preserve Marriage Washington, said in a statement. "We are fighting for a cause that is true, and beautiful, and right -- the sacred institution of marriage. It's a cause worth fighting for, and we will continue to educate citizens and policymakers on the timeless truth that real marriage is the union of one man and one woman.

"We knew this was not going to be an easy fight," Backholm continued. "Washington is a deep blue state and one of the most secular states in the country. Washington has a very high percentage of voters who never attend church, and polling showed that 80 percent of unchurched voters approved of Referendum 74."

Supporters of gay marriage had a huge financial advantage and outspent opponents by $10 million, Backholm said. Additionally, he said, statewide media was a cheerleader for Referendum 74, with The Seattle Times not just endorsing it but spending money on ads urging citizens to vote for it. It was an unprecedented move by the newspaper.

Backholm also rejected the argument -- as some pundits have promoted -- that Election Day marked a turning point for gay marriage legalization nationwide. 

"It's not a turning point to win on your home turf," he said. "The election results reflect the political and funding advantages our opponents enjoyed in this very liberal and secular state. The results show only that in a deep blue state, with a huge financial advantage, gay marriage activists can win --- barely. Further, the results indicate that a significant percentage of Washington voters are troubled by redefining marriage. Washingtonians know that women and men are not interchangeable -- that children need both a mother and a father -- and this election does not represent a sea change in their understanding of that reality."

TV ads sponsored by Protect Marriage Washington warned that legalization would lead to gay marriage being taught as normative in schools, as has happened in Massachusetts. Ads also said it would lead to threats, lawsuits and even the firing of people who support the traditional definition of marriage. The ads gave an example for each charge: 1) the bullying of Chick-fil-A after its president supported the biblical definition of marriage and it was told by several politicians it wasn't welcome in their cities, 2) the firing of Damian Goddard, a Canadian sports anchor who was axed after announcing his opposition to gay marriage and 3) the legal case involving a husband and wife who own a Vermont bed and breakfast and were sued after a lesbian couple was denied usage of the property for a wedding reception.

Passage of gay marriage in the three states -- as well as defeat of a marriage amendment in Minnesota -- came six months after North Carolina voters approved, by a margin of 61-39 percent, a constitutional amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman. That amendment went even further than the one defeated in Minnesota by also prohibiting New Jersey-style civil unions. Thirty states define marriage within their constitutions as being between a man and a woman.
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Compiled by Michael Foust, associate editor of Baptist Press. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress ) and in your email ( baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp).


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Mo. Baptists gain via communication, cooperation
by Allen Palmeri/The Pathway
Date: November 09, 2012 - Friday

ST. LOUIS (BP) -- Buoyed by news that Cooperative Program giving is holding steady, messengers to the Missouri Baptist Convention's 178th annual meeting approved a $14.6 million budget and entered into new partnerships with New York and Mexico.

The theme for the convention's Oct. 29-31 sessions in St. Louis was "Gratitude" based on Psalm 107:1. Registration totaled 923 messengers and 295 visitors from 398 churches.

MBC Executive Director John Yeats, in his address to messengers, said the emphasis on communication and cooperation he has been sowing in his first year are beginning to take root. Yeats said a convention "reboot" is now necessary in building toward the future.

"We know in our heads that by working together we are enabled to do things on a larger scale than we could possibly ever do as individuals, individual churches, one association or even two associations," Yeats said. "Our Baptist forefathers discovered that our churches, by making a proportional gift to the Cooperative Program, could accomplish greater things than we could ever imagine or dream....

"But for lots of reasons, we lost sight of the cooperative vision and began embracing the power of individualism as acceptable to our culture. As a result, our cooperative work has been financially on the skids," Yeats said.

Messengers approved a $14.6 million Cooperative Program budget, up from the current $14.5 million. CP receipts for the year are projected to come in around $14.6 million (up 6 percent from last year). Budgeted funds for 2013 will be allocated 37.5 percent for Southern Baptist Convention causes -- up 0.25 percent -- and 62.5 percent for MBC causes.

Yeats cited one unprecedented statistic -- CP giving is up this year by around an average of $1,600 per day from last year. Meanwhile, the MBC is maintaining $2 million in reserve funds.

Yeats noted that the MBC is now on a "50-50 by 2020" course to balance state and national giving for CP causes in the next seven years. through a "legacy" approach to budgeting. Approved by the Southern Baptist Convention in the 1950s, the method involves placing selected items into a "shared" funding category (meaning they would not count toward 50-50). Within those parameters, Yeats said the MBC would now focus on annuity protections and The Pathway. Special status is warranted in both cases, he said, because the ministry flows back to the churches.

For 2013 this will mean $297,250 will go toward The Pathway as it transitions from paid subscriptions to an open circulation model distributed at no extra charge to upwards of 30,000 homes. For the annuity protections, the dollar amount will be $435,000. With that coming off the top, the actual total for the recommended budget drops to $13,912,750.

With the new 50-50 emphasis comes an identical commitment to distribute the MBC's overage line item (sometimes referred to as the "underspend") that way each year. Right now this category in the budget is more than $332,000.

Wesley Hammond, pastor of First Baptist Church in Paris, was elected as the convention's new president over David Baker, pastor of First Baptist Church in Belton, 405-269.

For the last two years, the same officers have led the convention: president, John Marshall, pastor, Second Baptist Church, Springfield, who completed five consecutive years as an officer. Now Hammond, who moves up after two years as first vice president, is the only one of those four remaining. Hammond was elected to the post 

Other new officers, all unopposed, are: first vice president, Neil Franks, pastor of First Baptist Church in Branson; second vice president, Joshua Hedger, pastor of Freshwater Church in Bolivar; and recording secretary, David Krueger, pastor of First Baptist Church in Linn. All were unopposed.

The total number of MBC churches is being reduced. After one vote on Oct. 29 and another on Oct. 31 to reconsider, messengers opted to potentially remove 94 churches from the MBC by Dec. 31 due to their lack of giving through the Cooperative Program. The action comes after a constitutional change in 2008 and several years of grace. Now by a final means of certified letter, congregations will be asked to either request removal or demonstrate that they have been disbanded.

Continuing its commitment to partnership missions, the Missouri convention now will be engaged in Upstate New York and Puebla/Tlxaca, Mexico through Dec. 31, 2016, with possible extensions of up to four more years. Messengers also voted to extend the MBC's partnership through the International Mission Board for a fourth year with one of the groups among the IMB's Sub-Sahara Africa Affinity Peoples. Missouri Baptists will complete their partnership with northern Illinois as of Dec. 31.

The MBC is weighing the feasibility of a historical restoration of its building in Jefferson City, acquiring a new Baptist Building or buying an existing building. More assessment is needed to determine whether to stay in a renovated building, with the possibility of capital generation being explored, or whether to sell the property. To that end, up to $35,000 from the convention's building fund has been set aside to pay Pearce Construction of Kansas City to provide firmer cost figures and develop a comprehensive strategy to pursue renovation/restoration of the Baptist Building. A preliminary presentation of their findings could occur at the MBC Executive Board's December meeting.

Messengers also gave Southwest Baptist University approval on charter changes. SBU President C. Pat Taylor said several are minor, involving gender-neutral language. The other change adds a section stating that the 136 acres of property known in 2012 as the Shoffner and Stufflebaum campuses in Bolivar, which amounts to the entire SBU main campus, cannot be sold or leased without the approval of the MBC Executive Board or the convention in annual session.

Kenny Qualls, pastor of First Baptist Church in Arnold, preached the convention sermon. Eddie Bumpers, pastor of Crossway Baptist Church in Springfield, was elected to preach the 2013 convention sermon in Kansas City.

Future annual meeting sites will be Oct. 28-30, 2013, at the downtown Sheraton Hotel, Kansas City; Oct. 27-29, 2014, at Tan-Tar-A Resort, Osage Beach; and Oct. 26-28, 2015, at University Place & Expo Center, Springfield.

In other business during convention sessions at St. Louis' Millennium Hotel, messengers:

-- chose a new convention site, St. Charles, for 2016 in approving an Oct. 24-26 annual meeting at the St. Charles Convention Center & Embassy Suites Hotel.

-- heard reports from two new Baptist leaders in the state -- Anthony Allen, president of Hannibal-LaGrange University, and Jason Allen, president of Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City.

