KANSAS CITY – Few topics are as hot and fresh on the minds of church goers as church security. What was already an oft debated topic was thrust into the national spotlight in November when a killer charged into the morning worship services at First Baptist Church, Sutherland Springs, Texas and murdered 26 while injuring 20 others. Responses from churches large and small are varied. Some seek to formalize, review and refine their security and contingency plans. Others rely solely on local … [Read more...]
Christian bakers lose in Oregon appeals court
WASHINGTON (BP) – Christian wedding vendors who decline to provide services for same-sex ceremonies have suffered another legal setback. The Oregon Court of Appeals ruled Dec. 28 that the state did not violate the First Amendment rights of Aaron and Melissa Klein in a 2015 order that included a $135,000 fine. The three-judge panel upheld a decision by the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) that found the Kleins' refusal to design and bake a cake for a lesbian couple's commitment … [Read more...]
Supreme Court justices engage the wedding wars
The Masterpiece Cakeshop case was billed as one of the most important religious liberty cases of our time. Yet none of us in the Supreme Court on December 5, 2017, expected to witness one of the most intense courtroom dramas of our lifetime. We were there because we had filed “amicus curiae” briefs in support of petitioner Jack Phillips, the Denver cake artist who serves any customer, but who does not do every event, e.g., custom wedding cakes for same-sex weddings. We sat in the … [Read more...]
World’s worst religious freedom violators evaluated
WASHINGTON (BP) -- The Trump administration's first designation of the world's worst violators of religious freedom received the same evaluation as the last list under President Obama -- good but not good enough. Religious liberty advocates had hoped the State Department would add other countries to the CPC list, which is required by federal law. The measure calls for the designation of countries that commit or tolerate "systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious … [Read more...]
Court rules for fire chief in religious liberty case
ATLANTA (WNS) – A U.S. District Court judge ruled on Dec. 20 that city of Atlanta rules used to fire former Fire Chief Kelvin Cochran were unconstitutional. The ruling said policies restricting non-work speech allowed city officials to unconstitutionally discriminate against views with which they disagreed. Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed suspended Cochran without pay in 2014 because of a 162-page book Cochran wrote for men at his church, advocating for a historically Biblical view of marriage … [Read more...]
FEMA sets Feb. 4 cutoff for Harvey aid applications
WASHINGTON (BP) - Texas churches wishing to apply for federal disaster aid funds following Hurricane Harvey have until Feb. 4 to do so, according to a notice from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Though such funds long had not been available to churches and other houses of worship, FEMA announced a policy change Jan. 2 amid the pressure of a lawsuit by three small Texas churches and urging from both President Trump and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. Now houses of worship … [Read more...]
Missouri university students repair homes in flood-ravaged Houston during the holidays
HOUSTON – Turkey and all the fixings on the table at grandparents house in late November. Nope. For students in Baptist Student Union groups across Missouri and several other states, it was a trip in church vans to Houston, Texas, to begin the rebuilding process for homeowners who were hit hard by Hurricane Harvey. Twenty BSU students from Southwest Baptist University, Missouri Southern State University, Missouri Western University, Missouri Science and Technology University and the … [Read more...]
Standing for the sanctity of life in the SBC
Just a few days ago, I met with a media leader from the Kansas City area to discuss our goals for the organizations we lead. Part of our time together included a tour of the unique building that Missouri Baptists own as part of its missionary strategy. The building is just four blocks from the Missouri State Capitol, which makes it convenient for fulfilling one of the primary roles of a state convention, namely public policy engagement that protects the religious liberties of individuals … [Read more...]
FEMA: Churches now eligible for recovery funds
WASHINGTON (BP) – Churches whose facilities have been damaged by natural disasters now are eligible to receive relief funds from the federal government, according to a Jan. 2 announcement from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). "Private nonprofit houses of worship will not be singled out for disfavored treatment within the community centers subcategory of [public assistance] nonprofit applicants," FEMA Recovery Directorate Assistant Administrator Alex Amparo wrote in a guide … [Read more...]
Power to the parents: Advocates for a new constitutional amendment say the push for parental rights could unite the country
(WNS) - At a time when lawmakers in Washington can’t seem to agree on anything, parental rights advocates think their issue could erase the left-right divide, at least temporarily. Backers of the movement are trying to get Congress to pass an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would codify the rights of parents to make decisions for their children without government interference. It’s a tall order. Constitutional amendments require a two-thirds majority in both chambers of Congress. … [Read more...]
More money, more problems: The costs of universal basic income aren’t just financial
(WNS) - Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, the fifth richest person in the world, has called for a universal basic income (UBI), even for people who don’t work. He and other billionaires such as Elon Musk say paying a guaranteed minimum “wage” would provide a cushion to help people try new ideas outside the 9-to-5 grind. Despite many leaders’ dismissal of the concept as Marxist, several industrialized nations have moved beyond the debate stage. In 2015, Finland’s millionaire Prime Minister … [Read more...]
Beating back Blaine in New Mexico
(WNS) - As expected, the newly elected slate of anti-choice school board members in Douglas County, Colo., voted Dec. 4 to end the yearslong litigation over one of the most sweeping school voucher programs in the nation. The program, approved by the suburban Denver district in 2011, allowed students to use publicly funded vouchers to attend any school they wanted. Douglas County was the only school district in the nation to adopt a voucher program. The group that filed suit against the … [Read more...]
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