By Bob Allen GuideStone Financial Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention had a day in court Dec. 8, arguing before the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver that required coverage of contraceptives under Obamacare substantially burdens its religious…
Faith groups support tax break for Americans with disabilities
By Bob Allen Twenty-eight faith groups including American Baptist Churches USA and its American Baptist Home Mission Societies endorsed legislation in Congress allowing Americans with disabilities to open tax-sheltered savings account for certain long-term expenditures. Members of the Interfaith Disability…
Baptist group receives $182 million from feds to care for immigrant children
By Bob Allen The Obama administration paid a group related to the Baptist General Convention of Texas more than $182 million to care for undocumented immigrant children at two military facilities for four months this summer. According to documents obtained…
Officials get mixed messages about right of conscience in marriage laws
By Bob Allen Government clerks have no legal right to refuse to issue a marriage license to same-sex couples in a state where gay marriage is legal, Americans United for Separation of Church and State said in a legal memorandum…
SBC leader criticizes Obama’s immigration initiative, while other faith leaders praise it
By Bob Allen The Southern Baptist Convention’s top spokesman on public policy said he fears President Obama’s decision to act unilaterally on immigration policy will do more harm than good. Writing for Time, Russell Moore, president of the SBC Ethics…
Evangelicals already working to mobilize vote in 2016
By Bob Allen Bolstered by success in the recent 2014 elections, an under-the-radar campaign to mobilize evangelical voters is asking 63,000 pastors to consider running for public office in 2016. CBN News chief political correspondent David Brody recently published an…
Baptist preacher wins Georgia House seat
By Bob Allen Liberal pundits said it wouldn’t be easy to find a replacement as outspoken as former Tea Party Congressman Paul Broun — who onced termed evolution a lie “straight from the pit of hell” — but voters in the 10th…
Fliers on our windows
By Alan Sherouse To the person who canvased the First Baptist Church parking lot with political leaflets last Sunday: Perhaps you missed our “No Soliciting” sign. That I can understand. Perhaps a large parking lot full of cars was too…
What I have learned: The LGBT Issue, conclusion
Ten lessons learned in writing this series on LGBT issues. My series on LGBT issues and the Church is now over. A version of these essays, together with prefatory material and introductory comments by Brian McLaren, Phyllis Tickle and Matthew…