-- set goals for various offerings including $4 million for the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions; $1.75 for the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American Missions; $250,000 for World Hunger; and $700,000 for the Missouri Mission Offering.

-- were alerted to a new disaster relief headquarters, archive storage facility and alternate training center located about 13 miles from the Baptist Building in Jefferson City. This building sits on 10 acres of property and includes 14,000 square feet of warehouse space. It is intended to replace the existing DR center at Marshall.
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Allen Palmeri is associate editor of The Pathway (www.mbcpathway.org), newsjournal of the Missouri Baptist Convention.

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N.Y. Baptists approve task force report
by Staff
Date: November 09, 2012 - Friday

SCHROON LAKE, N.Y. (BP) -- The Baptist Convention of New York, at its 43rd annual meeting, approved the recommendations of its Vision Task Force along with the formation of an ad hoc team to implement the plan.

The Vision Task Force, which BCNY messengers approved last year, made recommendations to refine the convention's vision and improve its effectiveness, made recommendations to improve cooperation and communication among BCNY staff, directors of missions, church planters and ministers; review and amend as necessary the BCNY constitution and bylaws; cooperate with member associations and churches to increase community and global impact; and to equip, empower and multiply church leadership.

Vision Task Force chairman Ted Harvey said the group reached its recommendations after several meetings and retreats, and often consulted with the BCNY executive board. 

"Please know that our recommendations continue to be a work in progress as opposed to a concrete document," Harvey said in the task force's report to BCNY messengers. "Our team welcomes ongoing input that will help improve and clarify the direction of our convention." Harvey is senior pastor of Somerset Hills Baptist Church in Basking Ridge, N.J., in the New York City metro area.

Other task force members were George Russ, John Mulligan, Richard Goforth, Milton Kornegay, Dale Suel and BCNY leaders Terry Robertson, the convention's executive director; Jim Hundley, outgoing BCNY president; and Mark Davis, chairman of the BCNY Executive Board.

The task force recommended the BCNY offer an online roadmap that churches could use to chart their future and recommended state-of-the-art communication technology for meetings, training and communication.

The BCNY should evaluate its staffing needs as well as whether to keep, sale or relocate its offices, currently in East Syracuse, N.Y., the task force said.

"A study would be made on the need to keep our present facility in East Syracuse, versus selling the property and relocating remaining staff to strategic locations," the task force said. "Findings and/or recommendations would be brought before the executive board and eventually to the 2013 annual conference."

The BCNY also adopted its 2013 budget and elected officers for the coming year during its Sept. 23-25 sessions at Schroon Lake, N.Y.

The 2013 budget of $1,764,026 is just 1.8 percent below the current amount, but increases Cooperative Program giving to 28.50 percent of the budget, up from this year's 28.25 percent. The convention's CP gifts totaled $207,515.77 during the SBC's 2011-12 fiscal year.

Ed Hart, director of missions for the Central New York Baptist Association, was elected as the BCNY's new president, joined by Edwin Attaway, pastor of First Christian Church in Brushton,  N.Y., as first vice president and Scott Gillette, administrative pastor of Amherst Baptist Church in Amherst, N.Y., as second vice president.

Dale Suel was elected as Executive Board chairman. Amherst Baptist Church in Amherst, N.Y., where Suel is senior pastor, will host the 2013 BCNY annual meeting Sept. 22-24. Andy Smith, associate pastor of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Cortland, N.Y., is the new Executive Board vice chairman.

Van McClain, a professor and administrator at the northeast branch of Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary in Schenectady, N.Y., will serve as recording secretary for both the BCNY and its executive board. Assistant recording secretary is Wayne Sibrava, pastor of Living Water Baptist Church in Owego, N.Y.

BCNY selected Sam Macri, pastor of Crosspoint Church in Whitesboro, N.Y., to preach the 2013 annual sermon, with Jae Lee, pastor of Ebenezer Mission Church in Oakland Gardens, N.Y., as the alternate preacher.
--30--
Compiled by Baptist Press staff writer Diana Chandler. The task force report, in two parts, is posted at the Baptist Convention of New York website, http://www.bcnysbc.org.



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CULTURE DIGEST: Attorney General Holder's family owns abortion clinic site
by Staff
Date: November 09, 2012 - Friday

NASHVILLE (BP) -- United States Attorney General Eric Holder's wife and sister-in-law own a building used as an abortion clinic by a doctor who was indicted last year on charges of Medicaid fraud, according to an investigative report.

Pro-life advocates suggested the connection may help explain Holder's refusal to prosecute abortion providers who violate federal law and his efforts to bring charges against sidewalk counselors outside abortion clinics.

Watchdog.org reported on the link between Holder's family and abortion doctor Tyrone Malloy Oct. 31 in Human Events, a conservative weekly newspaper.

Holder's wife, Sharon Malone Holder, and her sister, Margie Malone Tuckson, own a building in suburban Atlanta where Malloy once performed abortions, according to Watchdog. Though Tuckson denied they owned the building, Watchdog reviewed documents that show they moved ownership into a family trust in 2009. 

After being questioned by Watchdog, Tuckson contacted the Fulton County tax assessor's office to change the ownership, according to the report. The new deed, however, lists Malone Holder and Malone Tuckson as the sole trustees, Watchdog reported.

A local grand jury indicted Malloy and his clinic's former office manager, Cathy Ann Edwards, in December on charges they had received nearly $390,000 in federal payments for illegally funded abortions and ultrasounds that were never done, according to the report. The pair appealed to the Georgia Supreme Court a judge's decision that they could not challenge the state's Medicaid law.

In addition to his 2011 indictment, Malloy received reprimands from the state in the death of a baby in 1999 and in the death of a patient after a botched abortion in 2008, Watchdog reported.

Catherine Davis of the National Black Prolife Coalition told Watchdog, "There is a clear conflict of interest when the man charged with pursuing those that abuse the system is also one who is engaged in some way with the business."

The efforts by the Justice Department to prosecute pro-lifers who seek to counsel abortion-minded women outside clinics have failed in every case he is aware of, said Troy Newman, president of the activist Operation Rescue organization.

"It looks to me like the attorney general and his wife are in business with the abortion industry, which makes a lot of sense and helps explain why &#91;Holder's Justice Department&#93; is prosecuting pro-lifers and losing the cases around the country," Newman said, according to Watchdog.

"I don't think it's a surprise to anybody that Holder and the Obama administration are extremely biased against pro-life people and in favor of the pro-abortion crowd," he said.

Malloy filed papers with the state in September 2011 shutting down Old National Gynecology, the corporate name for his abortion business. He apparently is still performing abortions in the Atlanta area, a Georgia Right to Life spokeswoman told Watchdog.

OBAMA'S FAITH MAY BE EVOLVING, ADVISERS SAY -- As this year's presidential campaign drew to a close, CNN.com posted a 3,200-word article suggesting that President Obama's Christian faith had evolved into a more evangelical style.

Based in part on the book "The Faith of Barack Obama" by Stephen Mansfield, who wrote a similar book about Obama's predecessor, CNN.com religion editor Dan Gilgoff described Obama's religious life as "out-of-the-box and widely misunderstood."

When Obama entered the White House, he looked for a church to attend but wound up assembling a group of spiritual advisers that he prays with via conference call, including Kirbyjon Caldwell, a Methodist megachurch pastor from Texas who has been a favorite of George W. Bush. In fact, Caldwell and others prayed with Obama before he stepped on stage for the first presidential debate, the article said.

At the Democratic National Convention, Gilgoff noted, Obama hinted at a White House prayer life. 

"While I'm proud of what we've achieved together, I'm far more mindful of my own failings," the president said, "knowing exactly what Lincoln meant when he said, 'I have been driven to my knees many times by the overwhelming conviction that I had no place else to go.'"

The article also states, regarding Obama's disassociation with Jeremiah Wright, "Where Wright is a liberal mainline Protestant, emphasizing liberation and social action, Obama's new circle of pastors includes theologically conservative evangelicals like &#91;Joel&#93; Hunter and &#91;T.D.&#93; Jakes, who stress God's grace and personal transformation."

Joshua DuBois, the 30-year-old executive director of the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships, is considered the president's personal pastor, Gilgoff wrote. 

