By Bob Allen Moderate and conservative Baptists set aside differences in an Oct. 15 letter opposing subpoenas ordering five Houston pastors to turn over sermons as evidence in a lawsuit seeking repeal of the city’s non-discrimination ordinance. Top leaders of…
BJC supports Muslim prisoner’s right to grow beard
By Bob Allen The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments Oct. 7 weighing the rights of people in prison to exercise their religion against sensitivity to corrections officials in matters of security. The case, Holt v. Hobbs, involves a practicing…
Charles Watson is on a mission: to ensure religious freedom for the next generation
Interviewed by Robert Dilday What led to your focus on religious liberty issues? c POSITION: Education and Outreach Specialist, Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty AGE: 33 EDUCATION: B.S, The Citadel; M.Div., Mercer University’s McAfee School of Theology CURRENT CITY:…
Pastor/farmer to take Baptists’ First Amendment commitments to Va. legislature
By Robert Dilday A pastor and cattle farmer in rural Southside Virginia has been tapped to advocate in the state’s legislature for First Amendment issues on behalf of the Baptist General Association of Virginia’s religious liberty committee — the first…
Pastor, former journalist leaving Baptists for UCC
By Bob Allen A former Southern Baptist journalist turned American Baptist pastor is switching churches, and denominations, moving to the United Church of Christ. Kathryn Palen, pastor of Central Baptist Church in Jamestown, R.I., since January 2007, announced recently she…
Bible flap challenges Navy policies on faith in pluralistic society
By Jeff Brumley A June decision to remove Bibles from the U.S. Navy’s base lodging system was cheered by atheists. Now it may be evangelicals’ turn to celebrate after the decision was placed on hold last week pending further review….
BJC breaks down Hobby Lobby ruling
By Bob Allen Two Baptist experts in religious liberty law say the U.S. Supreme Court’s interpretation of a 1993 federal law intended to bolster religious freedom in the recent Hobby Lobby decision could set a precedent for future rulings applying…
Prison beard case is Supreme Court’s next church-state decision
By Bob Allen Religious liberty advocates say a case headed toward the U.S. Supreme Court Oct. 7 over whether Arkansas prison officials have the right to deny permission for a Muslim inmate to grow a half-inch beard for religious reasons…
BJC, others, oppose religious exemption in non-discrimination order
By Bob Allen The Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty joined nearly 100 other civil- and religious-liberty organizations in a letter July 15 urging President Obama to reject calls to exempt religious groups from an upcoming executive order banning discrimination…