Some who 23 years ago worked for passage of a law ensuring broad protection of religious freedom say now the Religious Freedom Restoration Act needs tweaking so it can’t be used to discriminate against others. Groups including Americans United for…
BJC offers timely answers to questions about religious liberty
A new one-page resource advocates a “golden rule” for religious liberty. “Do not ask government to promote your religion if you don’t want government to promote somebody else’s religion; and do not permit government to hinder somebody else’s religion if…
What can we learn from Kentucky’s Rowan County clerk?
By General Counsel K. Hollyn Hollman For good or bad, a Kentucky clerk became the public face, complete with “Eye of the Tiger” soundtrack, for religious freedom claims relating to same-sex marriage. Following the Supreme Court’s marriage decision, the elected…
Challenges today defy easy answers, demand best efforts of Baptists and others
By General Counsel K. Hollyn Hollman These are trying times to promote “religious liberty for all” as the BJC mission statement demands. Many of the current challenges on the legal and cultural fronts are not conducive to easy answers.
Religious liberty, marriage equality clash, creating legal confusion
By Ken Camp and Jeff Brumley Ministers from across the Lone Star state recently urged legislators to pass legislation protecting clergy from lawsuits if they refuse to conduct same-sex weddings. Welcome to the dance, Texas. Experts say the number and…
Understanding religious liberty in the same-sex marriage cases
By General Counsel K. Hollyn Hollman Obergefell v. Hodges, the same-sex marriage case being argued before the U.S. Supreme Court this week, is not a First Amendment case. Its potential impact, however, has increased conversations about religious liberty, particularly the…
Utah compromise worth consideration
By General Counsel K. Hollyn Hollman Through our publications, blog, and website, the BJC regularly reports on state legislative action affecting religious liberty. Some of the most visible recent bills are state versions of the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act…
Religious freedom doesn’t require risking public health
By General Counsel K. Hollyn Hollman The recent measles outbreak and ensuing conversation about immunizations is not primarily a story about religion or religious exemptions. We are learning, again, that measles is a serious, and sometimes fatal, but preventable disease….
BJC lawyer examines church’s role in civil marriage
By Bob Allen A Baptist religious-liberty lawyer says recent debate over the definition of marriage reveals a long-overlooked mingling between church and state. Hollyn Hollman, general counsel of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty, noted in a recent article…