Resources from 2009

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (BP)--Scott Pospisil knew it years ago.       He could see something unique in his eldest son. Ross Pospisil, now a senior linebacker at the U.S. Naval Academy who is preparing for the final game of an impressive four-year career, had plenty of typical boyish vigor, but there was something else. He also possessed a precocious tenderness. Ross loved to serve others.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)–The fear of rejection is no excuse to avoid sharing the Gospel, says speaker and author Bill Fay, who suggests a change in perspective is all that’s needed. Fay’s book “Share Jesus Without Fear” has been used by churches and Christian schools nationwide as an evangelism tool, and he regularly speaks at Share […]

GRAPEVINE, Texas (BP)--Thirty years ago I asked a group of college students what book of the Bible they would like to study at a home Bible study I led each week.

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (BP)--Crude comedies and end-of-the-world actioneers dominated the box office in 2009.

RICHMOND, Va. (BP)--Ten years ago this month, many people were wondering if the world would end with the beginning of the new millennium.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--A number of stories grabbed national headlines for at least a brief time in the year that now was:       -- The deaths of political icon Ted Kennedy and pop superstar Michael Jackson elicited heartfelt tributes as well as harsh critiques.       -- Likewise, the country's collective conscience was disturbed to learn about Tiger Woods' adultery.       -- Even the Swine Flu burst into public awareness, but despite dire predictions from the federal government and the United Nations, the epidemic did not rise to the severity of the seasonal flu viruses of 2008.       However, 2009 will not be remembered for the merely tantalizing, or sensational, or even for a deeply emotional moment, but for the promises of enduring hope and change … and unfortunately for the frustrating realities of "more of the same."       MIRACULOUS BEGINNING       Shortly into 2009, The "Miracle on the Hudson" gave the nation an emotional surge of hope when on Jan. 15 US Airways Captain Chesley Sullenberger piloted his powerless aircraft to an emergency landing on the river, saving the lives of all 155 onboard after losing both engines to bird strikes seconds after takeoff.       AN AMERICAN FIRST       The lifted national spirit was a fitting precursor to the historic inauguration of the first African American president of the United States which took place five days later. Hope was the word of the day or at least the politically correct response as liberals and conservatives alike wrote and spoke reverently of the promise in the Declaration of Independence fulfilled in Barack Obama: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." Whatever the true feelings of the political pundits, when all was said and done, it seemed most Americans were sincerely moved by the symbolism of how far we have come in race relations in the U.S. represented in Obama's election by a white majority electorate.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (BP)--Religious liberty suffered a setback in the U.S. but won a victory in Canada in December in two closely watched cases involving the legal tug-of-war between religious rights and "gay rights." [QUOTE@left@150="Christians and other people of faith should not be fined or jailed for expressing their political or religious beliefs."
-- Attorney Gerald Chipeur]      Both cases are seen by American conservative groups as indicators of what could be in the nation's future if laws protecting homosexuality continue to pass and if "gay marriage" spreads to all 50 states.       In the U.S. case, a New Mexico judge ruled that a husband- and wife-owned photography company violated state anti-discrimination laws when they refused to take pictures of a lesbian commitment ceremony. The ruling -- which is being appealed -- held up an earlier decision by the state's Human Rights Commission. If the ruling is not overturned the husband and wife will owe the lesbian couple more than $6,600 in attorneys' fees.       In Canada, an Alberta court found that Stephen Boissoin, a Baptist pastor at the time, did not violate the province's so-called hate speech laws when he wrote a 2002 letter to a local newspaper criticizing homosexuality and warning against the "homosexual agenda." The court's ruling reversed a decision by the Alberta Human Rights Commission, which had ordered him to pay $5,000 in fines and write a letter of apology to University of Calgary professor Darren Lund, who filed the original complaint. The money for Lund would have been for the "pain and suffering" he allegedly endured.       Attorneys allied with the Alliance Defense Fund, a Christian legal group, are involved in both cases.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--The year is drawing close, and churches are thinking about end-of-the-year giving campaigns.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Two fist pumps to the chest and an index finger pointed toward heaven.       For University of Tennessee quarterback Jonathan Crompton, they are outward signs of an inward commitment. The fist-to-chest means "I'm giving"; the point-to-the-sky signifies "glory to God." They occur after Crompton throws a touchdown pass.