WASHINGTON – Though the Equality Act may soon “put churches and religious groups in unprecedented territory,” Kansas City attorneys Michael and Jonathan Whitehead said Missouri Baptists don’t need to use much imagination to see what harm the bill could do. The Whiteheads, father and son, have been involved in religious liberty cases at the U.S. Supreme Court, and they provide legal counsel for the Missouri Baptist Convention. The Equality Act (H.R. 5) passed through the U.S. House … [Read more...]
‘De-conversion of the West’: Truth will outlast Left’s false gospel, Southern Baptist ethicist says
WASHINGTON – Progressives pushing forward the Equality Act in the U.S. Congress are evangelists for a false gospel that aims to undo the moral foundations of Western society, Southwest Baptist University alumnus and Christian ethicist Andrew Walker wrote, Feb. 24, in the American Conservative. “Aiming to amend the 1964 Civil Rights Act to cover gender identity and sexual orientation, (the Equality Act) is the game-set-match of the Sexual Revolution’s conquest,” Walker, associate professor … [Read more...]
Rep. Hartzler: Equality Act diminishes rights of women, authority of parents
WASHINGTON – The Equality Act (H.R. 5) diminishes women’s rights and wellbeing, the safety of children and the authority of parents, according to U.S. Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler (R-Mo.). “On occasion, Congressional leaders will purposely misname a piece of legislation to disguise its true intention. The Equality Act is the epitome of this misrepresentation,” Hartzler said following passage of the bill in the U.S. House of Representatives, Feb. 25. “This legislation is an affront on … [Read more...]
Senate bill offers highest legal protection for churches against COVID-19 lawsuits
JEFFERSON CITY – A bill in the Missouri General Assembly that would provide the highest legal protection for Missouri churches against frivolous, COVID-related lawsuits is working its way toward possible passage. Senate Bill 51 (SB 51) will raise the standard in which churches can be sued to one of “intentionality,” a much higher standard than “recklessness” or “negligence,” which were in earlier versions. “The rule without SB 51 is that you might lose if you ‘mistakenly’ fail to … [Read more...]
Supreme Court hears campus religious freedom, free speech case
WASHINGTON (Whitehead Law Firm) – The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments by teleconference, Jan. 12, in an important case involving campus religious freedom and the legal doctrine of mootness, which limits the on-going jurisdiction of federal courts to hear cases. The case is Chike Uzuegbunam v. Preczewski (CHEE’-kay Oo-zah-BUN’-um v. Pray-CHESS-key). Chike is a former student at Georgia Gwinnett College who in 2016 was twice silenced when he tried to share his Christian faith … [Read more...]
Ruling on Nevada church restrictions applauded
SAN FRANCISCO (BP) – Religious freedom advocates applauded a federal appeals court decision Tuesday (Dec. 15) that blocked enforcement of Nevada’s pandemic-related restrictions because they treat various secular events and businesses “significantly better” than worship gatherings. A three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals – generally considered the most liberal of the federal appellate courts – unanimously granted a preliminary injunction against the state for attendance … [Read more...]
Remembering lives given for the cause of Christ
Week of Prayer for International Missions: Day 5 Throughout its 175-year history, Southern Baptists have maintained an uninterrupted witness among the nations, in spite of famine, war and civil unrest. This commitment has not come without sacrifice. Approximately 60 missionaries and children have died due to violent circumstances while serving with the International Mission Board (formerly the Foreign Mission Board) since the organization’s founding in 1845. The causes include accidents … [Read more...]
SCOTUS hears major religious freedom case on foster care in Philadelphia
WASHINGTON (Whitehead Law Firm LLC) – On Nov. 4, at 10 a.m. (ET), while most Americans were rising after a long night of watching incomplete election returns, Becket Fund attorney Lori Windham was rising before the US Supreme Court – by video conference – to argue the most important Free Exercise case of the term, Fulton, et al. v. City of Philadelphia. As in the delayed election results, Philadephia's conduct is at the heart of the dispute. Ms. Windham’s clients are Catholic Social … [Read more...]
Luther’s 500-year-old ‘On Christian Liberty’ lays foundation for modern religious freedom
WITTENBERG, Germany – In 1505, the young man Martin Luther, cowering before a thunderbolt, vowed to become a monk and a devout servant of the Catholic church under the headship of the Roman pontiff. Fifteen years later, in the summer of 1520, Pope Leo X launched his own thunderbolt at Luther in the form of an edict that denounced Luther as a “wild boar” destroying God’s “vineyard,” the Catholic church. The pope warned Luther to recant his errors within 60 days, lest he be condemned as a … [Read more...]
Pastoral care restored in Mo. nursing homes
New CMS guidelines see ministers as ‘essential’ for health of residents JEFFERSON CITY – Residents of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities across the state and nation once again have access to their pastors, partly because of the public policy advocacy of the Missouri Baptist Convention and The Baptist Home. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released updated COVID-19 restrictions, Sept. 17, expanding guidelines for compassionate care visits at long-term … [Read more...]
Hawley urges AG to protect religious liberty
WASHINGTON – Republican U.S. Sen. Joshua Hawley of Missouri has sent a Sept. 17 letter to U.S. Attorney General William Barr urging him to immediately file suit in federal court to protect religious liberties in states placing unconstitutional restrictions on houses of worship. Hawley writes that a number of states are violating the First Amendment in strictly limiting attendance at religious services while allowing other businesses, like restaurants and gyms, to operate at up to 50 … [Read more...]
‘Suspension of rights a growing concern’
JEFFERSON CITY – In 1987, Congress passed the Nursing Home Reform Act. Until that time, senior care was largely an unregulated industry. Although some providers, such as The Baptist Home, enjoyed solid reputations for quality care, the very name of the act implied reform was necessary across the industry. The Act established the following rights for nursing home residents: 1. The right to freedom from abuse, mistreatment, and neglect; 2. The right to freedom from physical restraints; 3. … [Read more...]
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