"He has always been on a Christian journey," DuBois said of Obama, "and the challenges of the office, of being leader of the free world, provide a deepening and strengthening of faith, and that's what you see with the president."

650-PLUS UNBORN BABIES ALIVE AFTER 40 DAYS CAMPAIGN -- More than 650 unborn children reportedly remain alive as a result of the efforts of the latest 40 Days for Life campaign.

By Nov. 6, staff with 40 Days had received reports of 652 babies saved from decisions to abort by their mothers. The 40-day effort -- which focuses on peaceful pro-life prayer vigils outside abortion clinics -- began Sept. 26 and concluded Nov. 4. Volunteers participated at locations in 49 states, the District of Columbia and seven Canadian provinces, as well as Australia, England, Spain and Uganda.

Among reports during the final week of the campaign:

-- A woman considering an abortion arrived at a Nashville, Tenn., clinic with two young children only to find it closed. Prayer vigil participants encouraged her to visit a nearby pregnancy help center. The information she received at the pregnancy center helped changed her mind, a 40 Days volunteer reported.

-- A woman drove from another county to a Bakersfield, Calif., clinic and stayed inside long enough to have an abortion. When she left the center, a prayer volunteer asked if she could use some help. "I couldn't do it," the woman told the 40 Days volunteer, according to a staff report. "They were doing an ultrasound, so I asked if I could see it. At first they refused, telling me, 'You don't really want to see it.' But I insisted, 'Yeah, I do want to see it, because if I can see it ... maybe I won't do it.'" When she saw the image of her 9-week-old unborn baby, she decided not to have an abortion.

-- A volunteer drove three hours to pray outside a Fayetteville, Ark., abortion clinic. On the same day in the same city six years before, she had learned she was pregnant and scheduled an abortion. "Thankfully, a pro-life group was there for me and helped me make the right decision and I have a beautiful 5-year-old daughter now," she said, according to 40 Days staff. "I was really wanting a chance to ... pay forward the kindness once shown to me."

HINDUS, MUSLIMS REPORT LOW PREMARITAL SEX RATES -- Christians and Jews are more likely than Hindus and Muslims to engage in premarital sex, according to a new study in the American Sociological Review.

The rate of premarital sex among Christians and Jews is 79 percent and 94 percent respectively, the study found, compared to 43 percent among Muslims and 19 percent among Hindus. 

The study, conducted by the City University of New York's John Jay College of Criminal Justice, based its findings on the responses of those interviewed. The findings included data from 31 developing countries collected between 2000 and 2008, including questions on religious affiliation, marital status and sexual behavior outside of marriage, according to the study analysis.

Study co-author Amy Adamczyk said the restricted interaction between the genders in Muslim and Hindu societies probably affects the findings.

"In many countries around the world, but in Muslim countries specifically, there's just much less interaction between the sexes," Adamczyk said in The Huffington Post. "It's just going to be much less likely that they're going to meet a potentially romantic partner."

Catholic University of America sociologist Paul Sullins said the findings are not surprising, according to The Post.

"The burka really works," Sullins said. "When you cover your women head to toe with cloth to keep them from being viewed by men outside their family, and you keep them strictly segregated from men throughout their growing years until they get married, you're going to have less premarital sex."

The Christian teaching against premarital sex is based on Scripture forbidding fornication and adultery. Yet other studies also have found high rates of premarital sex among Christians.

According to 2011 statistics from the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unwanted Pregnancy, 42 percent of evangelical singles between the ages of 18 and 29 were involved in a sexual relationship; 22 percent had had sex in the past year; and an additional 10 percent had had sex at least once in their lifetime.

BRITISH END-OF-LIFE PROTOCOL 'BACKDOOR EUTHANASIA' -- A British end-of-life protocol known as the Liverpool Care Pathway "has mutated into a form of euthanasia," a pro-life bioethics specialist said.

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), described by some as a rationing board, has urged health care providers in recent years to follow the Pathway when caring for patients near death. Doctors use drugs to place patients in a coma, then withdraw food, water and medicine until the patients die.

Bioethics specialist Wesley Smith described the Pathway's use as "backdoor euthanasia." In making the charge, Smith cited an Oct. 31 article in the British newspaper The Independent. That report quoted an article in the British Medical Journal in which Scottish doctor Des Spence said the Pathway enables a sedated patient to have a "peaceful, pain-free, dignified death." 

Reports imply some doctors are making "death lists" of patients to place on the Pathway, according to The Independent. Reports also assert hospitals may be using the protocol to reduce expenses and free up beds, the newspaper said.

"This means that at least some patients who can still eat and drink are put into comas and deprived of sustenance," Smith wrote in a Nov. 1 blog post for National Review Online. "That is appropriate when a patient can no longer assimilate food or water at the very end of life. But making it so they can't eat or drink water by mouth and then depriving them of the sustenance needed to keep them alive, is killing. And it hasn't been restricted to the imminently dying."

BOY WITHOUT BRAIN DIES AFTER LIVING TO 3 -- A Pueblo, Colo., boy who was born without a brain and expected to live no more than a few days died Oct. 31 at 3 years of age.

Nickolas Coke stopped breathing after catching what may have been a virus, said his grandmother, Sherri Kohut. He received CPR treatments but died after the third effort, according to KOAA-TV, the NBC affiliate in Colorado Springs and Pueblo.

Nickolas had anencephaly, a condition in which a child is born with only a brain stem and typically lives no more than a few hours or days.

"He was never hooked up to any machines, no tubes, no nothing," Kohut said, KOAA reported. "He taught us everything, he taught the love, how to be family."

LEADING PREGNANCY HELP NETWORK NAMES WARREN PRESIDENT -- Roland Warren is the new president of Care Net, the country's largest network of pregnancy help centers.

Warren had served as president of the National Fatherhood Initiative for 11 years before accepting the Care Net post. He replaces Melinda Delahoyde, who stepped down after five years as Care Net's president.

More than 1,100 pregnancy help centers in North America are part of Care Net's network.
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Compiled by Tom Strode, Erin Roach and Diana Chandler of Baptist Press. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress ) and in your email ( baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp).

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FIRST-PERSON: Taking a look at 'A Year of Biblical Womanhood'
by Terri Stovall
Date: November 09, 2012 - Friday

FORT WORTH, Texas (BP) -- "The Bible does not present us with a single model for womanhood and the notion that it contains a sort of one-size-fits–all formula for how to be a woman of faith is a myth" (from Rachel Held Evans' new book, "A Year of Biblical Womanhood").

This statement struck me when a friend and I traveled to Waco, Texas, to hear Rachel Held Evans speak during Baylor University's chapel earlier this year. I had been following Evans' popular blog for well over a year as she embarked on "The Project," a one-year journey to understand true biblical womanhood. After hearing her message, I felt torn. On the one hand, Evans' engaging communication style left me wanting to sit down with her over a cup of coffee and hear more of how she tackled her journey. On the other hand, I came away troubled by her statement that there is no "formula" for believing women.

I agree with Evans that knowing what womanhood looks like in today's world and culture is difficult to see in practical terms, but I cannot swallow that the Bible does not give us a model of how to be a woman of faith. I've anticipated the release of her book, "A Year of Biblical Womanhood," knowing that Evans and I would disagree, but also feeling that her book might serve those of us who teach and espouse a complementarian view of gender roles -- specifically biblical womanhood.

Have we really, as Evans claims, made one picture of womanhood the ideal above all others?

"In an attempt to simplify, we try to force the Bible's cacophony of voices into a single tone, to turn a complicated and sometimes troubling holy text into a list of bullet points we can put in a manifesto or creed" (page 294). If that is the case, then we complementarians need to take this as a wake-up call! If Evans reflects the feelings of other Christian women, then we must do a better job of communicating the timeless principles and blessings found in God's Word.

Through her easygoing writing style and storytelling ability, Evans chronicles a one-year journey to discover true biblical womanhood. Even the subtitle, "How a Liberated Woman Found Herself Sitting on Her Roof, Covering Her Head, and Calling Her Husband 'Master,'" indicates the tenor of the book; she is funny, engaging, and pulls readers into her experiences. For "The Project," as she calls it, Evans sought to study every biblical passage related to women, follow as many of the Bible's teachings in her day-to-day life, and commit to her "Biblical Woman's Ten Commandments." Each month she tackled a character trait and a task or behavior related to the trait of the month.

