WASHINGTON (BP) – The U.S. Supreme Court has unanimously ruled that a Catholic benevolent ministry qualifies for a tax exemption granted to churches. The June 5 decision says the Catholic Charities Bureau (CCB) and its subsidies are eligible to enroll in the Wisconsin Bishops’ Church Unemployment Pay Program (CUPP), which the plaintiffs argued is more efficient, less costly and provides the same benefits as the state’s unemployment insurance program. The CCB is the social ministry arm of … [Read more...]
Pro-life, pro-adoption bill awaits Missouri governor’s signature
EDITOR’S NOTE: Timothy Faber serves as legislative consultant for the Missouri Baptist Convention. This is the third in a series of articles covering the actions and results of the First Regular session of the 103rd General Assembly of the State of Missouri. Some pro-life legislation gets a lot of headlines—like HJR73, which we will discuss at a later time—while other pro-life legislation gets passed over with little media attention, despite strong bipartisan support. One example is … [Read more...]
HLGU asks U.S. Department of Education for protection from unconstitutional mandate
EDITOR'S NOTE: Read a related First-Person article by HLGU President Robert J. Matz by clicking here. HANNIBAL, Mo. (HLGU) – Hannibal-LaGrange University (HLGU), affiliated with the Missouri Baptist Convention (MBC) since 1857, has formally requested a religious accommodation from the U.S. Department of Education from a Biden-era regulation, 34 CFR §668.14. Without timely action by the Department, the university intends to file a lawsuit seeking relief to safeguard its religious … [Read more...]
Legislative actions aim to protect unborn lives
EDITOR'S NOTE: Timothy Faber serves as legislative consultant for the Missouri Baptist Convention. Last November Missourians voted on a constitutional amendment “officially” known as The Right to Reproductive Freedom Initiative” but more commonly known as Amendment 3. It passed by 95,637 votes out of nearly 3 million votes cast, or 51.6% to 48.4%. Immediately after it went into effect Planned Parenthood sued to start invalidating the plethora of state statutes that had resulted in … [Read more...]
Five religious liberty cases loom large as SCOTUS decisions draw closer
NASHVILLE (BP) – Five cases addressing religious liberty ranging from parental rights to age verification on pornographic sites will be decided when the Supreme Court announces its decisions in the coming months. The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) has released explainers for all cases and their potential implications for the future. The entity also joined several amicus briefs, including one alongside both Baptist state conventions in Texas. “The number of … [Read more...]
Supreme Court hears case on South Carolina’s effort to defund Planned Parenthood
WASHINGTON (BP) – The Supreme Court heard oral arguments Wednesday (April 2) in a case that will decide the fate of South Carolina’s effort to defund Planned Parenthood by barring abortion clinics in the state from participating in Medicaid programs. The case, Medina v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, will decide whether the Medicaid Act’s “any-qualified-provider provision,” which gives beneficiaries the right to choose their provider, includes providers that perform abortions. … [Read more...]
Supreme Court appears ready to side with Catholic Charities in religious liberty case
WASHINGTON (BP) – The Supreme Court heard oral arguments Monday (March 31) in a case that will determine whether a Catholic benevolent ministry qualifies for a tax exemption granted to churches. At issue in the case, Catholic Charities Bureau, Inc. v. Wisconsin Labor & Industry Review Commission, is the commission’s ruling that the Catholic Charities Bureau (CCB) and its four sub-entities, which provide various social services to a diversity of needy communities, do not operate for … [Read more...]
Walker defends “A Public Theology of Free Speech” during MBTS lecture series
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (MBTS) – Midwestern Seminary welcomed Andrew T. Walker to campus on March 25 to deliver the annual Scudder Lecture. Walker, who serves as associate professor of Christian ethics and public theology at Southern Seminary, presented a Christian theology of free speech. President Jason Allen expressed his gratitude for Walker, saying, “When we think about these lectureships, we seek to bring someone who will serve this institution well, who resonates theologically with us, … [Read more...]
Prestonwood Pregnancy Center opens on Southwestern Seminary’s campus
by Karen Garcia FORT WORTH (BP) — Prestonwood Baptist Church and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary formally marked the opening of Prestonwood Pregnancy Center during a March 26 ribbon-cutting ceremony on the seminary’s Fort Worth campus. “This facility has been sitting here, waiting for how it was going to be transformed and sanctified and to be able to be used for Kingdom purposes, and so God has answered our prayers in so many ways,” President David S. Dockery said, noting … [Read more...]
Babylon Bee CEO to keynote Vitae Foundation’s pro-life event in Jefferson City, March 25
JEFFERSON CITY (Vitae Foundation) – Seth Dillon, CEO of The Babylon Bee, is coming to Jefferson City for Vitae Foundation’s Don and Ruth Ann Schnieders Annual Pro-Life Event on Tuesday, March 25. Taking on the tone of a traditional news media publication, The Babylon Bee satirizes real-world events and public figures. Seth Dillon’s experience with censorship and deplatforming has placed him on the front lines of the battle for free speech in the public square. He now speaks on … [Read more...]
Hold marriage in honor
Following Christ is somewhat like remodeling a home. As we mature in our relationship with our Master we move from a bassinet to a crib to a twin bed and eventually a double or queen size bed. We move from a high chair to a full size chair at the table. And the swing set in the backyard is replaced with a deck and propane grill. But if we switch our furniture and maybe even change a few walls or replace windows, but neglect the foundation, we will soon find our home in a shambles. The … [Read more...]
ERLC urges Congress to defund Planned Parenthood
NASHVILLE (BP) – The Southern Baptist Convention's (SBC) Ethics & Religious Liberty has issued a formal request for Congress to defund Planned Parenthood and is asking others to join. A letter from the ERLC to the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee (available on the ERLC website here) says, “The American people should not be forced to subsidize an organization that profits from the deaths of innocent lives. … Many Americans do not want their tax money supporting an organization … [Read more...]
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