CHICAGO (BP) – Supporters of the ministerial housing allowance should be hopeful about a federal appeals court’s anticipated ruling on the 60-year-old provision, a religious liberty lawyer said after oral arguments in the case. The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago appeared Sept. 9 to lean toward either dismissing the case because the allowance’s challengers lack legal standing or upholding the allowance as constitutional, a lawyer with the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty … [Read more...]
Reacting to NFL controversies
By now you’ve undoubtedly heard about the horrific video of Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice knocking his then-fiancée unconscious inside a casino elevator. The Ravens have terminated Rice’s contract, and the NFL has placed him on indefinite suspension. Rice’s actions were reprehensible, and the NFL’s handling of the matter at this point has been questionable at best, and shameful at worst. Now, what should Christians make of all this? The first thing is perhaps the hardest but … [Read more...]
Larry Lewis: leading SBC to support life
Dr. Larry Lewis was shocked when in 1979 he opened a St. Louis newspaper to see the full-page ad listing the religious denominations and groups who favored a “pro-choice” – a pro-abortion – position. He learned that the ad was also in other major newspapers throughout the country. In that listing “… right along with the Unitarians … ” was the Southern Baptist Convention, the nation’s largest protestant denomination! This shock set him in motion. He discovered and was further … [Read more...]
ERLC: Town’s sign code violates church freedom
WASHINGTON (BP) -- The Southern Baptist Convention's religious freedom entity has called for the U.S. Supreme Court to strike down a municipal sign ordinance it says violates a church's free speech and assembly rights. The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) joined in a friend-of-the-court brief filed Sept. 22 that contends the sign code of Gilbert, Ariz., discriminates against churches while favoring political and ideological messages. The brief, filed by the Christian … [Read more...]
Ferguson: National Day of Prayer bus sparks prayers for unity
FERGUSON – When the National Day of Prayer (NDP) bus stopped at First Baptist Church Ferguson Sept. 13, the prayer warriors moved beyond their planned emphasis and prayed for unity. According to Dion Elmore, the NDP task force conducted more than 43,000 prayer activities this year through their many volunteers across the country. “We want to pray strategically and intentionally,” Elmore, director of public relations for the NDP task force, said. “We’ve taken our bus into 34 states and … [Read more...]
MBC asks Supreme Court for a sign – of freedom
The Missouri Baptist Convention has filed a brief in the U.S. Supreme Court in joining other religious groups asking for a sign – that religious freedom trumps local sign codes which discriminate against churches and church plants. The case, Reed v. Town of Gilbert, originating the Phoenix area, is potentially the most important religious freedom case on the Supreme Court's docket in the new term beginning Oct. 6. Michael and Jonathan Whitehead, a father-son legal team in Kansas City, … [Read more...]
Tim Tebow joins ‘Good Morning America’
NASHVILLE (BP) – Tim Tebow, the popular former college and pro quarterback revered and criticized for his Christian faith and his on-the-field prayers that coined the word “Tebowing,” continues to make headlines this year as a football commentator – and now as a morning show contributor. Tebow, an analyst for the SEC Network and ESPN, has signed on with “Good Morning America,” ABC News announced Thursday (Sept. 11). A member of First Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Fla., Tebow will be a … [Read more...]
Stand for religious liberty
NASHVILLE (BP) – Southern Baptists must boldly proclaim the Gospel as they fight for religious freedom in the United States and globally, David Platt said in an interview conducted by the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission. Platt, newly elected International Mission Board president, participated in an interview with Dan Darling, vice president of communications for the ERLC, focusing on religious persecution. The ERLC posted the interview, which took place during … [Read more...]
Mohler: Osteen message ‘aims for so little’
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP) – The evangelical world, joined by no shortage of secular observers, has been abuzz about the latest soundbite of note from the Pastors Osteen – this time offered by Victoria Osteen as her husband Joel beamed in the background. In her message, Victoria Osteen tells their massive congregation to realize that their devotion to God is not really about God, but about themselves. “I just want to encourage every one of us to realize when we obey God, we’re not doing it for … [Read more...]
72-hour abortion wait becomes law despite veto
JEFFERSON CITY – It took until the final hours of the veto session late on Sept. 10, but the Missouri legislature has overridden Gov. Jay Nixon’s vetoes and made Missouri home of the longest waiting period before an abortion in the country: 72 hours. In what pro-life leaders are calling a major victory, women must now wait three days after an initial consultation with a doctor when seeking an abortion. Missouri’s previous waiting period was 24 hours. The vote tally was 117-44 in the … [Read more...]
Concerns voiced over PBS’ airing of ‘After Tiller’
WASHINGTON (BP) – The premiere on America's public television stations of a documentary about late-term abortion doctors has prompted concerns and criticisms from pro-life advocates. On Sept. 1, the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) telecast "After Tiller," a 2013 movie about the only four doctors who openly perform third-trimester abortions in the United States. The nearly 90-minute film is available for viewing online at the PBS website through Oct. 1. Point of View (POV), the PBS … [Read more...]
Truett Cathy, Chick-fil-A founder, dies
ATLANTA (BP) -- S. Truett Cathy, founder and chairman emeritus of Chick-fil-A, died today (Sept. 8) at 1:35 a.m., according to an announcement from the Atlanta-based restaurant chain. Cathy was 93. Baptist Press will post a broadened obituary later today. This story includes information from company-released obituary follows of Cathy, a Southern Baptist churchman known for his commitment to Chick-fil-A restaurants being closed on Sundays. Cathy, who died peacefully at home surrounded … [Read more...]
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