‘Conversion therapy’ bans in KC, Jackson County a 'dangerous overreach,' AG Bailey says KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A new federal lawsuit takes aim at local ordinances in Kansas City and Jackson County that censor the free religious speech of licensed professional counselors who counsel minors struggling with gender identity or same-sex attraction. Two licensed professional counselors, Wyatt Bury and Pamela Eisenreich, have filed a federal lawsuit against Kansas City, Mo., and the Jackson County … [Read more...]
Hispanic Baptist leaders say loss of ‘sensitive locations’ rule hurts Church
FORT WORTH, Texas (BP) – The loss of a rule that prevented officials from entering churches to arrest immigrants accused of being in the U.S. illegally has hurt the Church’s witness, the National Hispanic Baptist Network (NHBN) said Jan. 29 in calling for the rule’s reinstatement. The NHBN, a group representing more than 3,300 Southern Baptist churches, released its statement in Spanish and English nine days after the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) overturned a 14-year-old rule … [Read more...]
California baker in court again in fight to follow Christian beliefs in work
FRESNO, Calif. (BP) – California Christian baker Cathy Miller, who won two lower court battles in her refusal to custom design a wedding cake for a lesbian couple, continued to plead her case for individual religious freedom Dec. 17 in a California appeals court. “It takes a special kind of spite to spend almost a decade bullying a small-business owner because she wants to run her bakery without sacrificing her Christian faith,” Eric Rassbach, vice president and senior counsel at Becket … [Read more...]
Christians challenge law blocking some religious colleges from state-funded program
MINNEAPOLIS (BP) – Minnesota Christian parents are challenging a state law that blocks certain Christian colleges from a program that allows colleges to enroll high schoolers in tuition-free college credit courses. Through Minnesota’s Post Secondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) program, 10th through 12th graders have been able to take college credit courses tuition-free at state colleges since 1985, according to attorneys at Becket Law. But the state changed the PSEO program in 2023, … [Read more...]
Lone Christian convicted for praying silently in large UK abortion buffer zone
DORSET COUNTY, England (BP) – An Army veteran and father of three was found guilty Oct. 16 of praying silently in a large abortion buffer zone in England and fined the equivalent of $11,700, Alliance Defending Freedom UK (ADF UK) reported. Adam Smith-Conner could face jail time under the conditional discharge the court granted, his attorneys said, if he commits the same crime within the next two years. “This is a legal turning point of immense proportions. A man has been convicted … [Read more...]
Judge protects religious employer from federal workers abortion rule
BISMARCK, N.D. (BP) – In a stinging rebuke, a federal district judge said the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) cannot force a North Dakota Catholic Diocese and its insurer to grant special workplace accommodations to women recovering from abortions or fertility treatments, as the EEOC stipulated in Pregnancy Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) guidance. “This case is not hard,” U.S. District Judge Daniel M. Traynor said Sept. 23 in granting the Catholic Benefits Association (CBA) … [Read more...]
‘Deliver those being taken away to death’
EDITOR’S NOTE: Timothy Faber serves as legislative consultant with the Missouri Baptist Convention. JEFFERSON CITY – Proverbs 24:10-12 says: “If you are slack in the day of distress, your strength is limited. Deliver those who are being taken away to death, and those who are staggering to slaughter – oh hold them back! If you say ‘See, we did not know this,’ Does He not consider it who weighs the hearts? And does He not know it who keeps your soul? And will He not render to man according … [Read more...]
Kansas City ministry reaches trafficking survivors, offers gospel hope
KANSAS CITY – Trafficked women need support to survive and to be restored. ReHope, a faith-based ministry formerly called Restoration House and founded out of the Blue River-Kansas City Baptist Association (BRKC), provides that support and encouragement. “We have two facilities,” Jason Alvis, ReHope Chief Executive Officer, said. “We have a 17-acre Farm in Harrisonville, Mo., and a Crisis Stabilization home in Kansas City, Kansas. We also partner with the Missouri Baptist Children’s Home … [Read more...]
Cultural Impact Conference calls churches to stand for freedom, life of unborn
SPRINGFIELD – A slate of well-known speakers, including Missouri Senator Josh Hawley, best-selling author Bill Federer and Family Research Council President Tony Perkins, urged participants at the Cultural Impact Conference, Sept. 7, to engage biblically in politics, standing firmly for freedom and the sanctity of life. The day-long conference was hosted by First Baptist Church, Ozark. “The gospel of Christ touches every area of life, and if (for you) it doesn’t, you’ve got a neutered, … [Read more...]
UCLA discriminated against Jews during Israel-Hamas war protests, judge rules
LOS ANGELES (BP) – The University of California at Los Angeles blocked Jewish students from portions of campus when protests erupted in response to the Israel-Hamas War, a district judge has ruled, citing their faith as the sole factor. “Jewish students were excluded from portions of the UCLA campus because they refused to denounce their faith,” U.S. District Judge Mark Scarsi said in granting a preliminary injunction Aug. 13 in the lawsuit filed by three Jewish students against the … [Read more...]
FIRST-PERSON: Finding freedom in Christ
by Ron Crow I had the opportunity to visit the Holy Land in Israel in 2018. What an experience that was of learning, experiencing and walking where Jesus walked. I learned much about biblical sites which made the Bible come alive. But I also learned about the current Israeli culture. I will never forget the day our tour guide made this statement, “You Americans often talk about your freedom. We have no idea what that even means. We have never experienced freedom.” This is the only life … [Read more...]
No, the early Christians were not communists
A popular claim that early Christians were communists is clearly false. Even Missouri’s own Harry S. Truman said to his daughter, “You know there was but one idealistic example of Communism. That is described in the Acts of the Apostles.” When Acts 2:44 says, “Now all the believers where together and had everything in common,” the text is not describing socialism as we know it. Instead, the Bible is describing the voluntary generous spirit that comes when a church is unified. Why is the … [Read more...]
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