RSS feed for Baptist Press (BPNews) Tue, 12 May 2008 15:00-0500 WASHINGTON (BP)--Heath Shuler is that rarest of Democrats in Congress –- the pro-lifer.       The congressman from western North Carolina established himself last year, his first in the House of Representatives, as one of the half-dozen most reliably pro-life Democrats in that chamber. Shuler and five other Democratic members compiled 85 percent voting records, according to the scorecard compiled by the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC), making them the top pro-life congressmen in their party.       In contrast, 197 House Democrats received ratings of 0 from NRLC.       Despite his status in a party that is overwhelmingly committed to abortion rights, Shuler, a Southern Baptist, says he feels no pressure to conform when a vote on a "life" issue approaches.       "They know who I am, how I stand, and they never ask any questions," he told Baptist Press. "They can go find someone else to push on, because they know they'll never get it out of me."       Even some of the leading pro-life Republicans rated no better than 85 percent in NRLC's 2007 ratings. New Jersey's Chris Smith -- widely considered the pro-life leader of the House -– along with Ohio's Steve Chabot and Virginia's Frank Wolf all received scores of 85. Tue, 12 May 2008 15:00-0500 WASHINGTON (BP)--A brief, written message Heath Shuler's mother gave him before he entered high school made an impression on him that remains to this day. Tue, 12 May 2008 15:00-0500 NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Tornadoes killed at least 22 people in Oklahoma, Missouri and Georgia and left a wide swath of destruction May 10 as part of what the National Weather Service has said is the deadliest tornado year in a decade. Tue, 12 May 2008 15:00-0500 NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Les Puryear, senior pastor of Lewisville (N.C.) Baptist Church, will be nominated for president of the Southern Baptist Convention during the SBC's June 10-11 annual meeting in Indianapolis, Dwight McKissic, senior pastor of Cornerstone Baptist Church in Arlington, Texas, announced May 12. Tue, 12 May 2008 15:00-0500 Tue, 12 May 2008 15:00-0500 Tue, 12 May 2008 15:00-0500 LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP)--Who are the evangelicals? The issue of evangelical identity and definition has been central to the evangelical project from its very beginning in America.