An additional 14 Texas public school systems are being sued to stop them from installing classroom Ten Commandments displays mandated by the state. A coalition of civil rights groups filed a federal complaint Sept. 22 against the Arlington, Azle, Comal,…
Stand up for trans folk who have no place to pee
I received an urgent call last week from one of my dearest transgender friends. He faced a horrible predicament. Apart from being transgender, my friend suffers from a rare autoimmune illness that, when it flares up, requires intensive hospital care….
The Ten Commandments and the fallacy of certainty
“So, inerrancy was in essence adapted and used by enslavers?” “Yes.” I was sitting in Stephen Ray’s office working on my Ph.D. at Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary. I had asked if I could take a directed study on Reformed theology…
‘Trey’s Law’ is now in effect, making NDAs unenforceable in Texas and Missouri
Sept. 1 marks a historic victory for child sexual assault survivors in Texas and Missouri. “Trey’s Law” has officially gone into effect, banning the misuse of nondisclosure agreements in civil settlement agreements pertaining to sexual assault claims. In Texas, this…
Thou shall not? Schools in Texas and Arkansas caught between rulings
When a federal judge provisionally rules that a state’s mandate for public schools to display the Ten Commandments is unconstitutional, does that ruling apply only to the school districts involved in the litigation or to all districts in the state?…
Federal judge strikes down Texas Ten Commandments law
The Ten Commandments will not be displayed in Texas public schools after a federal judge blocked the state’s new Ten Commandments law Aug. 20. U.S. District Court Judge Fred Biery in San Antonio issued a preliminary injunction on Senate Bill…
Ruling coming soon on Texas Ten Commandments law
A federal judge will issue a decision within two weeks on the constitutionality of a new Texas law requiring Ten Commandments displays in public school classrooms. Senate Bill 10 mandates the presence of donated 16-by-20-inch posters or framed copies of…
In Texas, is ‘shepherd’ another word for ‘pastor’?
The quest for absolute purity in opposing women carrying the title “pastor” is now dividing the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention, the conservative breakaway group formed in 1998. SBTC was formed as an alternative to the Baptist General Convention of…
Supreme Court upholds Texas law limiting access to online porn
The U.S. Supreme Court recently upheld a Texas law that limits online access to “sexually explicit” materials. Although the ruling specifically applies to Texas, it has implications for other states that have adopted similar “age ID” verification procedures for online…
Vetoing our future
More than 3.8 million Texas kids qualify for the free or reduced-price lunch program during the school year. Government programs support their nutrition because we know hungry children do not learn as well as other children. They don’t grow as…
Two lawsuits target Texas Ten Commandments law
Two Texas Baptists — including a BNG staff member — are among 16 multifaith and nonreligious Texas families who filed suit in federal court today to oppose the state’s new Ten Commandments law. This is the second lawsuit filed against the…
Six Southern states create new accrediting agency
With U.S. President Donald Trump attempting to force academic accrediting agencies to be less “woke” and more responsive to conservatives’ demands, six public universities last week announced formation of their own accrediting agency. This is an attempt to separate from…