HANNIBAL – For the second year in a row, figures from Hobby Lobby’s Supreme Court battle for religious freedom headlined the Missouri Baptist Convention’s Worldview Conference. Unlike last year, they were not merely waiting on a verdict. This time around they were rejoicing in favor before the court and God’s grace. Mike McAfee, director of faith initiatives for Hobby Lobby and the son-in-law of the company’s president, Steve Green, opened in a way that may surprise critics of the Supreme … [Read more...]
Culture decay is a heart issue
HANNIBAL – Pathway Editor Don Hinkle and Hannibal-LaGrange University (HLGU) President Anthony Allen opened the 2015 Worldview Conference at HLGU here, April 2, by urging Missouri Baptists to witness faithfully to an unbelieving society. Reading from Jeremiah 23:16-17, Hinkle said that the secular media is much like the false prophets of old. “The media takes a moral position that flies in the face of biblical teaching,” he said. “There is open hostility to Christian teaching and biblical … [Read more...]
Springfield voters overturn ’gay rights’ ordinance
SPRINGFIELD – In a tight race that showed the value of a vote, Springfield citizens April 7 narrowly repealed a sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) ordinance enacted by the city council last fall that critics said endangered privacy and religious liberty and was unnecessary. The “Yes” votes to repeal totaled 15,347 compared to 14,493 “No” votes, or 51.4 percent to 48.6 percent. Out of more than 29,000 votes, 854 made the difference in returning the city code on the issue to the … [Read more...]
Religious liberty should go beyond freedom of worship
WASHINGTON (WNS) – The new State Department ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom articulated a robust view of religious liberty in his first testimony before Congress. Rabbi David Saperstein’s comments came at a U.S. Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing convened to discuss his office’s budget and role in combating religious persecution. Saperstein’s predecessor, Suzan Johnson Cook, served two-and-a-half ineffective years in the role and often only defended freedom … [Read more...]
Ind. bill affirms ‘inclusion’ of religious beliefs
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (BP) – Indiana's leading Republican lawmakers pledged today (March 30) to introduce language to the state's new religious freedom bill to clarify it does not allow discrimination against homosexuals, but seeks inclusion of religious diversity. House Speaker Brian Bosma and Senate President Pro Tem David Long said at today's press conference that backlash generated by the state's Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), signed into law March 26, is based on a … [Read more...]
Jailed pastor offers son ‘gift of salvation’
BOISE, Idaho (BP) – Written in the wobbly penmanship of a 7-year-old who has said he misses his dad “a thousand lots,” Jacob’s card invites his father to his birthday party today, March 17. But his father, American pastor Saeed Abedini, imprisoned since Sept. 26, 2012, under harsh conditions in Iran because of his Christian faith, cannot attend at the family’s home in Boise, Idaho. Instead, Abedini wrote a letter offering his son the “gift of salvation.” “Even though I AM NOT there with … [Read more...]
Setbacks and victories of religious freedom
NASHVILLE (BP) – The freedom to live according to one's religious beliefs has been a fundamental right in America since its founding. As the culture changes and those opposed to biblical values become more vocal, it is becoming increasingly difficult to express religious beliefs without being socially ostracized or legally penalized. The following compilation by SBCLIFE, the journal of the Southern Baptist Convention's Executive Committee, lists many of the political and cultural … [Read more...]
MO lawmakers defend marriage by filing brief in 8th circuit
KANSAS CITY – The leaders of the Missouri Senate and House filed a friend of the court brief on Feb. 24 in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, defending the Missouri Marriage Amendment passed by a million voters in 2004. The “amicus curiae” brief supports the State of Missouri’s legal position, seeking reversal of an order by a Kansas City federal judge striking down the state’s constitutional provision. The Missouri Marriage Amendment, Article I, §33 states: “That to be … [Read more...]
N. Korea remains atop persecution list
NASHVILLE (BP) – While North Korea held its spot for the 13th consecutive year as the most dangerous country for Christians to live, a new report noted other countries are experiencing unprecedented levels of persecution. Open Doors, which seeks to strengthen the persecuted church overseas, recently released its annual World Watch List. The list ranks the top 50 countries where it is most dangerous and difficult to be a Christian. Among the top 10 of the 2015 list were these countries: … [Read more...]
Gospel spreads despite Boko Haram
MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (BP) – As Boko Haram militants continue to attack Nigeria and threaten neighboring countries, Christian workers there say the Gospel is going forth and impacting receptive hearts. Greg Dorsey*, a Christian worker in West Africa, said Nigerian Christians are effectively engaging many areas of the country. “The northeastern corner of Nigeria where Boko Haram has wielded most of its activities remains a difficult area for believers to freely worship and share their faith,” … [Read more...]
Michigan judge mocks Bible over same-sex marriage
DETROIT – A U.S. District Judge mocked the Bible in a decision that validated 300 same-sex “marriages” that took place in Michigan last year. “In these circumstances, what the state has joined together, it may not put asunder,” said Judge Mark Goldsmith in his Jan. 15 decision. The ruling came after nearly a year of uncertainty regarding same-sex couples who were “married” the day after a different judge said Michigan’s marriage law was unconstitutional. The 2014 decision was put on hold, … [Read more...]
Law sheds light on reading the Bible in schools
MARSHALL – A small town in Missouri briefly became a flashpoint of religious freedom when inconclusive reports hit media outlets that a student at Bueker Middle School here was told he was not allowed to read his Bible during his free time. A seventh grader there told his parents and WDAF-TV in Kansas City a teacher told him he could not read the Bible at school. However, there has not been validation of the accusation and the principal has since made public comments assuring the Bible and … [Read more...]
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