One week before statewide primary elections, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton launched an attack on the state’s transgender children and their families, threatening to charge parents and care providers with child abuse. “It is clearly…
Faithful discomfort: Why white Americans need to be offended
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott recently announced his support for a Parent’s Bill of Rights, a new but oh-so-familiar offering from conservatives that seeks to bar librarians and teachers in public schools from offering access to facts and stories that stand…
Everything you need to know about the rise in efforts to ban books from libraries
Remember those quaint days when some people tried to ban the Harry Potter books from libraries because they were sure kids would learn how to cast spells if they read the fictional accounts of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry?…
DeSantis and Abbott working hard to see who can be more cruel to immigrants, faith leaders contend
The governors of Florida and Texas seem to be vying for the title of who can be the cruelest to immigrants, some faith leaders say. Whether motivated by their 2022 re-election campaigns or a desire to gain a VP nod…
Gov. Abbott’s COVID-19 vaccination ban tramples on my religious practice
Like me, many Christians in Texas live in a state of perpetual agitation over the actions of our governor, Greg Abbott, regarding sensible public health practices around the coronavirus pandemic. His latest action — an executive order “banning any entity in…
Will U.S. abortion law stay in limbo or is clarity coming — and when?
All eyes are on the United States Supreme Court, now that a date (Dec. 1) has been announced for oral arguments in what could be the most consequential abortion case in 50 years. But don’t expect to know the fate…
Conversation growing about COVID vaccine ‘religious exemptions’
The most-read article on Baptist News Global’s website for the month of August was about religious exemptions to employer and school mandates on COVID-19 vaccines. That article was accessed nearly 50,000 times in two weeks and continues to be read…
Religious groups oppose Texas governor’s attempt to shut down migrant shelters
Gov. Greg Abbott’s recent order that the state of Texas revoke the licenses of shelters that house migrant children didn’t sit well with the Biden administration, and it didn’t go over well with religious groups, either. The Republican governor’s recent…
Right now, we need angry Jesus
I need angry Jesus because, Jesus, I’m angry, too. I need angry Jesus turning over the tables. I need angry Jesus, whip in hand, driving out injustice. I need angry Jesus to inspire me to flip the tables of oppression…
Texas Baptist school allows limited campus carry
Breaking ranks with most private colleges opting out of a state law requiring public universities to allow handguns in dorms, classrooms and campus buildings, East Texas Baptist University will allow the president to authorize selected full-time faculty or staff who…
Packing in the pews
The latest challenge facing some congregations is deciding whether open carry gun laws should extend to church property — including the sanctuary.