Members of the Religious Liberty Council have elected a full slate of RLC officers in addition to representatives to the board of directors of Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty. The council is one of many supporting groups for BJC…
Tyler testifies for religious freedom for all people
Anti-Muslim legislation and policies violate the U.S. Constitution’s requirement that government remain neutral in matters of religion, said Amanda Tyler, executive director of Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty. Tyler offered the perspective during a May 13 House Judiciary subcommittee…
Is pluralism possible under an evangelical Christian God?
What does pluralism mean for people who believe there’s only one way to God, who believe God reigns, but who live in a nation that values liberty and justice for all? This is the question many Christians are wrestling through….
When government claims God
The semiquincentennial celebration unofficially kicks off this coming Sunday, May 17, on the National Mall. The Marine Band will play. Fanfare trumpets will sound across the Reflecting Pool. From a stage at 12th Street, top government officials — the secretary…
Experts say anti-Christian bias task force report is full of bias
A new Justice Department report accusing President Joe Biden of discriminating against Christians is “absurd” on multiple levels, said Melissa Rogers, who led faith-based initiatives under the former administration. The April 30 study, “Eradicating Anti-Christian Bias within the Federal Government,”…
Partisan attack on SPLC is an attack on First Amendment, Tyler warns
The federal government’s move against Southern Poverty Law Center is also an attack on religious pluralism, freedom of conscience and First Amendment safeguards for all American people and religious communities, said Amanda Tyler, executive director of Baptist Joint Committee for…
‘Religious freedom isn’t something that exists on paper’
For a year, ICE and the Trump administration have made it harder for communities to live, gather and worship without fear. It started with the erosion of sensitive locations — which allowed ICE to conduct immigration enforcement activities on church…
Judge says AU may not intervene in Johnson Amendment litigation
A constitutional watchdog group may not defend the Johnson Amendment in litigation filed by religious groups seeking to promote political causes from the pulpit, a federal judge in Texas ruled. Americans United for Separation of Church and State sought third-party…
BJC agrees with demand to retain Johnson Amendment
Thirteen U.S. senators and representatives have written to the acting director of the Internal Revenue Service urging him to continue enforcement of the Johnson Amendment that prevents churches and other charities from endorsing political candidates. The IRS announced July 7…
Texas curriculum fight offers lessons in advocacy, Tyler says
The new “Bluebonnet” curriculum in Texas furthers the mythology of America as a Christian nation and tries to “indoctrinate that history at a very early age for young Texans,” according to Amanda Tyler. Tyler, who leads Baptist Joint Committee on…
Trump says he’s bringing back prayer to schools
The president who famously said he’s never prayed to ask for God’s forgiveness claimed Sept. 8 he’s going to reinstitute prayer in public schools — a practice outlawed by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1962. Ever since the court’s ruling…
Christians Against Christian Nationalism growing with regional groups
Nearly 20 groups affiliated with Christians Against Christian Nationalism have been formed in more than a dozen states to advocate for religious freedom and to resist the religious hatred and violence sweeping the nation. And more churches or clusters of…