By Bob Allen An Oklahoma scholarship program to help children with disabilities attend private schools violates the state’s constitution because it uses public funds to support religious instruction, according to a brief filed April 13 in a case before the…
Georgia Baptist college gets tax break
By Bob Allen A tax rebate tailored to benefit a single Georgia Baptist college was slipped into a 49-page spending bill passed by the Georgia legislature just before this year’s lawmaking session expired April 2. State Sen. Bruce Thompson, a…
Faith leaders support Iran framework deal
By Bob Allen Four dozen Christian leaders voiced support for a framework agreement for a peaceful path to prevent Iran from building nuclear weapons in a full-page ad in Roll Call paid for by Sojourners, a Washington-based social justice ministry…
Circle of Protection asks presidential contenders what they would do for the poor
By Bob Allen Christian leaders from various denominations called on newly announced presidential candidate Hillary Clinton April 12 to produce a three-minute video telling Americans that if elected what she would do for the hungry and poor. “We are praying…
Prof says homosexual orientation is a sin
By Bob Allen While many Christians read the Bible as forbidding homosexual acts, a Southern Baptist scholar argues in a recent article that same-sex orientation itself is sinful. Denny Burk, professor of biblical studies at Boyce College, the undergraduate arm…
Central Seminary among fastest-growing theology schools
By Bob Allen Central Baptist Theological Seminary ranked second among the fastest-growing seminaries in North America, according to a new report by the Association of Theological Schools. The seminary in Shawnee, Kan., has grown by nearly 180 percent during the past…
Baptist schools raise RFRA defense in federal appeals court
By Bob Allen A lawyer representing two Baptist General Convention of Texas-affiliated Christian universities asked a federal appeals court April 7 to affirm a lower court ruling that mandated contraceptive coverage in employee insurance plans violates the Religious Freedom Restoration…
Liberian Baptists oppose ‘Christian nation’ label
By Bob Allen Baptist leaders in Liberia have spoken in opposition to a proposed constitutional amendment declaring the West African republic a Christian state. A committee charged with reviewing Liberia’s 1986 constitution recommended 19 changes during a five-day conference March…
Southern Baptists urged to pray as Supreme Court weighs gay-marriage arguments
By Bob Allen The Southern Baptist Convention went online April 7 urging people in the pews to pray when the U.S. Supreme Court hears oral arguments about whether state gay-marriage bans are constitutional. The SBC Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission…
Obama honors Gardner Taylor at Easter prayer breakfast
By Bob Allen President Obama paid tribute to an African-American Baptist pastor and civil-rights leader who died Easter Sunday at age 96 in remarks at the White House Easter prayer breakfast April 7. “This morning, we also remember a man of…
Baptists, others, fear legal gay marriage will censor free speech
By Bob Allen A Supreme Court decision this summer to legalize same-sex marriage in America would exacerbate a pattern of restrictions on the free speech of individuals who say publicly they believe homosexuality is a sin, according to a legal…
Catholics, Baptists join in religious liberty battle over gay marriage
By Bob Allen Southern Baptist and Roman Catholic leaders issued a joint statement April 3 concerning acrimony over religious liberty and same-sex marriage going on in Indiana and other states. Philadelphia archbishop Charles Chaput and William Lori of the Roman…