WASHINGTON (BP) – The United States Supreme Court ruled Friday (June 27) that parents of public-school children in Montgomery County, Md., have a right to opt their kids out of classroom reading times with books the school board labels as “LGBTQ inclusive.” These books were introduced as part of a new curriculum in 2022 that included more than 20 new inclusivity books for pre-K through eighth-grade students. They promote storylines that teach gender is more a construct than a biological … [Read more...]
FIRST-PERSON: 10 years after Obergefell
A decade ago, the United States crossed a threshold when the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage throughout the country in Obergefell v. Hodges. Looking back, it is clear that the Court’s decision effectively codified our cultural descent into a no-holds barred approach to sexuality, and, a bit later, gender. Grounded in what Carl Trueman terms “expressive individualism,” this mentality is divorced from biological realities, sociological data, common sense, and the clear testimony of … [Read more...]
In ‘landmark ruling,’ Supreme Court upholds Tennessee law banning gender transition treatment for minors
WASHINGTON (BP) – In a historic decision, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Wednesday (June 18) that a Tennessee law banning gender transition medical treatments for minors is constitutional. The case, United States v. Skrmetti, involved a suit brought by three transgender teenagers and the Biden Administration against Tennessee officials seeking to bar the state from enforcing its ban on gender transition interventions or so-called “gender affirming care” for minors. Tennessee Attorney … [Read more...]
Supreme Court instructs New York to uphold religious liberty
WASHINGTON (BP) – The Supreme Court has ordered New York courts to reconsider some of their previous decisions in light of the High Court’s ruling in the Wisconsin Catholic Charities case earlier this month. In that case – Catholic Charities Bureau, Inc. v. Wisconsin Labor & Industry Review Commission – the Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the State of Wisconsin could not deny religious exemptions for certain ministries just because those ministries serve all people, regardless … [Read more...]
Supreme Court unanimously sides with Catholic Charities in religious liberty case
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...]
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...]
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 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...]
Christian counselors, Missouri Attorney General defend free religious speech, oppose censorship in Kansas City, Jackson County
‘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...]
- « Previous Page
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- …
- 37
- Next Page »