The Law Amendment is not dead yet. The controversial amendment to the Constitution of the Southern Baptist Convention — which failed to get a two-thirds vote on second reading last June — would enshrine a prohibition on SBC churches allowing…
Oklahoma and Utah consider far-reaching ‘conscientious objection’ bill for medical providers
Oklahoma and Utah are among the latest states with proposed legislation that would allow health care providers to refuse specific procedures, care or medication based on vaguely defined moral, religious or conscientious beliefs. So-called “conscientious objection” laws are not entirely…
Trump’s actions face 96 court challenges; here’s where to track them
At least 96 court cases have been filed against the Trump administration for actions taken in the first six weeks of Donald Trump’s return to the White House. The website Just Security has created an online tracker that enumerates the…
Four new lawsuits challenge Trump immigration actions
The Trump administration faces at least four lawsuits from activist groups, migrants and U.S. citizens for eliminating deportation protections that have saved hundreds of thousands of migrants from war, poverty and persecution in their home countries. One of the federal…
AWAB joins 10 other groups in Ash Wednesday statement to vulnerable people
The Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists is among 11 Christian groups issuing an Ash Wednesday statement opposing President Donald Trump’s policies on LGBTQ rights, immigration and disruptions to federal funding for vulnerable populations. “We can’t mince words about what’s…
Matt Queen sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement
The former Southwestern Seminary professor who confessed to lying to the FBI about a sexual abuse case was sentenced March 5 to time served, to be followed by one year of supervised release that includes six months of home confinement…
As Trump tries to kill refugee resettlement, groups issue ‘Ash Wednesday Declaration’
The American Baptist Churches in the USA and The United Methodist Church are among a host of religious bodies joining Church World Service in issuing an “Ash Wednesday Declaration” in support of refugee resettlement work. The declaration comes as the…
Views of Israel, Ukraine and Mexico differ greatly by partisanship
Democrats and Republicans hold wildly different views on Israel, Ukraine and Mexico, according to new data from Gallup. When asked to rate their views of countries as either negative or positive, Americans diverge the most on views of Israel, with…
Oklahoma parents sue Walters to stop Bible curriculum in schools
The families, teachers and religious leaders already suing to block Oklahoma from buying classroom Bibles are now attempting to prevent the state from purchasing a Scripture-based curriculum for elementary school children. The plaintiffs filed a brief with the Oklahoma Supreme…
Views on LGBTQ rights differ by state, party and religious tradition
As legislators in some states seek to overturn the U.S. Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide, a new national survey finds public support for LGBTQ rights differs strongly by state, party and religious tradition. Although marriage equality appears to…
Revised book highlights religious freedom for African Americans
The Black church and community must band together to bring ancestral wisdom to bear against white Christian supremacy, said William Lamar, pastor of Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C., which recently won a court judgment against the Proud…
Walesa and Polish prisoners of war denounce Trump’s treatment of Zelensky
Polish democracy advocate Lech Wałęsa and 39 other former prisoners of war sent a letter to U.S. President Donald Trump expressing panic and dismay at the way he treated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office last Friday. “We…