Evans' way of recounting her experiences will immediately draw in anyone who reads A Year of Biblical Womanhood. It is an easy read that is filled with funny stories of her antics, meaningful experiences with friends, and moments of discovery. But, weaved within these stories are little zingers that we need to be cautious of. Much of what Evans writes sounds good on the surface. Yet, statements like these should give us pause for concern: "The Bible's not the place to look for traditional family values" (48). "Christians seem to think that because the Bible is inspired, all of it should be taken literally. Jews don't do this" (87). "We forget sometimes that the Epistles are just that ... epistles" (259). Unless we read with discernment, these statements can influence our view of Scripture, gender roles and God. The wise reader will read Evans' book with discernment.

Evans employs a classic feminist hermeneutic or method of interpreting Scripture. Through her interpretation she concludes that gender roles are the result of the Fall and much of the New Testament epistles are a blend of Christianity and culture (218-19). This method of interpretation has the tendency to skip over or discount certain portions of Scripture as being only applicable to the first hearers or the original culture. The result of such a hermeneutic concludes that for "those who count the Bible as sacred, interpretation is not a matter of whether to pick and choose, but how to pick and choose" (296).

Additionally, when Evans explores the complementarian or biblical womanhood view, she tends to depend on fringe groups rather than the mainstream of the conservative view, or she interprets based on the writings of a select few, rather than the body of literature as a whole. Visiting Quaker groups, Amish families, and quoting heavily from Debi Pearl and her volume "Created to be His Help Meet" lead to misrepresentations of what complementarians truly believe. There were times I found myself saying out loud, "that's not really what complementarians believe or how they interpret that passage."

One more thing to be aware of is her focus on the legal codes of the Old Testament. While she does tackle submission, modesty and Paul's command that women are to remain silent, much of the literal behaviors she follows are based on Old Testament laws or instructions to the children of Israel. She depends heavily on the advice of a Jewish rabbi's wife, which introduces yet another view of Scripture into the equation. Yes, this is where the now famous story of spending the night in a tent, clutching a walkie-talkie during her "manner of women" is hilariously retold. Evans' attempt to literally enact what no longer has a place in the New Testament believer's life adds to the confusion of what she attempts to prove. Contrary to Evans' claim, Jesus did not consider he was defiled when the woman with the issue of blood touched Him (Matthew 5:24-34, page 170 in her book). We actually can learn about God's protection and provision for women from these legal codes if we understand them in their cultural context.

I do think Evans discovered a taste of true biblical womanhood whether she admits it or not. She learned the joys of hospitality and how it feeds the body and the soul. She learned how honoring her husband affects him, even if she doesn't greet him at the end of the day perfectly put together, slippers in hand, and a home-cooked meal on the table. She learned the transformation that comes from intentionally spending time with the Lord, not just talking to him, but also being quiet to listen.

After reading the book, I think that we as complementarians may be failing to communicate true biblical womanhood. If it is heard as a "list of rigid roles" (295) or antiquated lifestyle, rather than principles to be manifested in our life circumstances, we're missing the mark.

As others have criticized, her writing seems to portray biblical womanhood as foolish, dated and impractical. But, reading deeper, the apparent mockery flows from a more peripheral interpretation, quotes taken out of context, or an overall misunderstanding of the complementarian position. I have to wonder whether Evans' book can serve to spur complementarians on to better communicate the principles of biblical womanhood rather than offering a checklist of what to do.

I believe Rachel Held Evans, like many women, simply wants to know what biblical womanhood looks like in the 21st century. And, in one sense she's right: There is not a one-size-fits-all model for the practical outworking of biblical womanhood that fits every situation. Scripture does not always speak to the specifics but it does give us principles that inform the specifics. Without qualification, Scripture does provide the model for a woman after God's own heart to follow -- even if that doesn't fit into a neat little box.

While I am glad that I read A Year of Biblical Womanhood, it would be difficult to recommend it to a young woman still working out her theology unless she has the benefit of being able to discuss what she is reading. It's the kind of discussion that needs to be processed in a community of believing women. Nevertheless, the discussion needs to occur. There is value in dialog. And, yes, I would still welcome a conversation with Evans over a cup of coffee. We may walk away agreeing to disagree, but, hopefully, we will walk away understanding each other better.
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Terri Stovall serves as the dean of women's programs at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. She co-authored the book "Women Leading Women." This column first appeared at BiblicalWoman.org, a blog of Southwestern Seminary. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress ) and in your email ( baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp).

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FIRST-PERSON: Sandy and Election 2012
by Kelly Boggs
Date: November 09, 2012 - Friday

ALEXANDRIA, La. (BP) -- In the closing moments of MSNBC's coverage of the presidential election, left-leaning news pundit Chris Matthews shared the following: "I'm so glad we had that storm last week because I think the storm was one of those things. No, politically I should say. Not in terms of hurting people. The storm brought in possibilities for good politics."

Matthews was criticized and has since expressed regret for this calloused comment. In an on-air apology he said, "What I should have said is how impressive it is for people in trouble and how they react to see politicians working together across party lines, as they did during tropical storm Sandy and how people like to see that."

I will not question Matthews' sincerity about feeling sorry for coming across as uncaring toward those struggling in the storm's aftermath. However, he makes it clear he believes Hurricane Sandy gave the media an opportunity to portray positive images of President Obama. 

Matthews' comments indicate he believes the image of the president surveying the storm damage helped in the election. The most impressive photo-op for Matthews seemed to be the bipartisan stroll taken down the beach by Democrat President Obama and Republican Chris Christie, governor of New Jersey. 

Exit polls conducted by one broadcast network confirmed Matthews' assessment. CBS News polling found that President Obama's response to Hurricane Sandy "was a crucial factor for two in five voters nationwide."

What Matthews understands is that perception that is created by an image -- a picture, moving or still -- is reality for many people. Images also have the power to create and even shape emotion, and thus have become a persuasive tool for politicians.  

We live in a world dominated by media -- images and music – that is powerfully persuasive. In fact, we are so inundated by media that most don't even realize the influence it has upon us. And make no mistake, media does influence us. 

"If you want to know about water, don't ask a fish," states an ancient Chinese proverb. A fish's entire existence has been in water. It knows nothing else. It simply accepts water. So it is with media, especially for those for whom it has always existed. We really have no concept of the influence it has upon us. 

"Democracy, under the influence of television, is likely to pay inordinate attention to the performer and interpreter than to the planner and thinker," predicted Gerald Wendt, director of science and education at the 1939 New York World's Fair.

Wendt's prediction has come to pass. Politics is now performance. Very little serious discussion takes place during an election. Televised debates are little more than well-rehearsed sound bites, and candidates are scored by what kind of image they project to an audience.
 
In his book "The Vanishing Word," Arthur W. Hunt, III observed, "Images have a way of evoking an emotional response. Pictures have a way of pushing rational discourse -- linear logic -- into the background. ... Substance gives way to sounds and sights."

Add to the reality of media-produced perception the advent of post-modern thinking and the ability to create -- even manipulate -- emotion becomes even more profound. 

In post-modern thought the idea of absolute truth -- one idea being true as opposed to other ideas being false -- is irrelevant. Post-modern thought holds that all truth claims are equally valid. Truth becomes nothing more than a matter of perspective. When applied to politics it is called "spin."
 
Political advertising is now image-heavy, designed to create a positive perception of the candidate and a negative picture of his or her opponent. Television has been augmented by video, available on all matter of technology. Thus a constant stream of perception-creating images is available on demand. 

Politicians' claims and counter claims are made via sound bites, and fact-checkers do their best to keep up, but the images burn perceptions into the minds of media consumers. Truth becomes irrelevant, because, after all, each candidate's truth claims -- spin -- supposedly are equally valid. 

Post-modern sensibilities revolve around communities and demographic categories. Thus, politicians must convey that they understand and empathize with the various demographics and communities with which voters identify. Post-moderns are swayed by an image that creates the perception of empathy.
    
When an election is tight and the opportunity presents itself to create the perception of your candidate as sympathetic and caring to the plight of suffering citizens you take advantage and promote that image. 

