Scores of Louisiana churchgoers and pastors, including dozens of Baptists, are pleading with Gov. Jeff Landry to veto a bill requiring the display of the Ten Commandments in all state-funded classrooms. “We do not need to turn public schools into…
Edwin Edwards and Louisiana taught Donald Trump and MAGA how to dance with the devil
As I watched the announcement of Donald Trump’s conviction on 34 felony counts May 30, I thought to myself, “I’ve seen this show before.” Indeed, I was living in Louisiana in 2001 when Gov. Edwin Edwards was convicted of racketeering…
Louisiana Jews form alliance to oppose gassing as means of execution
Louisiana’s Jewish community has formed an alliance committed to protesting and ultimately repealing a new state law allowing the use of gas as an execution method. The Jews Against Gassing Coalition was formed after the March 5 passage of House…
Religious leaders decry Louisiana plan to bring back electric chair and gassing for death penalty cases
A cross section of religious leaders gathered on the steps of the Louisiana Capitol recently to offer prayers and protest over the state’s plan to add the electric chair and poison gas to its lineup of execution methods. The representatives…
Governors of 15 states opt out of summer food program for children
Governors of 15 U.S. states are putting politics ahead of the needs of hungry children by opting out of a new federal food assistance program that launches this year, critics say. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently announced the remaining…
Louisiana high school principal removes SGA president for not living up to ‘God’s ideals’
A Louisiana principal has taken the rest of the year off after attempting to force his view of Christian morality on a high school senior. Jason St. Pierre requested leave from Walker High School in Walker, La., after apologizing to…
It would be ‘pro-life’ to commute Louisiana’s 56 Death Row sentences to life without parole, advocates urge
Granting clemency to Death Row inmates would show the nation Louisiana is the staunchly pro-life state many claim it to be, death penalty abolitionists said during an Aug. 15 news conference. The group of faith leaders, activists and relatives of…
Four states update their constitutions to prohibit slavery and involuntary servitude
While the prospect of becoming enslaved may seem like an irrelevant question today — slavery was abolished in the United States 157 years ago with the ratification of the 13th Amendment — last week citizens in five states voted on…
CBF seeks volunteers for hurricane recovery on Gulf Coast
For the first time during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship has issued a call for volunteers to assist with disaster recovery efforts. The Sept. 16 invitation asks for teams to help Lake Charles, La. recover from damage caused…