WASHINGTON (BP) – An alliance of 15 attorneys general have warned Secretary Denis McDonough they will “act decisively” if the Department of Veterans Affairs uses a new rule to violate their states’ restrictions on abortion. Led by Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch, the coalition wrote McDonough Nov. 17 to object to a V.A. interim final rule (IFR) that provides abortions in certain cases for military veterans and family members. The attorneys general told the secretary they will not … [Read more...]
Senate nixes religious liberty amendments, approves same-sex marriage
Missouri Sen. Blunt once again supports bill, Sen. Hawley opposes bill EDITOR’S NOTE: This article was updated at 12:50 p.m. with reporting from Pathway staff. WASHINGTON (BP) – The U.S. Senate voted to enshrine same-sex marriage as the law Tuesday (Nov. 29) while rejecting efforts to strengthen religious freedom protections in the proposal. With 12 Republicans joining all Democrats present, the Senate voted 61-36 for the Respect for Marriage Act (RMA) after defeating three … [Read more...]
Report: Russia has attacked at least 270 religious sites in Ukraine
NASHVILLE (BP) – Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine has included increased violence against religious leaders and widespread attacks on religious sites, according to a recently issued report. The Ukrainian-based Institute for Religious Freedom (IRF) reported at least 270 houses of worship, religious educational institutions and sacred sites such as cemeteries were either destroyed or damaged during the first five months after Russia began its assault in late February. The report … [Read more...]
ERLC, Iowa Baptist convention urge court to protect parental rights
ST. LOUIS (BP) – A Southern Baptist Convention entity and a Baptist state convention have joined with other organizations in urging a federal appeals court to block a public school district transgender policy they contend prevents the rights of parents to care for their children. In defense of parental rights, the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) and the Baptist Convention of Iowa (BCI) signed onto a friend-of-the-court brief filed Thursday (Nov. 10) with the Eighth … [Read more...]
Pentagon to fund service members’ travel for abortions
WASHINGTON (BP) – The Biden administration’s nationwide campaign to promote abortion access made another advance Thursday (Oct. 20) – this time at the Pentagon. The Department of Defense (DOD) announced it will provide funds for service members to travel to states where they can obtain abortions if they are stationed in locations where a ban on the procedure has been enacted. The “travel and transportation allowances,” which will also be for military dependents, and other policies … [Read more...]
House passes same-sex marriage bill with GOP help
EDITOR'S NOTE: This article includes additional reporting by Pathway staff. WASHINGTON (BP) – The U.S. House of Representatives voted July 19 to codify same-sex marriage into law with the help of one-fifth of its Republican members and to the chagrin of Southern Baptist leaders. With all the Democrats and 47 Republicans voting in favor, the House approved the Respect for Marriage Act in a 267-157 roll call. The proposal would repeal the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and require … [Read more...]
Longtime, pro-life advocates in SBC rejoice at Roe’s demise
NASHVILLE (BP)—Southern Baptists who have advocated for preborn children and their mothers for decades rejoiced at the U.S. Supreme Court’s reversal of nearly 50 years of nationwide, legalized abortion while acknowledging much work remains. A day many persistent, pro-life advocates had long sought and prayed for arrived June 24, when the high court overruled its 1973 Roe v. Wade opinion – as well as the 1992 Planned Parenthood v. Casey ruling that affirmed Roe — and returned abortion … [Read more...]
High school coach’s prayers constitutional, SCOTUS rules
WASHINGTON (BP) – The post-game, midfield prayer of a high school football coach did not violate the First Amendment’s ban on government establishment of religion, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in a 6-3 decision, June 27. The justices decided the Bremerton (Wash.) School District actually violated the First Amendment rights of Joseph Kennedy by removing him as a coach because of its concerns his practice infringed on the Establishment Clause. “[A] government entity sought to punish an … [Read more...]
Supreme Court overturns Roe abortion decision
WASHINGTON (BP) – The U.S. Supreme Court overturned a nationwide abortion regime Friday (June 24) that lasted nearly half a century and resulted in the deaths of more than 60 million preborn children. In a 5-4 opinion, the high court overruled the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that struck down all state abortion bans and legalized the procedure throughout the country. The justices also invalidated the 1992 Planned Parenthood v. Casey opinion that affirmed Roe. The opinion in Dobbs v. … [Read more...]
ERLC commends high court’s 9-0 ruling in flag case
WASHINGTON (BP) – The Southern Baptist Convention’s religious freedom entity welcomed the U.S. Supreme Court’s unanimous ruling (May 2) that the city of Boston violated the constitutionally protected right to free speech by prohibiting the flying of the Christian flag. In a 9-0 judgment that united the conservative and liberal wings of the high court, the justices found in Shurtleff v. City of Boston the city’s refusal to permit a Christian civic organization to raise the Christian flag … [Read more...]
Leaked SCOTUS draft gives hope for reversing Roe
WASHINGTON (BP) – Pro-life advocates reacted hopefully to the report of a leaked draft opinion within the U.S. Supreme Court that would overturn its 1973 Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion nationwide. In a stunning development Monday evening (May 2), Politico – a politics- and policy-focused news organization – published a copy of a draft of an opinion by Associate Justice Samuel Alito that would strike down the Roe ruling if it becomes final. A source familiar with the court’s … [Read more...]
USCIRF report: Religious liberty deteriorates in Afghanistan
WASHINGTON (BP) — The Taliban’s return to control of Afghanistan headlined the examples of religious freedom deteriorating in multiple countries last year, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) said in its annual report issued April 25. For the first time in more than two decades, USCIRF – a bipartisan panel established by federal law in 1998 – recommended Afghanistan’s inclusion on a list of the world’s most egregious violators of the right to believe and … [Read more...]
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