Savvy pundits like Chris Matthews will see the photo-op for what it is, the opportunity to let people see "good politics." To a political provocateur, that is perfectly acceptable. After all, we dwell in a post-modern culture dominated by image and perception. And when truth is irrelevant all is fair when creating political spin -- I mean perception.   
--30--
Kelly Boggs is a weekly columnist for Baptist Press, director of the Louisiana Baptist Convention's office of public affairs, and editor of the Baptist Message, www.baptistmessage.com , newsjournal of the Louisiana Baptist Convention. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress ) and in your email ( baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp).

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EDITORIAL: El poderoso Dios siempre está en control
by Octavio Javier Esqueda
Date: November 09, 2012 - Friday

<i>NOTA DEL EDITOR: La columna First-Person (De primera mano) es parte de la edición de hoy de BP en español. Para ver historias adicionales, vaya a
http://www.bpnews.net/espanol</i>

LA MIRADA, Calif. (BP) -- "Bueno, pero Dios sigue estando en su trono" es una frase que he escuchado bastante veces en los últimos días. Los que la pronuncian generalmente lo hacen con un tono de resignación al ver que las cosas no se han dado como inicialmente esperaban. Me da la impresión que recuerdan que Dios está en control de las circunstancias solamente como un premio de consolación al ver que su candidato perdió las elecciones o enfrentan otras decepciones en la vida. Tristemente en estos casos, estas personas se olvidan que nuestro Dios siempre es victorioso, siempre está en control y que nada ni nadie obstruye su soberanía sobre todo. Dios no debería ser el premio de consolación de los perdedores sino el premio mayor de todos los días sin importar lo que esté sucediendo a nuestro alrededor.

El Dios soberano creador del universo no solamente siempre está en control a pesar de nuestras circunstancias sino que es personal y tiene cuidado de nosotros. La Biblia nos revela a un Dios que siempre se preocupa por nosotros y, por lo tanto, nuestro único y fiel refugio en todo momento. Esta realidad debería estar presente en nuestras vidas y actitudes a cada instante y debería ser nuestra primera respuesta y no la última después de haber fracasado en nuestros propios intentos y deseos. 

Dios es poderoso y nos protege siempre. El es nuestra verdadera confianza en todo momento. Por lo tanto, siempre podemos descansar en El. El salmo 121 nos recuerda la majestad del Dios que se preocupa por nosotros. Este salmo forma parte de un conjunto conocidos como salmos de ascensión (120-134) porque muy probablemente se entonaban cuando los peregrinos ascendían a Jerusalén para asistir a las grandes fiestas religiosas. A través de su peregrinar por caminos peligrosos nos recuerdan que Dios es verdaderamente nuestro fiel y constante refugio. 

El salmo en los dos primeros dos versículos establece el contexto y la respuesta a la fuente de nuestra confianza y en los siguientes versículos aplica esta verdad a nuestras diferentes circunstancias. La pregunta inicial era muy relevante en ese contexto social y cultural: "Alzaré mis ojos a los montes; ¿De dónde vendrá mi socorro?" Los montes en ese tiempo eran un símbolo de protección y seguridad. Por esta razón muchos pueblos buscaban construir sus casas y lugares de refugio en lo alto de las montañas. ¿Qué o quién es lo que nos puede dar la tranquilidad y ayuda en tiempos de dificultad? La respuesta es clara y contundente: "Mi socorro viene de Jehová, Que hizo los cielos y la tierra". Dios es la única fuente de otección real porque El es el creador del universo. Dios siempre tiene el control de toda su creación. No hay monte más seguro que Dios. No hay nadie más en quien confiar.

El resto del salmo enfatiza que Dios no solamente es poderoso por ser el creador sino que es personal y nos protege en todo momento. 

No dará tu pie al resbaladero, 
Ni se dormirá el que te guarda. 
He aquí, no se adormecerá ni dormirá 
El que guarda a Israel. 
Jehová es tu guardador; 
Jehová es tu sombra a tu mano derecha.    
El sol no te fatigará de día, 
Ni la luna de noche.  
Jehová te guardará de todo mal; 
El guardará tu alma.    
Jehová guardará tu salida y tu entrada 
Desde ahora y para siempre. 

La palabra "guardar" se repite seis veces a lo largo de estos versículos. Dios promete su protección en todo momento y en todas las situaciones. So solamente en el peregrinar sino a lo largo de toda la vida. Dios no se duerme o se le pasan las cosas. Dios cuida a su pueblo y es una fuente de descanso en medio del sol abrasador y también durante la fría noche. Dios nos protege por siempre. ¡Le importamos a Dios y podemos descansar en El!

No importa lo difícil de nuestra situación. Dios es bueno y nuestro pronto y seguro refugio. Es importante recordar esta verdad siempre y no solamente cuando tenemos problemas o decepciones. El saber que Dios está en control no es un sentimiento de resignación sino de paz y tranquilidad ya sea que estemos en un arrollo tranquilo o en medio de una tormenta. 
--30--
Octavio Javier Esqueda es profesor en los programas doctorales en educación en Talbot School of Theology de la Universidad Biola en La Mirada, California. Es miembro de la iglesia bautista Green Hills en La Habra, California y ha tenido la oportunidad de enseñar en diferentes países, instituciones y niveles académicos.


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El Gobernador de Nueva Jersey agradecido con los voluntarios bautistas, su apoyo continua
by Por Joe Conway
Date: November 09, 2012 - Friday

MIDDLETOWN, N.J. (BP) -- El Día de las Elecciones llegó con los sobrevivientes de la tormenta Sandy yendo a votar en tiendas de campaña—junto con un recordatorio de lo preparado que están los voluntarios del Southern Baptist Disaster Relief. Antes del golpe de la tormenta Sandy, Mark Gauthier, el comandante de área de SBDR, les recordó a los líderes de los equipos de apoyo en desastres que se aseguraran que los voluntarios votaran por correo antes de emprender el viaje para comenzar a ministrar. 

En este día también continuó la preparación de alimentos en los más de 16 sitios de apoyo y aumentaron bastante las peticiones de trabajos para remover el lodo. Un día antes, el Gobernador de Nueva Jersey Chris Christie felicitó a los voluntarios bautistas en Middletown, N.J. Los voluntarios bautistas usan playeras amarillas. 

Mientras tanto, Fritz Wilson, el director ejecutivo de apoyo en desastres en la Junta de Misiones Norteamericanas, NAMB, dijo que el apoyo para el desastre causado por Sandy continuará por varios meses.

Middletown se ha convertido en uno de los centros de ministerio de SBDR donde los voluntarios, principalmente de Oklahoma, hasta ahora, están siendo recibidos por Mike Miller, pastor de New Monmouth Baptist Church.

Dave Karr, un veterano con seis años de experiencia en apoyo en desastres, llegó acompañado por unos 90 voluntarios de Oklahoma para operar una estación triple de cocina capaz de preparar 35,000 comidas por día, una unidad para bañarse, una unidad para lavar la ropa, tres unidades con una sierra rotativa y una unidad para quitar lodo. Karr, miembro de Bethel Baptist Church en Norman, Okla., dijo que nada en ese lugar ha sido típico. 

Karr y su equipo se enteraron que el lunes iría de visita el Gob. Christie a una estación de bomberos cercana. "Decidimos ir a echar un vistazo," dijo Karr.  

"Estábamos parados atrás cuando uno de sus ayudantes nos juntó y nos llevó al frente de la multitud," recuerda Karr. "El Gob. Christie dijo, 'Ah, mis amigos de ayuda en desastres.' Nos agradeció por nuestro servicio. Le dije que estábamos ahí para servir y lo que nuestras cocinas eran capaces de preparar. Le dije que estábamos listos para ayudar en cualquier manera que podamos."

Kevin Ezell, Presidente de NAMB, también estuvo en Nueva Jersey el lunes. Visitó a los voluntarios de SBDR, agradeciéndoles por sus servicios. También visitó algunas áreas de Nueva York que fueron las más dañadas por la furia de Sandy.

