The capacity of ISIS to enthrall and recruit youth and young adults from Western democratic countries has left many baffled. It is such a counterpoint to the spirit of the mass demonstrations that characterized the Arab Spring, which now seems…
BJC speaker explains why many blacks cool to First Amendment
By Bob Allen Religious liberty doesn’t mean much to people who are physically enslaved, an African-American preacher reminded a predominantly white audience at an annual Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty banquet that this year coincided with the holiday celebrated…
Challenges today defy easy answers, demand best efforts of Baptists and others
By General Counsel K. Hollyn Hollman These are trying times to promote “religious liberty for all” as the BJC mission statement demands. Many of the current challenges on the legal and cultural fronts are not conducive to easy answers.
A tale of two commencement addresses
By Executive Director J. Brent Walker School is out, and summer vacation is here! Congratulations to our graduates – not just high school, college, seminary and graduate school but, nowadays, all the way down the line. My five-year-old grandson even…
Baptists fined for public worship in Crimea
By Bob Allen Seven Baptists in Crimea were fined in May for allegedly violating more restrictive limits on public demonstrations since Russia annexed the former Ukrainian territory last year, according to Forum 18, an international news service that monitors religious…
Supreme Court sides with Muslim woman in hijab dispute
By Bob Allen The U.S. Supreme Court ruled June 1 that retailer Abercrombie & Fitch violated the civil rights of a Muslim woman not hired because her religious obligations conflicted with the company’s policy on employee attire. Overturning a decision…
The Bible shouldn’t be a state symbol
By Staff Counsel Jennifer Hawks In my office, I proudly display my Tennessee roots. I grew up discussing Tennessee politics with my grandfather, a former state representative. While I was in law school, he gave me several items from his…
Exploring the church-state side of the same-sex marriage cases
By Executive Director J. Brent Walker When the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear the same-sex marriage cases, the justices did not invite briefs on religious liberty. In its writ of certiorari granting review, the Court framed the issues to…
Texas Senate OKs clergy freedom bill
By Bob Allen The Texas Senate gave final approval May 12 to legislation protecting clergy from being forced to participate in same-sex marriage ceremonies that violate their religious beliefs. The bill, supported by the Texas Baptist Christian Life Commission, now…
Religious liberty, marriage equality clash, creating legal confusion
By Ken Camp and Jeff Brumley Ministers from across the Lone Star state recently urged legislators to pass legislation protecting clergy from lawsuits if they refuse to conduct same-sex weddings. Welcome to the dance, Texas. Experts say the number and…
Critics say National Day of Prayer divides Americans by faith
By Bob Allen Today’s National Day of Prayer is a constitutionally suspect government endorsement of religion that ought to be abandoned, according to Americans United for Separation of Church and State. “The government should not be giving out prayer instructions,”…
Understanding religious liberty in the same-sex marriage cases
By General Counsel K. Hollyn Hollman Obergefell v. Hodges, the same-sex marriage case being argued before the U.S. Supreme Court this week, is not a First Amendment case. Its potential impact, however, has increased conversations about religious liberty, particularly the…