WASHINGTON – Potential threats to religious liberty have come to the forefront across the United States because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. “Even in the best of times, guarding our First Amendment freedoms can be an uphill battle. And these are not the best of times,” John Stonestreet, president of the Colson Center for Christian Worldview, wrote, April 14. He described the arrest of Christians in Charlotte and Greensboro, N.C., while they prayed outside of abortion clinics. They … [Read more...]
SCOTUS delays arguments: religious liberty, abortion rulings await
WASHINGTON (BP) – The U.S. Supreme Court has paused part of its work in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) with decisions in important cases regarding religious liberty, sexuality and abortion still to be announced. The high court announced March 16 it has postponed oral arguments scheduled for March 23-25 and March 30-April 1 to abide by recommendations offered in response to the continuing spread of the coronavirus. The court said it would study the alternatives for rescheduling … [Read more...]
Mo. House bill enables churches to fight abuse
JEFFERSON CITY – Missouri Baptist pastor and lawmaker Doug Richey has introduced a bill in the Missouri House of Representatives that, if passed and signed into law, will empower churches and other nonprofits in the state to disclose credible allegations of sexual abuse without fear of civil liability. Richey, a state representative and pastor of Pisgah Baptist Church, Excelsior Springs, called Missouri House Bill 1446 (HB 1446) a bipartisan bill that should make its way to the governor’s … [Read more...]
School choice focus of Sec. of Ed Missouri visit
JEFFERSON CITY – U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos used a Jan. 24 trip to the Missouri Capitol to champion local control of schools as well as school choice for elementary, middle and high school students. Such control would allow a school to better reflect its community, and choice could make it easier for parents to pay for private school or homeschooling, using tax credits should they decide it was the right move for their families. In her speech, which was delivered to members of … [Read more...]
Two ultrasound machines save hundreds of lives
KANSAS CITY (BP) – Amory's life changed forever when she saw those two blue lines on the pregnancy test. Thinking it was a false positive, she took it again, and again, three more times. Amory had just finished graduate school, accepted her first job as a speech-language pathologist, moved into her own apartment and finally found a guy who she believed liked her back. However, their relationship was rocky, and Amory had no idea how he would react to the idea of being a father. Although in … [Read more...]
Pastor brings good news to Missouri’s capitol
JEFFERSON CITY – It’s not uncommon to see citizens strolling up and down the halls of the Capitol, seeking to have an influence on lawmakers. Though there’s nothing wrong with lobbying or urging those in power to make God-honoring decisions, Matt Goodsell isn’t here to play politics. The senior pastor of Ashland Baptist Church, Goodsell has made the Missouri Capitol his mission field, building relationships one-by-one and lovingly reminding legislators and their staffs there is a higher … [Read more...]
Pathway editor: Capstone report that MBTS’s Allen lobbied state government is ‘fake news’
JEFFERSON CITY – In a Facebook comment posted this morning, Dec. 10, Pathway Editor Don Hinkle responded to a false report from www.capstonereport.com. According to the report, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary president Jason Allen lobbied the state to accept more refugees during a Dec. 9 meeting with Mo. Governor Mike Parson. Here is Hinkle's response: "I have been a journalist for 45 years and my conservativism is well established (my newspaper, The Pathway, has been called … [Read more...]
Bill filed to protect churches, target predators
JEFFERSON CITY – A bill has been filed by a Missouri lawmaker that removes the legal means utilized by sexual predators to intimidate and silence churches, non-profit organizations, charities and religious institutions when they receive inquiries from prospective employers or volunteer coordinators. House Bill 1446 (HB1446) was pre-filed Dec. 2 by State Rep. Doug Richey (R-Excelsior Springs) and could be considered when the Missouri General Assembly convenes for its 2020 session Jan. 8. … [Read more...]
California’s new abortion-on-campus law
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (BP) – California will be the first state to require all public universities to offer abortion-inducing pills to students on campus. The bill signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsome, a Democrat, on Oct. 11 takes effect in 2023. The medications, taken in two doses, are commonly prescribed to women who are less than 10 weeks pregnant. How are pro-life advocates responding? The new law means state taxpayers and students will likely underwrite the costs of the abortions. … [Read more...]
Northside Baptist pastor running for Mo. House of Representatives
MOUNT VERNON – Wally Long, pastor of Northside Baptist Church here, recently announced his candidacy for a seat in the Missouri House of Representatives, serving for the 157th district. Long has been married for over 39 years and has eight children and seven grandchildren. He served in the U.S. Marines for 10 years, and in 2011 he retired from a 20-year career with the Federal Bureau of Prisons in Springfield. In 2014, he also worked as a legislative assistant for current Missouri state … [Read more...]
‘God calls us to pray for politicians’
INDIANAPOLIS (BP) – Maybe you're not called by God to be a politician. But you are called by God to pray for those who are. In our day, politicians and sometimes first responders bear the brunt of uncharitable comments, but the vast majority of these people are in their roles because they genuinely want to serve the public. As Christians, we are called to pray for our leaders, even if we don't agree with them. As the apostle Paul exhorted: "I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, … [Read more...]
Protecting veterans’ religious liberty
EDITOR'S NOTE: This article was written by Rachel Lynn Aldrich of the WORLD News Group. WASHINGTON (BP) – The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs updated its policies last week to better protect the religious liberty of U.S. military veterans and their families. The revised rules, which were effective July 3, assure that religious displays and pastoral care remain accessible and protected from discrimination. "We want to make sure that all of our veterans and their families feel … [Read more...]
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