"Caminamos por áreas de Staten Island donde la gente había perdido su vida. Otros perdieron todas sus posesiones materiales," dijo Ezell. "Me recordó que las cosas de este mundo son temporales y se pueden ir en un momento. También me recordó la importancia del trabajo de los voluntarios de SBDR. Proveemos alivio para el sufrimiento físico temporal al ayudar con alimentos y otras necesidades inmediatas. Pero también traemos alivio a largo plazo y la esperanza que sólo viene a través de una relación con Cristo." Ezell oró con los voluntarios y les agradeció sus esfuerzos.

"Han dejado las comodidades en su hogar para mejorar un poquito la vida de los sobrevivientes de la tormenta," dijo Ezell.

El lunes por la noche Grafitti Church en Manhattan fue la anfitriona de más de 100 personas que recibieron un entrenamiento sobre cómo rescatar su casa después de una inundación y reparar el daño por moho. La capacitación fue dirigida por Randy Creamer, el coordinador del apoyo de SBDR, quien continúa enseñando estas sesiones de entrenamiento en las iglesias de Nueva York y Nueva Jersey.   

En Middletown, mientras el equipo de apoyo está hospedándose en New Monmouth Baptist Church, las unidades de cocina y otros servicios están instaladas en el estacionamiento de Saint Mary's Catholic Church, al cruzar la calle. "Creo que es grandioso que esto demuestra que podemos trabajar juntos para ayudar a la gente en necesidad," dijo Karr.

"El Pastor Miller de New Monmouth ha sido muy amable. Nos dijo que la iglesia es nuestra; que la usemos como sea de mayor utilidad. También dijo que le gustaría usarla un poco los domingos," dijo Karr en tono de broma. 

Con los esfuerzos de recuperación en pleno vuelo, Karr dijo que New Monmouth probablemente será el centro de la actividad de SBDR durante el futuro cercano.

Desde su centro de operaciones en Alpharetta, Georgia, NAMB coordina y administra las respuestas de los bautistas del sur ante los desastres, a través de una asociación entre NAMB y las 42 convenciones estatales de la Convención Bautista del Sur, la mayoría de las cuales cuentan con su propio programa de ayuda en tiempo de desastre.

Los recursos de SBDR incluyen a 82,000 voluntarios entrenados, incluyendo a los capellanes, y unas 1,550 unidades móviles para alimentar, cortar madera, limpiar lodo, dirigir operaciones, comunicaciones, guardería, baños, lavanderías, purificación de agua, reparación y reconstrucción y generadores eléctricos. SBDR es uno de los mayores movilizadores nacionales de voluntarios entrenados para participar en apoyo en desastres, junto con la Cruz Roja Americana y El Ejército de Salvación. 

Los bautistas del sur y otros que quieran hacer una donación para apoyar las operaciones de ayuda en tiempos de desastres pueden contactar a su convención estatal o hacer una contribución a través del internet, haciendo un depósito en el fondo para ayuda en desastres de NAMB en namb.net/disaster-relief-donations. También puede llamar al 1-866-407-NAMB (6262) o enviar un cheque por correo a NAMB, P.O. Box 116543, Atlanta, GA 30368-6543. Designe sus cheques escribiendo "Disaster Relief" en la línea para anotar un "memo."  
--30--
Joe Conway escribe para NAMB. 


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'El poder de la iglesia local' se demuestra en la Ciudad de Nueva York
by Por Diana Chandler
Date: November 09, 2012 - Friday

CIUDAD DE NUEVA YORK (BP)- Una mujer anciana tenía miedo de abrir la puerta. Sola en la oscuridad de su apartamento en el 23º piso del complejo habitacional gubernamental Fulton en el Parque Chelsea, días después del paso del Huracán Sandy, no estaba acostumbrada a recibir ayuda.

Pero Gallery Church en Manhattan estaba dispuesta a ayudar. Cliff Mills, el líder ministerial, subió las escaleras hasta el 23º piso el 1º de noviembre para llegar hasta la mujer anciana, una de docenas cuya frágil salud les impidió evacuar el edificio, los elevadores se quedaron sin energía eléctrica por los apagones. 

"No había visto a nadie en tres días. No tenía energía eléctrica desde la noche del lunes y fuimos los primeros en llegar hasta su apartamento, así que no había visto a nadie desde el huracán," dijo Mills. "La gente se asusta y no sabe quién está detrás de esa puerta. Cuando al fin abrió la puerta, vio lo que queríamos darle. Estaba muy agradecida y nos dio una lista de algunas otras cosas que ella necesitaba. Pudimos regresar hoy mismo con esa lista y le dimos algunas cosas más que necesitaba."

Mills, uno de los miembros de Gallery Church por ya tres años, dirige un ministerio evangelístico para jóvenes en el Parque Chelsea, una comunidad a la que la iglesia ha adoptado como ministerio.

"No nos aparecimos hasta luego de dos días después del huracán y fuimos los primeros que ellos vieron. Eso te muestra el poder de la iglesia local. Usualmente en una situación como esta la iglesia local es la primera en el escenario. Fuimos los primeros en responder," dijo Mills. "Es simplemente asombroso que hay tanta gente en ese complejo habitacional que no han visto a nadie más que a nosotros. Eso me sorprendió y me abrumó."

Freddy T. Wyatt, el pastor de la iglesia bautista del sur Gallery Church movilizó a 20 voluntarios, casi un tercio de su membresía de 70, para explorar los apartamentos en el Parque Chelsea y en los barrios de Stuyvesant Town, buscando a aquellos en necesidad, y extendiendo su esfuerzo hasta el viernes para incluir dos áreas más.

"Hemos encontrado a docenas de ancianos. Algunos no habían tenido ningún contacto con alguien antes que nosotros, desde que llegó la tormenta. Encontramos a algunos que se estaban quedando sin comida, algunos que se estaban quedando sin agua y algunos que necesitaban su diálisis, y pudimos conectarlos de emergencia," dijo Wyatt. "Somos un lugar central con energía eléctrica, y pudimos distribuir a la gente entre diferentes lugares." 

Wyatt se está enfocando en proveer para las necesidades de alimentos, agua y medicinas para aquellos que sufren, y así buscan oportunidades para compartir el Evangelio.

"Creo que las oportunidades para compartir el Evangelio tendrán lugar a futuro en lugar de inmediatamente después de la tormenta," dijo. "La urgencia actual es encontrar las necesidades inmediatas, de vida o muerte. Pero en el Parque Chelsea ya tenemos una estación de oración donde estamos orando activamente con la gente del barrio. A partir de esto, habrá oportunidades para compartir el Evangelio.

"La ayuda que estamos proveyendo abrirá la oportunidad de compartir el Evangelio por lo menos durante los próximos dos años, creo," dijo Wyatt.

Él estableció un fondo de ayuda por el huracán Sandy en la página de internet de su iglesia donde ya ha recibido $7,000, con lo cual ayudará a una familia de la iglesia, Wayne y Erin Burton, quienes perdieron su casa y 95 por ciento de sus posesiones en Jersey City debido a la tormenta.

"Nuestra prioridad en ese fondo es ayudar a los Burton a remplazar todo lo que han perdido," dijo Wyatt. La mayoría de su membresía está a salvo, dijo, aunque quizá una docena no cuenta con energía eléctrica. El edificio de su iglesia está justo en el límite de la falta de energía eléctrica y la perdió durante un día solamente. El sótano del edificio de apartamentos donde él vive está inundado y todo el edificio no tiene electricidad, lo que le ha forzado a quedarse en un hotel en Manhattan.

La devastación ha impreso en Wyatt la importancia de la iglesia local, a menudo en la mejor posición para responder ante los barrios con necesidades. 

"Anoche escribí en Twitter que Sandy nos ha mostrado por qué sería muy bueno tener una iglesia en cada cuadra de la Ciudad de Nueva York," dijo, "porque las necesidades son tan vastas. Hay 66,000 personas por cada milla cuadrada en Manhattan y realmente necesitas iglesias en cada esquina para poder adueñarse de sus barrios."

