Stories tagged with: religious liberty

• Religious liberty advances in 2019

  by Tom Strode, posted Thursday, December 26, 2019 (4 years ago)

  

  Amber Dion

  WASHINGTON (BP) -- It was a good year for religious liberty in the United States, and the Supreme Court has the opportunity to advance such protection in 2020, say advocates for the country’s first freedom guaranteed in the Bill of Rights.

  A string of victories for religious freedom delivered by judges and the Trump administration marked 2019, spokesmen for the organizations Becket and Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) told Baptist Press. 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

• Fairness for All Act draws opposition from both sides

  by Tom Strode, posted Friday, December 13, 2019 (4 years ago)

  

  Screen capture from fairnessforall.org

  WASHINGTON (BP) -- A new congressional proposal seeking to balance religious freedom and gay rights is a misguided effort that will fail to achieve its stated goals, according to the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission.

  The Fairness for All Act, H.R. 5331, gained introduction in the House of Representatives Dec. 6 as an attempt to address the ongoing conflict between religious liberty and sexual liberty. The bill would prohibit discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people while also guarding religious expression by institutions and individuals, Republican Rep. Chris Stewart of Utah said in introducing the legislation. Read More

• FIRST-PERSON: The Manhattan Declaration: Ten Years Later

  by Nathan A. Finn, posted Wednesday, November 20, 2019 (4 years ago)

  

  The Manhattan Declaration issued a clarion call that was clearly necessary 10 years ago, Nathan Finn says. Subsequent events have shown this call is even more important in 2019. Read More

• Kentucky high court rules for print shop owner

  by Tom Strode, posted Friday, November 01, 2019 (4 years ago)

  

  Screen capture from ADF video

  FRANKFORT, Ky. (BP) -- Religious freedom advocates commended a Kentucky Supreme Court decision Thursday (Oct. 31) in support of a business owner who declined to print T-shirts for a gay pride festival.

  The state high court ruled unanimously the Gay and Lesbian Services Organization (GLSO) did not have "statutory standing" under a local ordinance to bring the challenge against Hands On Originals, giving the Lexington shop and managing owner Blaine Adamson their third legal victory. Two lower courts had previously upheld Adamson's right to print only messages that are consistent with his beliefs. Read More

• O'Rourke's tax-exempt opposition draws response

  by Tom Strode, posted Friday, October 11, 2019 (4 years ago)

  

  Screen capture from CNN.

  LOS ANGELES (BP) -- Democratic presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke's declaration churches should lose their tax-exempt status if they do not agree with same-sex marriage drew quick rebuttals from Southern Baptist leaders and others.

  If elected president, the former congressman from Texas said he would make such a policy a priority in response to a question during the Power of Our Pride Presidential Town Hall Thursday night (Oct. 10) in Los Angeles. The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation sponsored the town hall, and CNN conducted and telecast the event. HRC is the world's largest civil rights organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. Read More

• Explainer: The NBA, China and Hong Kong

  by Josh Wester, posted Thursday, October 10, 2019 (4 years ago)

  

  compiled from iStock images

  NASHVILLE (BP) -- A tweet from an executive with the Houston Rockets has touched off an international controversy and brought attention to an ongoing dispute between Hong Kong and China. On Friday, Oct. 4, Daryl Morey, general manager of the Texas-based NBA franchise, posted an image on Twitter with the words: "Fight For Freedom. Stand With Hong Kong."

  In response, multiple Chinese organizations including the Chinese Basketball Association, the Rockets' Chinese sponsors, and Tencent, a Chinese conglomerate that holds the NBA's rights in China, announced they would end all commercial partnerships with the NBA team. To quell the controversy, Morey later deleted the post and apologized, and the NBA released a statement clarifying Morey's views did "not represent the Rockets or the NBA." Read More

• Religion in public schools focus of Pew study

  by Diana Chandler, posted Monday, October 07, 2019 (4 years ago)

  

  iStock photo

  WASHINGTON (BP) -- As courts deliberate the legality of religious activity including prayer and Bible study in public schools, many teenagers participate in or witness religious activity on campus, according to the Pew Research Center.

  "While several previous surveys have examined the religious lives of teenagers," Pew said in a press release, "this is the first large-scale, nationally representative survey asking teens a series of questions about their own practices and perceptions regarding religious expressions in public schools." Read More

• InterVarsity gains legal victory against U of Iowa

  by Tom Strode, posted Tuesday, October 01, 2019 (4 years ago)

  

  DAVENPORT, Iowa (BP) -- InterVarsity Christian Fellowship USA has gained a legal victory in its effort to remain an official student organization at the University of Iowa.

  Federal Judge Stephanie Rose ruled Sept. 27 the university violated the evangelical campus ministry's speech, association and free exercise of religion rights by barring InterVarsity for requiring its leaders to be Christians. In her 52-page opinion, Rose also said three university administrators would personally have to pay damages to InterVarsity that would be set at a later trial. Read More

• Michigan adoption agency wins in court

  by Tom Strode, posted Friday, September 27, 2019 (4 years ago)

  

  iStock

  LANSING, Mich. (BP) -- Faith-based adoption and foster care agencies seeking to practice their religious beliefs gained an important victory Thursday (Sept. 26) in Michigan.

  Federal Judge Robert Jonker issued a preliminary injunction blocking Michigan from canceling the state-approved contract of St. Vincent Catholic Charities to provide foster care and adoption services. St. Vincent will be able to continue partnering with the state while the court case continues. