“We are in the civil rights movement of our generation,” Alanah Odoms said of the battle to oppose posting the Ten Commandments in every Louisiana school classroom. Odoms, executive director of the ACLU of Louisiana, said the Ten Commandments law…
National Prayer Breakfast gets new sponsorship but still looks like government-sponsored religion, BJC leaders say
Congressional leaders say they have split the National Prayer Breakfast from its longtime organizer to bring clarity and healing to the annual event, but constitutional experts Amanda Tyler and Holly Hollman believe government leaders should get out of the prayer…
State support for a religion usually makes that religion decline, new study shows
Achieving the status of a government-backed religion usually creates a dependence on state political and financial support that erodes the ability of faith groups to attract new followers and foster participation, a new study has found. “Further, the involvement of…
Samford and Candler grad at center of Tennessee controversy over Bible history class in public schools
A middle school teacher with an undergraduate religion degree from a Baptist university and a master of divinity degree from a Methodist seminary now finds herself at the center of a controversy over alleged hate speech against Jews. Moreover, Chattanooga’s…
Biden reestablishes Faith-based Partnerships Office and names Melissa Rogers to lead it
A familiar face to Baptist religious liberty advocates has been named to lead the newly reconstituted White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships. Melissa Rogers will lead the office, an appointment announced by President Joe Biden on Sunday morning,…
Baptist churches used as misleading ballot drop locations in California
At least two Baptist churches — and most likely others — have been used as controversial ballot collection sites organized by the California Republican Party and declared illegal by state elections officials. National Republican Congressional Committee Deputy Chair Ken Calvert…
Let’s call the divorce lawyers for the sick marriage of church and state
In the world of British sociological order, there are five estates: nobility, clergy, middle class, press, and then any other group that can stand up to the other four. In the United States, having rejected the idea of the nobility…
Legislating ‘In God We Trust’: using the state to do the Church’s work
For many today, American Civil Religion remains inseparable from Christianity, evident in current efforts among some 30 state legislatures to mandate the posting of “In God We Trust” (IGWT) in multiple government-related contexts. Haven’t we learned anything from history about the folly of such endeavors?
White House says no one should have to choose between faith and law
In a presidential proclamation Jan. 16, President Donald Trump claimed America’s “cherished legacy of religious liberty” is undermined by threatening tax consequences for churches that endorse political candidates and by requiring persons or organizations to obey laws that violate their conscience.