A popular youth evangelist who preached at one of the nation’s largest Baptist youth camps July 5-9 has died of COVID pneumonia less than a month later. Some parents had complained that their teenagers came home from Falls Creek Assembly…
Oklahoma pastor and Republican Party chair employs Star of David to protest vaccine requirements
An Oklahoma pastor who is the chairman of the state’s Republican Party authored a Facebook post last week that compared COVID-19 vaccine mandates to the persecution of Jews in the Holocaust. The sentiment expressed by John Bennett, pastor of Lee…
Senator criticized for asking nominee, under oath, whether he ‘believes in God’
Religious liberty watchdogs cried foul July 28 when a United States senator during a confirmation hearing asked the candidate under oath whether he believes in God. The U.S. Constitution plainly states: “No religious test shall ever be required as a…
Southern Baptists join Catholic bishops in asserting ‘no Constitutional basis’ for abortion at all
There is no constitutional basis for abortion in America, and states should be able to regulate it without interference from the federal government, according to a court brief filed July 28 with the U.S. Supreme Court by the Southern Baptist…
Interviewer asks Robert Jones how far white Christians will go to control government
White Christians increasingly appear to support democracy only as long as they’re in charge of running it, author and researcher Robert P. Jones said in one of his most candid interviews to date. Jones, founder of Public Religion Research Institute…
Francis Collins: ‘Give God the glory’ for vaccines ‘but roll up your sleeve’
COVID-19 vaccines are a gift from God and an answer to prayer, one of the nation’s top health authorities told Baptist News Global in an exclusive interview July 22. “Give God the glory but roll up your sleeve,” said Francis…
Interfaith coalition asks Biden to stop Arizona land swap to protect Native American religious liberties
A coalition of nearly 60 interfaith groups —including nine Baptist groups — has written to President Joe Biden asking for his intervention in a controversial Arizona land-swap enacted in 2014 but not yet consummated. The deal as currently structured would…
Anatomy of a lie: How one private school amplified a persistent COVID vaccine myth
The misinformed but determined founder of a private school in Miami has been identified as a key link in perpetuating one of the most convincing lies about the COVID-19 vaccines. In an analysis that demonstrates the power of one institution…
American support for same-sex marriage continues to increase, even as religious conservatives battle LGBTQ community on other fronts
Bipartisan support for same-sex marriage in America continues to soar forward, even while some state legislatures are attempting to enact a raft of other anti-LGBTQ bills. Having lost their previous crusade against same-sex marriage, religious conservatives now are driving Republican…