Editor’s note: This story was edited after posting to correct an error in the final paragraph. By Bob Allen A federal judge said Nov. 23 that an IRS rule allowing clergy to avoid paying taxes on a part of their…
Faith leaders say it’s time to close Gitmo
By Bob Allen The head of American Baptist Churches USA joined other faith leaders in a Nov. 18 letter urging senators to support President Obama’s efforts to close the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. ABC/USA General Secretary Roy Medley…
SBC leader, other clergy, meet with Obama
By Bob Allen Southern Baptist Convention official Russell Moore joined other faith leaders Nov. 13 in a meeting with President Obama, Vice President Biden and senior administration officials to discuss action toward common-sense immigration reform. Moore, president of the SBC…
RFRA needed now more than ever
By Bob Allen A little-known federal law enacted to bolster the rights of religious minorities is less popular but more needed now than when it became law 20 years ago, the head of a broad coalition that worked for passage…
Keep the gov’mint in our bizness
By Joe Phelps Sunrise Children’s Services, the Kentucky Baptist Convention’s agency for at-risk children, receives $26 million of its $27 million budget — over 96 percent — from government funding, according to an Oct. 31 Courier-Journal report about its ongoing…
Lawyer says religious liberty at risk
By Bob Allen Religious liberty is becoming a casualty of America’s culture wars, a leading expert on the separation of church and state told an audience Nov. 7 at the Newseum in Washington. “I certainly didn’t predict the last 20…
Church, state and taxes spark debate
By Vicki Brown Congress established the 501(c)3 tax-exempt status applicable to churches, religious organizations and ministers “in recognition of their unique status in American society,” the IRS claims in its Tax Guide for Churches and Religious Organizations. The designation benefits…
Tom DeLay says he’s on divine mission
By Bob Allen A month after a Texas appellate court overturned his conviction of corruption charges that ended his political career, former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay says he is on a mission from God. DeLay, who accepted Christ during…
Immigration ‘personal,’ Baptist leader says
By Bob Allen A Southern Baptist Convention official says evangelicals are galvanizing around immigration reform because increasingly if affects someone they know. “A primary motivating factor for us is this has become personal for us,” Barrett Duke, vice president for…