By Bob Allen
The Missouri Baptist Convention called on state lawmakers to enact legislation or propose a constitutional amendment to enhance religious liberty and freedom of conscience protections for pastors and churches in a resolution at the group’s annual gathering Oct. 26-28 in Springfield, Mo.
A resolution titled Defense of Religious Liberty calls on the Missouri State Legislature “to pass a Religious Liberty Protection Act (and/or a Missouri constitutional amendment) that explicitly secures our Religious Liberty and freedom of conscience for pastors, churches, businesses, schools, student groups, colleges and institutions.”
The resolution coincides with the launch of an online petition by the Coalition on Religious Liberty, a collection of Christian and pro-family organizations spearheaded by Don Hinkle, editor of The Pathway newspaper and the Missouri Baptist Convention staff member assigned to religious liberty and public policy concerns.
Hinkle said Nov. 4 that after three months of meetings, the coalition was finishing up a proposed amendment to the state constitution to be submitted to the legislature in January with hopes of getting it placed on the ballot in either August or November.
Hinkle said Nov. 2 that faith leaders are “cautiously optimistic” that religious liberty legislation drafted primarily by Carl Esbeck, constitutional law professor at the University of Missouri Law School, can make it through the legislature and eventually be put up for vote by the general public.
“There appears to be strong support in the House,” Hinkle reported. “There is significant support in the Senate, but the question will be is their enough to break a Democrat filibuster backed by a barrage of media screaming ‘discrimination’ along with corporations threatening to withhold campaign contributions and pulling jobs out of Missouri.”
“Homosexuals do not want this on the ballot, because polls show Missourians favor religious liberty by nearly 2-1 for churches, pastors, institutions, student campus groups and business owners,” Hinkle continued. “Instead they have sought victory through coercion via the judicial system and by bullying lawmakers. Polls suggest that voters will pass the measure if approved by the General Assembly.”
Hinkle said the reason for pursuing a constitutional amendment is that way it would bypass Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon, who would certainly veto the legislation. Observers believe Secretary of State Jason Kander, also a Democrat,” would prefer the referendum to be on the August primary ballot instead of November, when it would boost conservative turnout in the general election.
The Missouri Baptist Convention resolution claims that religious liberty “is under direct threat as never before.”
“Local, state and federal legislatures and courts are increasingly demonstrating intolerance of and hostility toward orthodox religious and moral viewpoints, openly declaring that religious liberties must give way to the new morality, its redefinition of marriage, and its demand for coercive moral, cultural and legal sovereignty,” the resolution affirmed.
Government and the courts, it continued, “have increasingly burdened religious citizens, religious businesses, and religious institutions, demanding they supply goods or services that violate their religious beliefs or moral convictions.”
Another resolution supported legislation ending taxpayer funding for Planned Parenthood in response to undercover videos accusing the organization of profiting from the sale of fetal tissue and requiring abortion providers “to educate expectant mothers through an ultrasound showing the development of their unborn children.”
A resolution on Israel lamented that the Obama administration “concluded a deal with a nation pledged to the extermination of Israel, abandoning our nation’s historical and biblical commitment” and called on national leaders “to renounce the growing tide of anti-Semitism and return to America’s historical and biblical commitment to Israel.”