June 27 was another sad day in America for women and the unborn. That was the day the U.S. Supreme Court struck down provisions of a Texas law requiring abortion clinics to meet the same standards as ambulatory surgical centers and requiring abortionists to have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital in case of medical emergencies. This disastrous ruling will mean the unnecessary deaths of babies and leave mothers exposed to serious health risks. The ruling is bad news for Missouri, … [Read more...]
A historic moment for MBC, Pathway
It was 14 years ago this month that the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) last came to St. Louis for its annual meeting and it marked the beginning of one of the greatest blessings God has ever bestowed on me and my wife, Bernadette. It also marked an important moment in Missouri Baptist history. The blessing and historical moment to which I refer is the creation of The Pathway. When the SBC last came to St. Louis it was buoyed by the conservative vanquishing of moderates who attempted to … [Read more...]
Citizens of two kingdoms, earthly and heavenly
Two Pathway readers questioned a word in the headline of my April 26 column (“If SJR 39 fails, our future is bleak”). The word in question was “bleak” and it prompted them to ask me if I was overlooking the fact that Christ will give us the final victory? They also wondered if The Pathway’s coverage of public policy and my involvement with such was a bit much? As far as the Church is concerned, our future, eternal victory is guaranteed thanks to King Jesus. What my column addressed was our … [Read more...]
If SJR 39 fails, our future is bleak
One of the weak arguments offered by those opposing the Missouri Religious Freedom Amendment (Senate Joint Resolution 39, SJR 39), is that there have been no cases of Christians being hurt due to their belief opposing same-sex “marriage.” Those of us supporting SJR 39 have said while that may be true, there are 14 municipalities in Missouri that have passed ordinances prohibiting discrimination against homosexuals. In some of those cases there are no religious exemptions for clergy, … [Read more...]
Exposing the economic catastrophe myth over SJR 39
In recent weeks Mississippi has embraced religious freedom protections for its citizens. It did so in light of last year’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling redefining marriage. The unsatisfied and emboldened LGBT movement, backed by Wall Street and much of the media, is opposing such actions with phony claims of possible discrimination as a means of crushing dissent to its radical agenda. Georgia tried to pass a bill, but its weak governor caved under leftist, corporate pressure and vetoed … [Read more...]
Crony capitalism threatens our religious freedom
Missourians who cherish religious freedom are one step closer to securing it after the Missouri Senate endured 39 hours of frivolous filibustering by eight Democrats to pass Senate Joint Resolution 39 (SJR 39), otherwise known as the Missouri Religious Freedom Amendment, by a vote of 23-9, on March 9. The amendment now awaits two committee hearings, floor debate and a vote in the Missouri House of Representatives, which is expected to pass it by an overwhelming majority. Once passed it will … [Read more...]
Missourians: Your phone calls may save our religious freedom
I have written nearly 400 of these columns as editor of The Pathway and I am certain that this is one of the most important. The importance does not lie in my prose or in who I am. It lies in its subject matter. By the time you read this, the Missouri Senate will have begun spirited debate on one of the most essential pieces of legislation in its history. It is known as Senate Joint Resolution 39 (SJR 39), or the Missouri Religious Freedom Amendment. If approved, something that at this … [Read more...]
Religious freedom battle about to heat up
Last summer Missouri Baptist Convention (MBC) Executive Director John Yeats asked me to organize a statewide effort to strengthen Missouri’s religious freedom laws following the U.S. Supreme Court decision that redefined marriage. For four months I had the privilege of leading discussions about the matter with lawmakers, State Capitol staffers and First Amendment scholars and attorneys. I am pleased to say that through hard work and much prayer a bill has been crafted and is being sponsored … [Read more...]
Missouri Baptist Dee Wampler: Spreading ‘In God We Trust’
Political correctness has been a three-decade-long attempt by the left to restrict the First Amendment rights of those who disagree with them. The late New York Times columnist William Safire researched the phraseology and discovered it had originated in Communist literature in the early 20th century. Philosopher Philip Atkinson describes it this way: “(Political correctness) is the communal tyranny that erupted in the 1980s. It was a spontaneous declaration that particular ideas, … [Read more...]
The electorate and America’s destiny
A clear division of responsibilities between the government and the church was a needed principle that emerged out of the Protestant Reformation. The duty of the church is to pray for the government and to be supportive as long as it does not require the church to do something that contradicts God’s Word. The government is responsible for guaranteeing the freedom of the church and to protect the church from those that would seek to destroy it – and it does so without favoring any particular … [Read more...]
A 20-year-old prayer and God’s faithfulness
God’s answers to prayer are grounded in God’s graciousness and faithfulness. But He will not answer if we do not petition Him. An examination of Scripture reveals that Christian prayer has always been essentially petitionary. Thus prayer should be part of our everyday lives. We may ask God for spiritual and material needs (though the latter should be subordinated to the former), letting God know the desires of one’s heart (Job 6:8; Ps. 21:2; Phil. 4:6). I, like many of you, have been … [Read more...]
Hawley brings faith into public arena
I have had more than one friend in recent days suggest that Americans will ultimately repeal the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The First Amendment protects freedom of speech, freedom to peaceably assemble, freedom of the press and freedom to exercise our religion of choice. His suggestion follows an informal poll by Fox News of students at an Ivy League school who were asked: “Should the First Amendment be repealed?” The overwhelming response was “yes.” What was thought … [Read more...]
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