Amanda Tyler, executive director of Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty, warned members of Congress that attacks against faith freedom at home and abroad present a threat to national security and to American democracy. “Religious freedom is at a crossroads…
100 chaplains urge Texas schools not to take the bait on school ‘chaplains’
Texas school districts should reject a new state law that permits hiring government-approved chaplains to counsel public school children, more than 100 chaplains say in an Aug. 22 letter to school board members statewide. The chaplains warn the policy created…
Serving immigrants is part of advocating for religious liberty, Cano says
Those dedicated to religious freedom should remember that serving the needs of immigrants is part of that struggle, Anyra Cano said during a June luncheon hosted by Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty. This reminder is a critical given that…
High court’s ruling on wedding website designer is fatally flawed, Hollman and Tyler say
The U.S. Supreme Court’s 303 Creative v. Elenis ruling could undermine public accommodation laws historically enacted to end Jim Crow and other discriminatory practices, said Holly Hollman, general counsel for Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty. “It’s not surprising that…
Return to radical vision of early Baptists on church-state separation, Tyler and Leonard urge
Baptists must tap into their radical Christians roots to help counter the white Christian nationalism that threatens American democracy and social justice, warned Amanda Tyler and Bill Leonard. The duo spoke during a June 29 breakout session at the Cooperative…
Advocacy’s power flows from grassroots movements, Tyler and Henderson tell CBF
The power of advocacy for just causes is grassroots — it grows from the ground up, a pair of nonprofit leaders stressed during the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship General Assembly in Atlanta June 30. Cassandra Henderson, executive director of the Interfaith…
High court unanimously seeks a compromise on religious accommodation in the workplace
In a rare unanimous decision, the U.S. Supreme Court June 29 found a compromise on a thorny religious liberty claim: What constitutes “undue hardship” on an employer required to accommodate a worker’s religious practices? Rather than unwinding legal precedent —…
Oklahoma’s OK for nation’s first religious charter school to be challenged in court
Legal, political and faith-based opposition is mounting against Oklahoma’s action clearing the way for the nation’s first religious charter school. Americans United for the Separation of Church and State announced preparations are under way for legal action after the Oklahoma…
Ten Commandments bill dies in Texas Legislature
A controversial effort to require posting the Ten Commandments in all Texas public school classrooms has died for this session. Senate Bill 1515 passed through the Texas Senate on party-line votes but was among dozens of bills that didn’t get a…