Baptist Press Archive

Monday, June 01, 2009

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  • Land, other pro-lifers condemn Tiller's killing
    by Tom Strode, posted Monday, June 01, 2009 (15 years ago)

    WASHINGTON (BP)--Southern Baptist ethicist Richard Land and other pro-life leaders quickly condemned the May 31 killing of abortion doctor George Tiller.

    "Murdering someone is a grotesque and bizarre way to emphasize one's commitment to the sanctity of human life."

    -- Richard Land

          Probably the best-known abortion provider in the United States, Tiller was shot to death on Sunday morning inside the building of Reformation Lutheran Church, the Wichita, Kan., congregation of which he was a member.

          Scott Roeder, 51, of Merriam, Kan., was arrested the same day on suspicion of committing the crime. Roeder is a member of the Freemen, an anti-government group, and strongly opposed abortion, according to The Wichita Eagle. He believed the killing of abortion doctors was justified, other abortion opponents told The Eagle.

          The entire pro-life community "must swiftly and soundly repudiate" the one who killed Tiller if he "was acting in the name of the pro-life movement," said Land, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, in a statement released the day of the murder.

          Tiller's slaying "is a human tragedy," Land said. "Murdering someone is a grotesque and bizarre way to emphasize one's commitment to the sanctity of human life. People who truly believe in the sanctity of human life believe in the sanctity of the lives of abortion providers as well as the unborn babies who are aborted." Read More

  • Murder not justified, pro-life leaders say
    by Staff, posted Monday, June 01, 2009 (15 years ago)

    WASHINGTON (BP)--The leaders of the country's major pro-life organizations universally decried the May 31 slaying of abortion doctor George Tiller, and many said they would be praying ... Read More

  • 'Everything but marriage' bills advancing
    by Michael Foust, posted Monday, June 01, 2009 (15 years ago)

    CARSON CITY, Nevada (BP)--Nevada's legislature overrode the governor's veto Sunday in passing a bill legalizing same-sex domestic partnerships, continuing a growing and often overlooked nationwide movement to grant same-sex couples the legal benefits of marriage ... Read More

  • CULTURE DIGEST: Spiritual immaturity stymies church, researcher Barna says
    by Erin Roach, posted Monday, June 01, 2009 (15 years ago)

    NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--An unclear understanding of spiritual maturity may be an underlying reason why there is so little progress in seeing people develop spiritually in the United States, despite overwhelming access to churches and unlimited products and resources, The Barna Group says. Read More

  • VBS strong; one trend prompts concern
    by Polly House, posted Monday, June 01, 2009 (15 years ago)

    NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--As has been the case for many years, the number of professions of faith in Southern Baptists' Vacation Bible School 2008 is equal to 25 percent of the convention's baptisms, but the shortening of the VBS week by some churches is raising concern.

    LifeWay Christian Resources' VBS is recognized as "the most successful outreach tool Southern Baptists have to positively affect children in making a decision to receive Jesus Christ as their personal Savior," Jerry Wooley, Li... Read More

  • VBS photo contest: Deadline is Aug. 3
    by Jennifer Tramel, posted Monday, June 01, 2009 (15 years ago)

    NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Facts & Trends Online once again is inviting churches and individuals to submit photos for the annual Vacation Bible School Photo Contest. This year, all submissions will be archived at the LifeWay News page on Facebook, a social networking website.

    Submissions of photos from churches' "Boomerang Express" and "Club VBS: Truth Trek" outreach will be organized into photo albums by geographical regions.

    Participants can enter photos by e-mailing them to factsandtren... Read More