"Dios ha sido muy bondadoso en ayudarnos a procesar todo lo que está pasando y armar un plan claro y cohesivo hoy para movilizar a la gente para que satisfaga algunas de las necesidades más críticas en Manhattan," dijo Wyatt. 
--30--
Diana Chandler es la redactora de Baptist Press. 
Para hacer una donación al fondo de ayuda para desastres contacte a las oficinas de la Convención Bautista del Sur en su estado o visite el enlace del esfuerzo de ayuda en desastres de la Junta de Misiones Norteamericanas, NAMB, en http://namb.net/disaster-relief-donations 


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La victoria de Obama es parte de un gran escollo para los social conservadores
by Por Tom Strode
Date: November 09, 2012 - Friday

WASHINGTON (BP) -- El presidente Barack Obama retomó la Casa Blanca por otros cuatro años en una elección que demostró un contundente escollo sobre asuntos morales para los cristianos evangélicos y otros social conservadores.

El primer presidente afroamericano del país volvió el desafío del republicano Mitt Romney el 6 de noviembre al ganar el voto popular y más de 300 votos electorales. El día después de las elecciones, Obama estaba a la cabeza 303-206 en el Colegio Electoral con Florida que todavía no estaba listo para declarar un ganador. El margen del voto popular del presidente se mantuvo a 60,097.107 (50 por ciento) contra 57,412.778 (48 por ciento) para Romney.

La elección no cambió el balance de poder en Washington, el cual ha sido controlado por un cuerpo estancado los últimos dos años. Los demócratas no solo mantuvieron el control de la Casa Blanca, sino que fortalecieron ligeramente su mayoría en el Senado. Los republicanos perdieron algunos escaños en la Casa de Representantes pero mantuvieron su mayoría.

Obama ganó la reelección a pesar de gobernar a la izquierda en asuntos morales -- más notablemente en su ilimitado respaldo al aborto y su financiación, además de su endorso al matrimonio del mismo sexo a principios de año -- e inclusive haciendo campaña a favor del derecho al aborto. Los demócratas continúan en el Senado -- el cual hará entrar en función a su primera miembro abiertamente homosexual la recién electa demócrata Tammy Baldwin -- parece asegurar que el Congreso no dará pasos por lo menos los próximos dos años para frenar las políticas liberales del presidente.

En votaciones en iniciativas estatales, Maine, Maryland y posiblemente el estado de Washington se convierten en los primeros estados en apoyar el matrimonio del mismo sexo en votaciones populares. Los votantes en Colorado y Washington aprobaron el uso recreativo de la marihuana.

Fred Luter, el primer presidente afroamericano de la Convención Bautista del Sur, dijo que la Biblia anima a los cristianos a orar por aquellos en autoridad independientemente de su afiliación política.

"Como ciudadanos de EE.UU., ahora es el tiempo para que quitemos los rótulos de los jardines y los broches y &#91;oremos por&#93; nuestro presidente," le dijo Luter a Baptist Press. "Nuestra nación está en problemas, y necesitamos creyentes que oren para que la voluntad de Dios sea hecha en EE.UU. Necesitamos entender que solamente va a suceder debido a que el pueblo de Dios empieza a orar por un reavivamiento en EE.UU."
 
Luter, pastor principal de Franklin Avenue Baptist Church de New Orleans, dijo que Dios le hizo una promesa a su pueblo, no al gobierno, luego citó 2 Crónicas 7:14. 
 
"'Si mi pueblo, que lleva mi nombre, se humilla y ora, y me busca y abandona su mala conducta, yo lo escucharé desde el cielo, perdonaré su pecado y restauraré su tierra.' Así que, aunque recién hemos elegido un presidente, no depende del presidente, sino de que el pueblo de Dios hagamos nuestra parte," dijo Luter.

R. Albert Mohler Jr., presidente del Seminario Teológico Bautista Southern en Louisville, Kentucky, dijo que los evangélicos "deben ver las elecciones del 2012 como una catástrofe para los intereses morales cruciales."

Los resultados de la elección y la información que la acompaña, escribió Mohler el 7 de noviembre en un artículo de blog: "indican que la 'evolución' del presidente Obama sobre el asunto del matrimonio del mismo sexo no le costó a él nada. Eso probablemente sorprendió a ambos lados de la controversia."

"Claramente, enfrentamos un nuevo paisaje moral en EE.UU., y un gran reto para aquellos de nosotros que valoramos apasionadamente estos asuntos," dijo. "Enfrentamos un desafío de la visión del mundo que es mucho mayor que cualquier desafío político, cuando debemos aprender cómo graciosamente convences a los estadounidenses a compartir nuestras convicciones morales acerca del matrimonio, el sexo, la santidad de la vida y una gama de asuntos morales. Esto no será fácil. Es, sin embargo, un llamado urgente a la acción."

Durante el último año, los bautistas del sur y otros líderes evangélicos se unieron a los católico romanos para objetar el mandato de la administración Obama sobre aborto/anticonceptivos -- aun aquellos que pueden causar abortos -- y tiene una exención religiosa que cubre a las iglesias pero no a la mayoría de las organizaciones religiosas.  

Romney ganó un porcentaje mayor del voto evangélico del que ganó John McCain en 2008 e inclusive al porcentaje de George W. Bush en 2004, de acuerdo a un análisis de datos de una encuesta informal hecho por el Foro sobre Religión y Vida Pública Pew. 

Romney recibió el 79 por ciento del voto de los blancos evangélicos nacidos de nuevo en contra del 73 por ciento que recibió McCain. Obama, mientras tanto, ganó el 20 por ciento de ese grupo este año comparado con el 26 por ciento en 2008. El presidente Bush recibió el 79 por ciento de apoyo de los votantes blancos evangélicos nacidos de nuevo en 2004. Los datos de la encuesta informal no indican cómo votaron los evangélicos de todas las razas. 
--30--
Tom Strode es el jefe de la oficina de Washington para Baptist Press. Con reporte de Marty King, director de comunicaciones corporativas de LifeWay Christian Resources.


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COMPENDIO CULTURA: La fe de Obama puede estar evolucionando
by Por el personal
Date: November 09, 2012 - Friday

NASHVILLE (BP) -- Cuando la campaña presidencial de este año se acercaba a su cierre, CNN.com publicó un artículo de 3.200 palabras que sugería que la fe cristiana del presidente Obama había evolucionado hacia un estilo más evangélico.

Basado en parte en el libro "La fe de Barack Obama" de Stephen Mansfield, quien escribió un libro similar acerca del predecesor de Obama, el editor religioso de CNN.com, Dan Gilgoff describió la vida religiosa de Obama como "fuera de lo corriente y ampliamente malentendida."

Cuando Obama entró a la Casa Blanca, buscó una iglesia a la cual asistir pero acabó reuniendo un grupo de consejeros espirituales con los que ora vía teleconferencia, que incluye a Kirbyjon Caldwell, pastor de una mega iglesia de Texas que ha sido favorito de George W. Bush. De hecho, Caldwell y otros oraron con Obama antes que él apareciera en escena para el primer debate presidencial, dijo el artículo.

En la Convención Nacional Demócrata, Gilgoff señaló que Obama dio a entender que había una vida de oración en la Casa Blanca. 

"Aunque estoy orgulloso de lo que hemos logrado juntos, estoy mucho más consciente de mis propias fallas," dijo el presidente, "al saber exactamente lo que Lincoln quiso decir cuando dijo: 'He tenido que postrarme de rodillas muchas veces ante la abrumadora convicción de que no tengo otro lugar adonde ir.'"

El artículo también declara, en relación con la disociación de Obama de Jeremiah Wright: "Mientras que Wright es un liberal predominantemente protestante, que enfatiza la liberación y la acción social, el nuevo círculo de pastores de Obama incluye evangélicos teológicamente conservadores como &#91;Joel&#93; Hunter y &#91;T.D.&#93; Jakes, quienes enfatizan la gracia de Dios y la transformación personal."

Joshua DuBois, el director ejecutivo de 30 años de edad de la oficina religiosa de la Casa Blanca y Compañerismo de Vecindario, está considerado como el pastor personal del presidente, escribió Gilgoff. 

"Él siempre ha estado en un peregrinar cristiano," dijo DuBois acerca de Obama, "y el desafío de la oficina, de ser líder del mundo libre, provee una fe profunda y fortalecedora, y eso es lo que se ve del presidente."

HINDÚS, MUSULMANES REPORTAN BAJO ÍNDICE DE SEXO PREMARITAL -- Los cristianos y los judíos tienen más probabilidades que los hindúes y los musulmanes de involucrarse en sexo premarital, de acuerdo a un nuevo estudio de la Reseña Sociológica Americana.

