Baptist Press Archive

Thursday, February 22, 2007

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  • EC general counsel disputes group's child sex abuse claims in AP story
    by Staff, posted Thursday, February 22, 2007 (17 years ago)

    "The repeated claims of Ms. Brown and SNAP to the media that we had been unresponsive are untrue ... SNAP has issued an apology for making those claims."
    NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--The Southern Baptist Convention "deplores and condemns" child sexual abuse and provides resources for its member churches to battle it, an attorney with the SBC's Executive Committee said in a statement Feb. 22.

    "Rose French for the Associated Press reported '... SNAP has received reports of about 40 cases of sexual abuse by Southern Baptist ministers -- with some of the incidents dating back many years.' ... [W]e [SBC] asked for their [SNAP's] data six months ago, but did not receive a reply."
    EC General Counsel

    D. August Boto

          The statement by D. August Boto was in reference to an Associated Press story about a victims' group -- SNAP -- that is asking the denomination to launch an independent review board to look into cases concerning child sexual abuse. A SNAP coordinator, Christa Brown, was quoted in the story as saying Southern Baptist leaders "don't want to see this problem" as true. (SNAP is an acronym for Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests and other Clergy.)

          Boto, though, in a 1,300-word statement, said the denomination is addressing the problem, and has long been doing so. Read More

  • Calif. Supreme Court refuses to hear Mt. Soledad cross case
    by Staff, posted Thursday, February 22, 2007 (17 years ago)

    SAN DIEGO (BP)--In another victory for supporters of the Mt. Soledad cross war memorial in San Diego, the California Supreme Court said Feb. 21 that it will not hear an appeal on Proposition A, a ballot measure approved by voters in 2005 that transferred the land beneath the cross to the federal government. Read More

  • Mohler, atheist debate faith’s contribution to society
    by David Roach, posted Thursday, February 22, 2007 (17 years ago)

    LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP)--Though the Christian church has evidenced shortcomings in every era of its history, Christians have done much more good than harm in Western society, R. Albert Mohler Jr. said Feb. 20 in the first online panelist chat on a faith-oriented website sponsored by The Washington Post and Newsweek magazine. Read More

  • BAPTIST IDENTITY: Many young pastors seeking a place in SBC, dean says
    by Tim Ellsworth, posted Thursday, February 22, 2007 (17 years ago)

    JACKSON, Tenn. (BP)--Having examined various blogs by young pastors whom some might see as angry, Greg Thornbury concluded that the sentiment is more frustration than anger over a lack of answers to the question of what it means to be a Baptist. Read More