By Bob Allen A petition to overturn a new anti-discrimination ordinance in Plano, Texas, has been ruled invalid because groups including a Southern Baptist megachurch collecting signatures did not follow proper procedure to have the measure placed on a ballot….
BJC defends Muslim woman’s right to wear hijab to work
By Bob Allen In a closely watched case argued Feb. 25, a Baptist religious-liberty group urged the U.S. Supreme Court to allow a Muslim woman to wear a religious head-covering to work. The Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty, a Washington-based…
Religious groups deny defense of marriage reflects animus against gays
By Bob Allen Religious opposition to same-sex marriage isn’t anti-gay but rather based on religious beliefs and practical experience that children do best when they grow up in a stable home environment with both a mother and a father, faith…
Baptist theologian says Bible doesn’t condone homosexuality
By Bob Allen Equating gay rights with civil rights is an unfair comparison, theologian and cultural analyst Jim Denison said at a recent conference on the church and homosexuality sponsored by an association of Baptist churches in Texas. Jim Denison,…
Proposed ‘bathroom bill’ raises Baptist ire in N.C.
By Bob Allen Baptists in North Carolina are among religious voices opposing a pending non-discrimination measure in Charlotte, N.C., marked by debate over where transgender persons can go to the bathroom. The Biblical Recorder, news journal for the Baptist State…
Truett prof asks CBF liberals to drop ‘moderate’ label
By Bob Allen A professor at a moderate Baptist seminary says some individuals within the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship are starting to sound more liberal than moderate, prompting others to worry the quasi-denomination is drifting leftward and away from its evangelical…
Southern Baptist florist at center of marriage debate
By Bob Allen A Southern Baptist grandmother and small business owner in Washington State is the newest face in America’s culture war over gay marriage. A state judge ruled Feb. 18 that 70-year-old Barronelle Stutzman, owner of Arlene’s Flowers in…
Seminary president fears liberal drift in churches
By Bob Allen A Southern Baptist Convention seminary president says he foresees a day when the six SBC-owned seminaries may for the first time be more conservative than the churches they serve. Jason Allen, president of Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary,…
Fired Atlanta fire chief sues city
By Bob Allen Former Atlanta fire chief Kelvin Cochran has filed a federal lawsuit against the city claiming he was fired because of his religious beliefs. Cochran, a member and deacon at Southern Baptist-affiliated Elizabeth Baptist Church, was fired Jan….
Baptist college reinstates fired VP
By Bob Allen A Brewton-Parker College vice president fired Feb. 2 after refusing to sign a non-disclosure agreement about Ergun Caner’s Jan. 20 resignation has been reinstated. Iowa pastor Dave Miller, editor of SBC Voices, a group blog devoted to…
Alabama Baptist church faces ouster for pastor’s gay-friendly views
By Bob Allen A local association of Southern Baptist churches is poised to kick out an Alabama church after a member of the congregation who is an ordained minister received media attention for performing a gay marriage. Representatives of the…
Court upholds religious accommodation in Obamacare
By Bob Allen A federal appeals court ruled Feb. 11 that accommodations in Obamacare are adequate to protect the religious freedom rights of employers who do not qualify for exemptions allowed for certain religious organizations but object to contraception coverage…