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…
This is a step toward stopping Muslim travel bans
For more than three years, Americans have watched the “travel ban” saga play out at the White House, in the courts, and even in the streets, with disastrous effects for American Muslims and global communities. Yesterday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the NO BAN Act,…
Supreme Court opens new chapter of state funding for religious schools
The hotly contested barrier between private religious schools and government funding cracked significantly wider June 30 with a landmark ruling by the United States Supreme Court. In a 5-4 decision, the court ruled that the state of Montana may not…
Christian nationalism provides cover for white supremacy, BJC leader says
Christian nationalism provides cover for white supremacy, and both must be stopped by Christians concerned about religious freedom, Amanda Tyler said at the National Press Club June 26.
White Christians at ‘a moment of reckoning,’ author says
Jefferson Davis’ statue coming down in Richmond, Va., and Walmart refusing to fly the Mississippi state flag because of its Confederate emblem are powerful signs the movement against white supremacy is taking hold, Robert P. Jones said during an online discussion hosted June 26 by the BJC.
Religion Notes: Melissa Rogers returns to WF Divinity; BWA protests arrest of Baptist leader
The Wake Forest University School of Divinity has welcomed former Obama Administration official Melissa Rogers back to its faculty. Her hiring was announced Jan. 30 on the Divinity School web site. Rogers rejoins the institution as a visiting professor and…