Amid a flurry of executive orders issued by President Joe Biden on his first day in office was a repeal of the so-called “Muslim ban,” which prohibited entry to the United States by citizens of select countries mainly with majority…
House passes bipartisan resolution against blasphemy, heresy and apostasy laws
It turns out there is something Republicans and Democrats can agree on about religious liberty in the current lame-duck session of Congress. On Monday, Dec. 7, the House of Representatives passed on a 386-3 bipartisan vote House Resolution 512, calling…
Everything I know about separation of church and state I learned from my mother
I must have been in the third or fourth grade when Mama said to me, “When people want prayer in the schools, they are assuming the person who is praying has the same beliefs they do.” And then she added,…
Barrett joins in debate as Supreme Court weighs Philadelphia religious liberty case
The United States Supreme Court heard oral arguments Nov. 4 in its first major religious liberty case since the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and installation of a new firm conservative majority on the court. The case, Fulton v….
Why vote? Because if we don’t do better, we will repeat history
This is the first in a series of first-person columns written by current and former BJC Fellows, a program of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty, on the prompt: “Why vote?” Aaron Sorkin’s West Wing holds a special responsibility…
RBG: Defender of equality, principled dissenter, faithful supporter of religious liberty
The news of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death on Friday felt like a kick in the gut. Although she was 87 years old and had survived several bouts of cancer, her death still came as a sudden…
Pivotal religious freedom case scheduled for day after election
As if a high-stakes presidential election isn’t enough for the first week of November, the U.S. Supreme Court on Nov. 4 will take up a case that goes to the heart of the culture wars fought by the Religious Right…
Public schools getting short shrift (again) in coronavirus relief package
“Reopen schools” is a good slogan, but it is far from a plan. The coronavirus continues to challenge public school administrators, teachers, parents and students who want a safe return to the classroom. Congress should do its part to support…
Religious coalition opposes more coronavirus relief for private schools
A broad coalition of religious groups, including three Baptist organizations, has asked the U.S. Senate to avoid using public education dollars to help private schools in the next round of coronavirus relief legislation. The Senate GOP’s HEALS Act would provide…