By Bob Allen A group of citizens who sued their county about public notice for plans to build a mosque in their community sent an appeal overnight to the U.S. Supreme Court, the Daily News Journal in Murfreesboro, Tenn., reported…
Obama administration to appeal clergy tax ruling
By Robert Dilday The Justice Department will appeal a federal court ruling last fall that allowing clergy to avoid paying taxes on a part of their income designated as a housing allowance violates the constitutionally mandated separation of church and…
Kazakh Baptists refuse to pay fines
By Bob Allen Two Baptists in Kazakhstan recently served 48 hours in jail after refusing to pay fines handed down in 2013 for worshipping and sharing their faith without the government’s permission. Shoe-repairer Vyacheslav Cherkasov and plumber Zhasulan Alzhanov were sentenced…
Baptists arrested at worship in Belarus
By Bob Allen Authorities in Belarus raided a Baptist church service Dec. 22 and charged three leaders with holding an unauthorized mass public event, according to an international news service that specializes in religious liberty violations around the world. Forum…
Birth control and the Bill of Rights
By Miguel De La Torre Is requiring corporations to cover birth control medication an attack on religious liberty? Or is claiming the protection of religious liberty an excuse to force one’s religious convictions on others? Should religious affiliated organizations —…
Starr: Hobby Lobby case tests liberty
By Bob Allen Baylor University President Ken Starr identified the pending case involving Hobby Lobby over mandated contraception coverage in the Affordable Care Act as a crucial test for religious liberty at a recent international conference on Christianity and freedom….
Satanists want equal time in Oklahoma
By Bob Allen Controversy over a Ten Commandments monument on grounds of the Oklahoma State Capitol took a surprising twist when Satanists sought to place a statue of their own alongside it. According to media reports, the New York-based Satanic…
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…