EDITOR: Timothy Faber serves as Missouri Baptist Convention legislative consultant. The old saying “if you can’t beat them, join them” seems to be the preferred choice for some of our state legislators. There are many good men and women serving in our state legislature, to be sure, but there are some who like to pretend they are fixing a problem when in reality they are spilling a lot of ink and leaving a bigger stain on our state. They dangle a promise of new revenue while trying to … [Read more...]
ERLC urges Congress to defund Planned Parenthood
NASHVILLE (BP) – The Southern Baptist Convention's (SBC) Ethics & Religious Liberty has issued a formal request for Congress to defund Planned Parenthood and is asking others to join. A letter from the ERLC to the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee (available on the ERLC website here) says, “The American people should not be forced to subsidize an organization that profits from the deaths of innocent lives. … Many Americans do not want their tax money supporting an organization … [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...]
Gender, abortion, immigration among Trump’s initial executive orders
WASHINGTON (BP) – President Donald Trump’s flurry of executive actions during his first week in office has drawn mixed reviews from evangelicals. Initiatives to combat radical gender ideologies and protect pro-life demonstrators sparked praise while facets of Trump’s immigration crackdown met with caution in some cases and opposition in others. The president’s other executive actions spanned a range of topics, including freedom of speech; the death penalty; Diversity, Equity and … [Read more...]
Houses passes ERLC-endorsed ‘Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act’
WASHINGTON (BP) – The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the “Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act,” a bill aimed at protecting newborn babies that survive attempted abortions. The bill was endorsed by the SBC’s Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC). The bill, which passed the House on Thursday (Jan. 23) with a vote of 217 to 204, would amend current law by adding specific protections for newborn infants and requiring medical professionals to provide these … [Read more...]
The gift of government
EDITOR'S NOTE: Timothy Faber serves as legislative consultant with the Missouri Baptist Convention. All of us have complained about the government at one time or another. Even the perpetually positive Ronald Reagan once quipped “The most terrifying words in the English language are: I’m from the government and I’m here to help." Everything from taxes, to red tape, to oppressive regulations from un-elected bureaucrats . . . give us something to complain about regarding the government. But … [Read more...]
Trump move to halt refugee program could affect persecuted Christians
WASHINGTON (BP) – Incoming President Donald Trump has halted for at least 90 days a refugee admissions program that resettled 100,000 individuals fleeing persecution in fiscal year 2024, including nearly 30,000 Christians. By an executive order Jan. 20, Trump suspended the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) “until such time as the further entry into the United States of refugees aligns with the interests” of the nation, ordered the secretary of Homeland Security to submit a report … [Read more...]
Trump ‘saved by God to make America great again,’ president says at 2nd inauguration
WASHINGTON (BP) – In a day punctuated with references to God and Judeo-Christian principles, Donald Trump was inaugurated Jan. 20 as the 47th president of the United States. “Those who wished to stop our cause have tried to take my freedom and, indeed, to take my life,” Trump said in his inaugural address. “Just a few months ago in a beautiful Pennsylvania field, an assassin’s bullet ripped through my ear. But I felt then and believe even more so now that my life was saved for a reason: … [Read more...]
Laws in 20 states guarding kids from online porn at risk in High Court appeal
WASHINGTON (BP) – Laws in 20 states aimed at shielding minors from online pornography are under fire as the U.S. Supreme Court hears a legal challenge Jan. 15, with the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) among many interceding for the Texas law at the center of the case. At issue is Texas House Bill 1181, one of a string of 20 such laws passed since Louisiana began the charge in 2022 to require websites containing at least 33 percent pornographic materials … [Read more...]
ERLC speaks out against proposed rule expanding coverage of contraceptives
NASHVILLE (BP) – The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission has filed public comments voicing concerns with a proposed rule which would expand coverage of contraceptives under the Affordable Care Act. The rule would require private insurance providers to cover over-the-counter contraception, including abortifacients such as the Plan B pill, without a prescription at no cost. It would also require insurers to cover every FDA-approved contraceptive drug or product without cost sharing … [Read more...]
Judge’s split decision leaves Missouri abortion clinics closed for now
EDITOR’S NOTE: Mike Whitehead is a Kansas City trial attorney and outside general counsel for Missouri Baptist Convention. His views are his own. This article is not legal advice but provides information for educational purposes only. KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Abortion clinics will remain closed in Missouri for now, in spite of Amendment 3, after a split decision by a Kansas City trial judge on Friday, Dec. 20, enjoined the total ban on abortions, but left in place certain licensing regulations … [Read more...]
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