By Bob Allen The U.S. Supreme Court declined Jan. 17 to reconsider a lower court’s decision barring a North Carolina county from invoking prayers in Jesus’ name at twice-a-month meetings of its main governing body. The court declined without comment…
Supreme Court upholds ‘ministerial exception’ to employment discrimination laws
By Bob Allen A unanimous U.S. Supreme Court ruled Jan. 11 that churches can fire their ministers for reasons that for other employers would be job discrimination. The decision marks the first time the high court has recognized a “ministerial…
Seven arrested in protest of NYC church ban
By Bob Allen Editor’s note: This story was edited after publication to correct misinformation in tne next-to-final paragraph and to add a comment from the NYC Law Department. A New York City councilman was among seven people arrested Jan. 5…
OPINION: Baptists shouldn’t take religious freedom for granted
When Baptists in America study their history, they typically respond with pride. The denomination’s longstanding witness on behalf of religious liberty can be traced to the first Baptists in England, who boldly proclaimed that God alone was the ruler of…
SECOND OPINION: Don’t fiddle with Jefferson’s statute
Stephen Strehle is way off base in his Dec. 18 Religious Herald essay calling for the repeal of Thomas Jefferson's Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom and substituting a new one. The U. S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights were…
SECOND OPINION: Thankful on the Fourth
The Fourth of July! This unique, and perhaps most popular, American holiday conjurers up visions of fireworks, political speeches, baseball games and backyard barbeques. This holiday provides an opportunity for Americans to express our patriotism, celebrate what is good about…