By Bob Allen The Southern Baptist Convention’s top spokesman for moral and public policy concerns says Russian President Vladimir Putin lacks moral authority to criticize Western countries for abandoning Christian values. “It really kind of makes my blood boil when…
Brief says Hobby Lobby puts RFRA on trial
By Bob Allen The Southern Baptist owners of Hobby Lobby claim in a Supreme Court brief filed Feb. 10 that mandated coverage of contraceptives under Obamacare is a textbook violation of a 1993 law enacted with broad support to prevent…
A faulty worldview
The news recently broke that Virginia’s new Attorney General plans to ask a federal judge to declare the Commonwealth’s voter-passed constitutional amendment officially upholding the traditional understanding of marriage unconstitutional. This move is entirely unsurprising even as it is deeply…
Obama stresses religious freedom at prayer breakfast
By Bob Allen Promoting religious freedom abroad is a key objective of U.S. foreign policy, President Obama told a crowd of about 3,500 at the 62nd National Prayer Breakfast at the Washington Hilton Feb. 6. “There are times when we work…
New ERLC head narrows legislative agenda
By Bob Allen Russell Moore’s legislative agenda for the Southern Baptist Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission parallels those of his predecessor Richard Land but leaves out concerns embraced by Land, viewed as a leader in the Religious Right. Like Land,…
Scholar claims in legal brief that RFRA is unconstitutional
By Bob Allen Amid a flurry of legal briefs anticipating a Supreme Court decision this year to decide whether a 20-year-old law protecting an individual’s right to religious exercise also applies to corporations, one high-profile legal scholar argues the law…
State of the Union draws attention to U.S. missionary jailed in North Korea
By Bob Allen The sister and mother of an American imprisoned in North Korea accepted an invitation to attend Tuesday’s State of the Union address in hopes of raising awareness about efforts to win his release. Earlier in the day,…
Faith leaders oppose new sanctions in Iran
By Bob Allen The Baptist Peace Fellowship is among dozens of U.S. peace, security and faith groups to sign a letter from a Quaker public-interest lobby opposing Senate legislation to impose new sanctions on Iran. The Friends Committee on National…
Obama administration to appeal clergy tax ruling
By Robert Dilday The Justice Department will appeal a federal court ruling last fall that allowing clergy to avoid paying taxes on a part of their income designated as a housing allowance violates the constitutionally mandated separation of church and…