By Bob Allen The Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty joined 12 other religious liberty and civil rights organizations in a U.S. Supreme Court brief filed Dec. 10 supporting a Muslim woman denied a job by clothing retailer Abercrombie &…
Baptists oppose discrimination ordinance in Arkansas
By Bob Allen Voters in Fayetteville, Ark., will vote in a special election Dec. 9 on whether to repeal a civil rights ordinance the City Council approved in August despite opposition from community leaders including a representative of Southern Baptist…
In executive order, Obama bans bias against gays by federal contractors
By Bob Allen President Obama signed an executive order July 21 that prohibits federal contractors from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. “America’s federal contracts should not subsidize discrimination against the American people,” Obama said at a…
Let’s clear the air a bit
With RFRA being in the news again as the Supreme Court recently heard arguments on the Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Wood Specialties case, my mind drifted back to the last time it was in the news: when Jan Brewer vetoed…
Baptist, Methodist pastors in Miss. oppose discrimination based on religious freedom
By Bob Allen Five Baptist and Methodist pastors have sent an open letter urging Mississippi legislators to defeat a bill, similar to one recently vetoed by Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer, that is headed for the House of Representatives for debate…
Book says faith overcomes discrimination
By Jeff Brumley It took about a year of legal action, preaching, public demonstrations and letter writing for religious groups to see most of Alabama’s draconian anti-immigrant law overturned. Now that coalition of faith — which includes Baptists, Catholics, Episcopalians…
SBC touts safeguard for gay-marriage foes
By Bob Allen The Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission is backing a bill filed in Congress to protect religious institutions and other nonprofit groups that don’t recognize same-sex marriage from possible discrimination. The Marriage and Religious Freedom Act,…
How much should we pay the pastor?
By Robert Dilday It may be one of the most uncomfortable — and sometimes contentious — questions in congregational life: How much should we pay our senior pastor? Ministers struggle between commitments to a self-sacrificial calling on the one hand…
Baptists support discrimination ban
By Bob Allen Baptist preachers opposing a ban on discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodations based on sexual orientation in Frankfort, Ky., don’t speak for all members of the Baptist faith, moderate and progressive ministers contended in an op-ed…