By Bob Allen Four Baptists in Belarus paid fines after losing appeals for holding worship services without government permission. Forum 18, an international news service that specializes in religious-freedom issues, reported that Pastor Aleksandr Zolotarev, arrested in a Dec. 22…
SBC ethicist tight with Catholics, Mormons on shared public policy concerns
By Bob Allen The Southern Baptist Convention’s top spokesman for public policy said March 5 that in his first months on the job he is working closely with his Mormon and Roman Catholic counterparts on religious-liberty concerns. “These days, anyway,…
More Louisiana College documents emerge
By Bob Allen Louisiana College trustees are working on a contract extension for President Joe Aguillard, according to the Town Talk newspaper in Alexandria, La., even as new documents emerged alleging that Aguillard’s office submitted papers with forged signatures to…
Attitudes among Southern Baptist leaders shifting on birth control
Editor’s note: This article was corrected March 11 to clarify a quote in 14th paragraph. By Bob Allen On the surface, Roman Catholics and Southern Baptists might seem unlikely bedfellows in opposing mandated coverage of contraceptives under Obamacare, but observers…
Southern Baptist Convention’s abortion stance moving toward birth control issues
By Bob Allen Once essentially pro-choice, the Southern Baptist Convention today stands firmly with pro-life evangelicals and Catholics on sanctity-of-life issues, including opposition to mandated coverage of contraceptives in the Affordable Care Act. Southern Baptist attorney Linda Coffee wrote a…
Baptist, Catholic urge new religious freedom envoy
By Bob Allen A Southern Baptist official and a Roman Catholic bishop signed a joint letter March 4 asking two U.S. senators to allow a vote on a bill that would create and fund a new envoy to promote religious…
Ethicist says gun giveaway shifts focus of church event from hunting to politics
By Bob Allen A moderate Baptist ethicist faulted Kentucky Baptists’ method of giving away guns to lure unchurched men to outreach events for politicizing wild game feasts that have been popular in rural America for decades. “There is no conflict…
Baptist, Methodist pastors in Miss. oppose discrimination based on religious freedom
By Bob Allen Five Baptist and Methodist pastors have sent an open letter urging Mississippi legislators to defeat a bill, similar to one recently vetoed by Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer, that is headed for the House of Representatives for debate…
Baptists target gun enthusiasts for outreach
By Bob Allen A new Kentucky Baptist Convention initiative to lure unchurched men to worship gained national attention after the Louisville Courier-Journal featured an upcoming gun giveaway at a Paducah church located 10 miles from the site of a 1997…