Another new group has emerged in the struggle for control of the Southern Baptist Convention — a tug-of-war between traditionalist conservatives and ultra-conservatives. The Center for Baptist Leadership was introduced on social media March 8 by William Wolfe, a conservative…
There’s a new religious advocacy group with ties to Patterson and Conservative Baptist Network
The latest conservative, pro-family, anti-diversity advocacy group affirmed by the James Dobson Family Institute has distinctive Southern Baptist ties and takes its name from a historic Baptist legacy traditionalists might be surprised to see on such an enterprise. In an…
Just the facts on abortion attitudes
In preparation for a recent appearance on The Joy Reid Show, I prepared the following talking points that might be of interest to others. NATIONAL TRENDS. Two thirds (64%) of Americans favor the legality of abortion, vs. one third…
Abortion now more important to Democrats than Republicans as a voting essential
The issue of abortion is more important to Democrats than it is for Republicans when choosing political candidates heading into the 2024 election, according to a study by Public Religion Research Institute. The PRRI-Brookings Institution survey of 2,500 U.S. adults…
Why it’s so hard to roll back the most severe abortion bans
Some Republican legislators who have pushed hardline bans on abortion now believe they went too far, but unraveling laws already passed is harder than passing them in the first place. One such legislator is Tennessee state Sen. Richard Briggs. In…
Florida bill would allow parents to sue for wrongful death in cases of abortion
A Florida bill that would allow parents to file wrongful death lawsuits in cases involving fetuses is little more than an effort to punish abortion providers, according to some of the state’s leading abortion-rights advocates. House Bill 651 would create…
SBC agency vows to ‘advocate for the complete end of abortion’ in America
When conservatives gained control of the Southern Baptist Convention and its agencies and seminaries in the late 20th century, a top priority was to convert the Christian Life Commission into an anti-abortion advocacy group. That came true with the first…
Unholy vows, endangered women and Texas abortion politics
Old Testament scholar Phyllis Trible names it one of the “texts of terror” in the Hebrew Scriptures: Jephthah, a Gileadite general, is facing a decisive battle with the Ammonites. He makes a vow to God: If you give me the…
GOP abortion laws are wildly out of step with many evangelicals’ convictions
Since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, 21 Republican-led states have passed restrictions and/or outright bans on women receiving elective abortions. The most stringent of these laws may be found in the state of Texas, whose state legislature…