An Arkansas judge cleared of ethics charges stemming from his participation in an anti-death penalty demonstration two years ago has petitioned the state’s Supreme Court to restore his power to hear and decide capital cases.
Sister leaders from Cuba and America: inhabiting the Body of Christ and the nation-state
Together we as Cuban and American Christians are part of the beloved community constructed by the Triune God who creates space for our disparate national identities. We share a commitment to live as Christians under the Lordship of Christ while navigating the demands of citizenship and religious liberty.
Supreme Court delivers ‘splintered’ opinion upholding Bladensburg cross
The United States Supreme Court ruled June 20 that a 40-foot Latin cross can remain on public land as a historical symbol of war.
Religious Right leader elected chair of international religious freedom watchdog group
Tony Perkins, a Religious Right leader long criticized as anti-Muslim and anti-gay, has been named chairman of U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom.
Report: Ethics complaint against anti-death penalty pastor/judge dismissed
The Arkansas state Judicial Discipline and Disability Commission has dismissed an ethics charge against a judge who also is a Baptist pastor for participating in an anti-death penalty demonstration on Good Friday 2017.
Ethics complaint against pastor/judge in death penalty protest hits snag
Two days after saying Arkansas Supreme justices do not have to testify in an ethics complaint against a judge photographed at an anti-death penalty demonstration more than two years ago, a statewide commission that monitors judicial conduct canceled a hearing scheduled June 13.
Supreme Court to hear three cases pitting conservative religious views against LGBTQ rights
The United States Supreme Court on Monday accepted three cases to decide whether a federal law prohibiting discrimination because of “sex” includes sexual orientation and gender identity, setting the stage for a new round of tension between fundamentalist Christianity and LGBTQ rights.
James E. Wood, Baylor scholar and BJC leader, dead at 96
James E. Wood Jr., a Baptist statesman and scholar recognized as one of the world’s leading authorities on the subject of church-state relations and religious liberty, died peacefully March 4 at age 96. Born in Portsmouth, Virginia, Wood began his…
Tennessee clergy oppose attempts to reverse gains by sexual minorities
Faith leaders say a group of bills in the Republican-controlled state legislature “promote discrimination rather than justice and demean the worth of LGBTQ people in our state.”
Supreme Court denies appeal to pastor/judge barred from death penalty cases
The United States Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to take up the case of an Arkansas judge claiming civil rights violations based on religious beliefs he exercised in his other job as a Baptist pastor. Without comment, the high court…
Southern Baptist lawmakers leading the way in seeking Johnson Amendment repeal
Three Southern Baptist members of Congress are sponsoring legislation that seeks to repeal a law barring churches and other non-profit organizations that are exempt from paying federal income taxes from endorsing or opposing political candidates.
Religion Notes: Melissa Rogers returns to WF Divinity; BWA protests arrest of Baptist leader
The Wake Forest University School of Divinity has welcomed former Obama Administration official Melissa Rogers back to its faculty. Her hiring was announced Jan. 30 on the Divinity School web site. Rogers rejoins the institution as a visiting professor and…