Stories tagged with: amendment 1

• House drops deadline for ERLC-opposed ERA

  by Tom Strode, posted Friday, February 14, 2020 (4 years ago)

  

  iStock

  WASHINGTON (BP) -- The U.S. House of Representatives has voted to rescind a deadline established nearly 50 years ago for a constitutional amendment a Southern Baptist Convention entity says would threaten the sanctity of human life and freedom of conscience.

  The House voted 232-183 in an almost party-line roll call to remove the deadline set by Congress in 1972 for the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), a controversial proposal that failed to gain ratification by three-fourths of the states in the allotted time. When Congress approved the ERA, it established a seven-year deadline for ratification by the states. Congress later extended the deadline three more years, but proponents achieved passage in only 35 of the 38 states needed before time expired in 1982. Read More

• Court to review 'ministerial exception' rulings

  by Tom Strode, posted Friday, December 20, 2019 (4 years ago)

  

  iStock

  WASHINGTON (BP) -- The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to rule once again on the freedom of churches and other religious organizations to make employment decisions without government interference.

  The justices announced Dec. 18 they would review opinions by the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals that found two Roman Catholic schools in California do not have the right to fire teachers for the purpose of the "ministerial exception" recognized by the high court in a 2012 opinion. The Supreme Court has not scheduled oral arguments in the consolidated cases. Read More

• High Court upholds Tenn. pro-life constitution change

  by Tom Strode, posted Tuesday, October 02, 2018 (5 years ago)

  

  WASHINGTON (BP) -- The U.S. Supreme Court rejected a challenge to Tennessee's Amendment 1 Monday (Oct. 1) by refusing to review a decision upholding the pro-life measure.

  On the first day of its new term, the high court announced it would not review a Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals opinion that sided with the state in a lawsuit against the amendment, which removed a right to abortion and a requirement for abortion funding from the Tennessee constitution. Opponents challenged the 2014 initiative approved by Tennessee voters on the basis of the way election officials counted ballots, not on the basis of a right to abortion.

  Southern Baptist ethicist Russell Moore said the justices "made the right decision." Read More

• Shootings spark gun control discussion among Baptists

  by David Roach, posted Wednesday, February 28, 2018 (6 years ago)

  

  iStock

  NASHVILLE (BP) -- Amid a tragic stream of mass shootings -- including incidents in Las Vegas; Sutherland Springs, Texas; Marshall County, Ky.; and now Parkland, Fla. -- Southern Baptists have offered a range of proposals on gun control.

  While details of the proposals differ, their advocates agree the ultimate problem behind gun violence is spiritual and that believers should not allow differences on gun policy to divide them.

  "Gun control, admittedly, is a culturally divisive topic," wrote Todd Deaton, editor of Kentucky's Western Recorder newsjournal, one of at least three Baptist state papers to address gun violence in the past two weeks, "but it's part of a conversation the church needs to help lead our society to have constructively ... for the sake of our children, for the sake of our congregants, for the sake of our communities." Read More

• Lankford, Moore amplify separation of church & state

  by Tom Strode, posted Wednesday, January 17, 2018 (6 years ago)

  

  WASHINGTON (BP) -- Two Southern Baptists -- one a U.S. senator and the other a convention entity head -- said on Religious Freedom Day the idea of "separation of church and state" entails freedom -- rather than limitations -- to Americans in the practice of their faith.

  Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., and Russell Moore, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, co-wrote "The Real Meaning of the Separation of Church and State" for the celebration Tuesday (Jan. 16) of the country's heritage of religious freedom. Time magazine published the article online. Read More

• First Amendment upheld in Ky. Court of Appeals

  by Myriah Snyder/Western Recorder, posted Monday, May 15, 2017 (7 years ago)

  In an apparent victory for religious liberty in the marketplace, the Kentucky Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 on May 12 in favor of a Lexington, Ky., T-shirt company's refusal to print gay pride shirts in 2012. Read More

• ANALYSIS: Trump order unlikely to alter sermonizing

  by Scott McConnell, posted Friday, May 05, 2017 (7 years ago)

  

  NASHVILLE (BP) -- Faith and politics have a complicated relationship in the United States.

  Many Americans want religious leaders to be clear about their values and how those values impact every aspect of life, including politics. And they want churches to be free to practice their faith, which includes discussing politics without any government intervention.

  But few want their preacher's advice on which candidate to vote for. Read More

• Congress proposes Johnson Amendment overhaul

  by Tom Strode, posted Friday, February 03, 2017 (7 years ago)

  

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  WASHINGTON (BP) -- Members of Congress have introduced legislation to enable churches and other non-profit organizations to endorse candidates or otherwise participate in political campaigns without fear of penalties from the Internal Revenue Service.

  The Free Speech Fairness Act -- introduced Feb. 1, the day before President Trump reiterated his intent to eliminate the so-called Johnson Amendment -- would free pastors, churches and other tax-exempt entities to intervene on behalf of or against candidates in an election campaign. The measure would still prohibit financial donations from such organizations to candidates or campaigns, a bill sponsor said. Read More

• Tenn. pro-lifers hopeful despite court setback

  by David Roach, posted Friday, April 29, 2016 (8 years ago)

  

  NASHVILLE (BP) -- In response to a federal judge's ruling against supporters of Tennessee's pro-life constitutional amendment adopted in 2014, the state's leading pro-life organization says it believes the case ultimately will be decided by the state supreme court and the amendment upheld.

  Proponents of Tennessee Amendment 1 filed a motion in state court today (April 29) asking to be recognized as parties to the ... Read More

• Pro-choice advocates challenge Amendment 1 win

  by Staff, posted Friday, November 14, 2014 (9 years ago)

  

  NASHVILLE (BP) -- "Absurd" is how state election officials are describing a legal challenge to the success of Amendment 1 in Tennessee, a constitutional provision that allows lawmakers to regulate how and where abortions are performed in the state. Read More