Stories tagged with: religious liberty

• SBC leaders: Cooperation and threats to religious liberty

  by Tom Strode, posted Tuesday, April 14, 2020 (4 years ago)

  

  Photo from Twitter

  WASHINGTON (BP) -- Church-state cooperation and threats to religious liberty have marked the response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, two Southern Baptist leaders said.

  Mayors in Louisville, Ky., and Greenville, Miss., barred "drive-in" worship services days before Easter, resulting in objections from Christian leaders and lawsuits by the churches involved. A federal judge temporarily blocked the Louisville action April 11, enabling a church to go forward with its "drive-in" Easter worship plans the next day. Read More

• Paycheck Protection Plan draws feedback from pastors, ethicists

  by Diana Chandler, posted Wednesday, April 08, 2020 (4 years ago)

  

  SEATTLE (BP) -- As pastor of Epic Life Church in Seattle with only five employees, Keith Carpenter sees the Paycheck Protection Plan loan as a godsend during a devastating economic downturn prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic. So does pastor A.B. Vines, whose multisite New Seasons Church in Spring Valley, Calif., employs about 50.

  But some pastors have theological and ethical concerns with the loan, which is administered by the U.S. Small Business Administration. Read More

• Southern Baptists object to mayor's threat to close church buildings

  by Tom Strode, posted Tuesday, March 31, 2020 (4 years ago)

  

  iStock

  WASHINGTON (BP) -- Southern Baptists have voiced objections to New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio's threat to close permanently the buildings of churches and other religious groups if they continue to gather for corporate worship.

  In his March 27 press briefing, de Blasio said law enforcement officials have been instructed to warn congregational leaders when they discover worship services taking place in violation of the city's restrictions on gatherings during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Read More

• Court delays arguments; religious liberty, abortion rulings await

  by Tom Strode, posted Friday, March 20, 2020 (4 years ago)

  

  iStock

  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 arguments based on developments with the virus. Read More

• ERLC lauds ruling in favor of Pensacola cross

  by Tom Strode, posted Tuesday, February 25, 2020 (4 years ago)

  

  Becket photo

  ATLANTA (BP) -- The Southern Baptist Convention's religious freedom entity has commended a federal appeals court's decision that a cross on public land in Pensacola, Fla., does not violate the First Amendment.

  The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta ruled Feb. 19 a cross originally erected in 1941 in Pensacola's Bayview Park is constitutional based on a 2019 opinion by the U.S. Supreme Court. A three-judge panel reversed a previous decision by the 11th Circuit Court, holding in light of the high court's ruling on a similar display in Maryland that "the cross's presence on city property doesn't violate" the First Amendment clause that prohibits government establishment of religion. Read More

• ERLC, others applaud HHS pro-life notice to California

  by Tom Strode, posted Thursday, January 30, 2020 (4 years ago)

  

  iStock

  WASHINGTON (BP) -- Religious freedom and pro-life advocates have praised a Trump administration action putting on notice the state of California for its imposition of insurance mandates that require even churches to provide abortion coverage.

  The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced Jan. 24 it had notified California it was guilty of violating federal conscience protections in requiring abortion coverage by all health insurance plans and issuers. The HHS Office of Civil Rights informed the state it has 30 days to demonstrate its intent to comply or risk restrictions on funding from the department. Read More

• High court gives hope on scholarship program

  by Tom Strode , posted Thursday, January 23, 2020 (4 years ago)

  

  iStock

  WASHINGTON (BP) -- Supporters of a state tax credit scholarship program that includes religious schools found hope Wednesday (Jan. 22) that the U.S. Supreme Court would agree the plan passes constitutional muster.

  The high court heard oral arguments regarding a program created by the Montana legislature that provides a tax credit of up to $150 for a donation to a Student Scholarship Organization (SSO). Contributions to SSOs finance scholarships given to families for student tuition at private schools of their choosing. The legislature's program includes Christian and other religious schools. Read More

• Trump affirms religious liberty in schools

  by Tess Schoonhoven, posted Thursday, January 16, 2020 (4 years ago)

  

  Screen capture from C-Span

  WASHINGTON (BP) -- In observance of National Religious Freedom Day, President Donald Trump hosted a gathering today (Jan. 16) of students from different religions to affirm the right of students to pray in school.

  Students at the event held in the Oval Office included those of the Christian, Jewish and Muslim faiths, NPR reported. Read More

• Christians in India spend Christmas in jail

  by Morning Star News Staff, posted Friday, January 03, 2020 (4 years ago)

  

  Morning Star News photo

  NEW DELHI (BP) -- Christians arrested in central India after Hindu nationalist, tribal villagers disrupted their worship service spent Christmas in jail before they were released on bail after 11 days -- accused of illegally practicing medicine.

  Pastor Mukam Kiraad, 35, along with two members of his church, 40-year-old Lalsingh Tomar and 38-year-old Nanliya Rawat, were shocked to learn that they were charged under a Madhya Pradesh state law prohibiting unregistered medical practice, punishable by up to three years in prison. Read More

• ERLC: U.S. takes 'critical' steps on religious liberty

  by Tom Strode, posted Thursday, January 02, 2020 (4 years ago)

  

  iStock photo

  WASHINGTON (BP) -- Two federal government actions shortly before Christmas are vital to protecting international religious liberty, a Southern Baptist public-policy leader said.

  Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced Dec. 20 the re-designation of Burma (Myanmar), China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan as "countries of particular concern" (CPCs), a category reserved under federal law for governments that have committed or tolerated "systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom." Read More