El índice de sexo premarital entre los cristianos y los judíos es de 79 por ciento y 94 por ciento respectivamente, encontró el estudio, comparado con el 43 por ciento entre los musulmanes y el 19 por ciento entre los hindúes. 

El estudio, conducido por City University del Colegio de Justicia Criminal John Jay de New York, basó sus hallazgos en las respuestas de los entrevistados. Los hallazgos incluyeron información de 31 países desarrollados que fue recogida entre 2000 y 2008 que incluyó preguntas sobre afiliación religiosa, estado civil y comportamiento sexual fuera del matrimonio, de acuerdo al análisis del estudio.

La coautora del estudio, Amy Adamczyk dijo que la restringida interacción entre los géneros en las sociedades musulmanas e hindúes probablemente afectaron los hallazgos.

"En muchos países alrededor del mundo, pero específicamente en los países musulmanes, hay mucha menos interacción entre los sexos," dijo Adamczyk en el Huffington Post. "Va a haber mucha menos probabilidad de que vayan a encontrar una pareja potencialmente romántica."

El sociólogo Paul Sullins de la Universidad Católica de América dijo que los descubrimientos no son sorprendentes, de acuerdo al Post.

"La burka realmente funciona." dijo Sullins. "Cuando cubres a tus mujeres desde la cabeza hasta los pies con ropa que no permite que sea vista por los hombres que no sean de la familia, y las mantienes completamente segregadas de los hombres durante los años de crecimiento hasta que se casen, vas a tener menos sexo premarital."

La enseñanza cristiana en contra del sexo premarital está basada en las Escrituras que prohíben la fornicación y el adulterio. Sin embargo otros estudios también han encontrado altos índices de sexo prematrimonial entre los cristianos.

De acuerdo a estadísticas del 2011 de la Campaña Nacional para Prevenir el Embarazo no Deseado en Adolescentes, el 42 por ciento de los solteros evangélicos entre los 18 y los 29 años estaban involucrados en una relación sexual; 22 por ciento habían tenido sexo el año anterior; y un adicional 10 por ciento había tenido sexo por lo menos una vez en su vida.

NIÑO SIN CEREBRO MUERE LUEGO DE VIVIR 3 AÑOS -- Un niño de Pueblo, Colorado, que nació sin cerebro y que se esperaba que no viviera más de pocos días murió el 31 de octubre a los 3 años de edad.

Nickolas Coke dejó de respirar después de adquirir lo que pudo haber sido un virus, dijo su abuela, Sherri Kohut. Él recibió tratamientos de RCP pero murió después del tercer esfuerzo, de acuerdo a KOAA-TV, la afiliada de NBC en Colorado Springs y Pueblo.

Nickolas tenía anencefalia, una condición en la cual un niño nace con solamente el tronco cerebral y generalmente no vive más de unas pocas horas o días.

"Nunca fue conectado a ninguna máquina, ni tubos, a nada," dijo Kohut, reportó KOAA. "Nos enseñó todo, nos enseñó el amor, cómo ser una familia."

PREEMINENTE RED DE AYUDA EN EL EMBARAZO NOMBRA A WARREN PRESIDENTE -- Roland Warren es el nuevo presidente de Care Net, la red más grande del país de centros de ayuda en embarazos.

Warren había servido como presidente de la Iniciativa de Paternidad Nacional durante 11 años antes de aceptar el puesto en Care Net. Él reemplaza a Melinda Delahoyde, quien renunció luego de cinco años de servir como presidenta de Care Net.

Más de 1.100 centros de ayuda en embarazos en Norte América son parte de la red Care Net.
--30--
Compilado por Tom Strode, Erin Roach y Diana Chandler de Baptist Press.


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EDITORIAL: El poderoso Dios siempre está en control
by Por Octavio Javier Esqueda
Date: November 09, 2012 - Friday

LA MIRADA, Calif. (BP) -- "Bueno, pero Dios sigue estando en su trono" es una frase que he escuchado bastante veces en los últimos días. Los que la pronuncian generalmente lo hacen con un tono de resignación al ver que las cosas no se han dado como inicialmente esperaban. Me da la impresión que recuerdan que Dios está en control de las circunstancias solamente como un premio de consolación al ver que su candidato perdió las elecciones o enfrentan otras decepciones en la vida. Tristemente en estos casos, estas personas se olvidan que nuestro Dios siempre es victorioso, siempre está en control y que nada ni nadie obstruye su soberanía sobre todo. Dios no debería ser el premio de consolación de los perdedores sino el premio mayor de todos los días sin importar lo que esté sucediendo a nuestro alrededor.

El Dios soberano creador del universo no solamente siempre está en control a pesar de nuestras circunstancias sino que es personal y tiene cuidado de nosotros. La Biblia nos revela a un Dios que siempre se preocupa por nosotros y, por lo tanto, nuestro único y fiel refugio en todo momento. Esta realidad debería estar presente en nuestras vidas y actitudes a cada instante y debería ser nuestra primera respuesta y no la última después de haber fracasado en nuestros propios intentos y deseos. 

Dios es poderoso y nos protege siempre. El es nuestra verdadera confianza en todo momento. Por lo tanto, siempre podemos descansar en El. El salmo 121 nos recuerda la majestad del Dios que se preocupa por nosotros. Este salmo forma parte de un conjunto conocidos como salmos de ascensión (120-134) porque muy probablemente se entonaban cuando los peregrinos ascendían a Jerusalén para asistir a las grandes fiestas religiosas. A través de su peregrinar por caminos peligrosos nos recuerdan que Dios es verdaderamente nuestro fiel y constante refugio. 

El salmo en los dos primeros dos versículos establece el contexto y la respuesta a la fuente de nuestra confianza y en los siguientes versículos aplica esta verdad a nuestras diferentes circunstancias. La pregunta inicial era muy relevante en ese contexto social y cultural: "Alzaré mis ojos a los montes; ¿De dónde vendrá mi socorro?" Los montes en ese tiempo eran un símbolo de protección y seguridad. Por esta razón muchos pueblos buscaban construir sus casas y lugares de refugio en lo alto de las montañas. ¿Qué o quién es lo que nos puede dar la tranquilidad y ayuda en tiempos de dificultad? La respuesta es clara y contundente: "Mi socorro viene de Jehová, Que hizo los cielos y la tierra". Dios es la única fuente de otección real porque El es el creador del universo. Dios siempre tiene el control de toda su creación. No hay monte más seguro que Dios. No hay nadie más en quien confiar.

El resto del salmo enfatiza que Dios no solamente es poderoso por ser el creador sino que es personal y nos protege en todo momento. 

No dará tu pie al resbaladero, 
Ni se dormirá el que te guarda. 
He aquí, no se adormecerá ni dormirá 
El que guarda a Israel. 
Jehová es tu guardador; 
Jehová es tu sombra a tu mano derecha.    
El sol no te fatigará de día, 
Ni la luna de noche.  
Jehová te guardará de todo mal; 
El guardará tu alma.    
Jehová guardará tu salida y tu entrada 
Desde ahora y para siempre. 

La palabra "guardar" se repite seis veces a lo largo de estos versículos. Dios promete su protección en todo momento y en todas las situaciones. So solamente en el peregrinar sino a lo largo de toda la vida. Dios no se duerme o se le pasan las cosas. Dios cuida a su pueblo y es una fuente de descanso en medio del sol abrasador y también durante la fría noche. Dios nos protege por siempre. ¡Le importamos a Dios y podemos descansar en El!

No importa lo difícil de nuestra situación. Dios es bueno y nuestro pronto y seguro refugio. Es importante recordar esta verdad siempre y no solamente cuando tenemos problemas o decepciones. El saber que Dios está en control no es un sentimiento de resignación sino de paz y tranquilidad ya sea que estemos en un arrollo tranquilo o en medio de una tormenta. 
--30--
Octavio Javier Esqueda es profesor en los programas doctorales en educación en Talbot School of Theology de la Universidad Biola en La Mirada, California. Es miembro de la iglesia bautista Green Hills en La Habra, California y ha tenido la oportunidad de enseñar en diferentes países, instituciones y niveles académicos.



