By Bob Allen A week after agreeing to decide whether mandated contraception coverage in the Affordable Care Act is constitutional, the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday turned down a broader challenge raised by Baptist-affiliated Liberty University. Justices decided without comment…
Supreme Court to hear Hobby Lobby case
By Bob Allen The Supreme Court agreed Nov. 26 to accept cases challenging mandated contraception coverage in the health care reform law known as Obamacare. Justices announced they would hear cases with plaintiffs including Hobby Lobby, the Oklahoma-based arts-and-crafts retailer…
Court strikes down clergy tax break
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…