By Bill Leonard “Afterwards it happened, before I had ever heard of the existence of [Anabaptist] brethren, that a godfearing, pious man, named Sicke Snyder, was beheaded at Leeuwarden, for being rebaptized. It sounded strange to me, to hear a…
Maryland school board ‘steals’ Christmas
By Bob Allen A Southern Baptist leader in Maryland denounced a local school board’s decision to eliminate references to all religious holidays on its published calendar for 2015-2016. The Montgomery County Board of Education voted 7-1 to make the change…
A new day in America
We are entering a new day in America. Do you feel excited yet? New things always bring with them a bit of trepidation, but there’s so much buzz about this particular new day that it can’t be bad, right? Well,…
Freeing the web: A human rights and religious freedom agenda
By Elijah Brown There is an opportunity to stand with thousands of human rights activists and persecuted religious minorities in a way that could literally change the world. 4.9 billion people live in countries where either complete or partial restrictions…
Houston subpoenas doubly disturbing
By Marv Knox Houston Mayor Annise Parker might be in the running for the next Nobel Peace Prize for accomplishing the seemingly impossible. Her honor’s administration inadvertently gathered fundamentalist and liberal Christians, Muslims and Jews, and even Baha’is and Baptists…
Broad Baptist coalition asks Houston mayor to withdraw subpoenas for sermons
By Bob Allen Moderate and conservative Baptists set aside differences in an Oct. 15 letter opposing subpoenas ordering five Houston pastors to turn over sermons as evidence in a lawsuit seeking repeal of the city’s non-discrimination ordinance. Top leaders of…
Baptist leaders oppose subpoenaing of pastors
By Bob Allen A Baptist minister who leads a national interfaith organization voiced concern about the subpoenaing of church sermons in a lawsuit challenging Houston’s non-discrimination ordinance. Welton Gaddy, president of the Interfaith Alliance, said in an Oct. 15 letter…
Charles Watson is on a mission: to ensure religious freedom for the next generation
Interviewed by Robert Dilday What led to your focus on religious liberty issues? c POSITION: Education and Outreach Specialist, Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty AGE: 33 EDUCATION: B.S, The Citadel; M.Div., Mercer University’s McAfee School of Theology CURRENT CITY:…
Pastor/farmer to take Baptists’ First Amendment commitments to Va. legislature
By Robert Dilday A pastor and cattle farmer in rural Southside Virginia has been tapped to advocate in the state’s legislature for First Amendment issues on behalf of the Baptist General Association of Virginia’s religious liberty committee — the first…