By Bob Allen A divided U.S. Supreme Court debated Nov. 6 whether explicitly Christian prayers at a New York town board’s meetings violate the constitutionally mandated separation of church and state. “What we heard this morning in the courtroom was…
Groups want probe of NYPD surveillance
By Bob Allen The Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty joined more than 120 national, state and local organizations in an open letter Oct. 24 urging the Department of Justice to investigate post 9/11 surveillance practices in New York City…
SBC leader defends ‘sectarian’ prayer
By Bob Allen The Southern Baptist Convention’s top expert on religious-liberty concerns says the U.S. Supreme Court should uphold a New York town’s practice of opening its city council meetings with sectarian prayer. “A prayer, by definition, isn’t a speech…
American Baptist staffer elected BJC chair
By Bob Allen Curtis Ramsey-Lucas, managing director of resource development for American Baptist Home Mission Societies, has been elected chair of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty’s board of directors. Ramsey-Lucas’ agency is part of American Baptist Churches USA,…
BJC opposes local government prayer
By Bob Allen Opening local government meetings with prayer violates the conscience of not just religious minorities, but also of Christians who believe that worship must be voluntary, a Baptist church-state group argues in a legal brief filed Sept. 23…
BJC names education, outreach specialist
By Bob Allen Recent McAfee School of Theology graduate Charles Watson Jr. has been named education and outreach specialist for the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty. He began work July 8. “Charles brings a unique skill set to the…
Why the DOMA decision is a win for religious liberty
No doubt you’ve heard by now that the Supreme Court struck down the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) on Wednesday on the basis that it is “a deprivation of the equal liberty of persons that is protected by the Fifth…
An enduring promise
By Holly Hollman and Hoda Elshishtawy Americans face many challenges that threaten to undermine their obligation to protect religious pluralism and the rights of fellow citizens. Earlier this month in Tennessee, for example, a program on public discourse designed to…
BJC names communication head
By Bob Allen Cherilyn Crowe, the associate director of communications for the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty since 2009, has been promoted to department director. Crowe worked nine years as a producer for NewsChannel 5 Network (WTVF-TV) in Nashville,…
Faith leaders oppose religious profiling
By Bob Allen As the Senate opened formal debate on a proposal for comprehensive immigration reform, a group of religious organizations called on senators to include a ban on religious profiling in the final package. An 844-page legislative plan developed…
BJC weighs in on NC religion bill
By Bob Allen A Washington-based organization that represents several national Baptist groups in defending religious liberty for all Americans says a resolution introduced in the North Carolina General Assembly asserting the state’s right to establish an official religion is just…
Standing for principles in all situations
By Brent Walker Defending religious liberty by standing up for the separation of church and state sometimes results in unpopular outcomes. Saying no to a state-sponsored Ten Commandments monument in the middle of an Alabama courthouse will sometimes raise eyebrows….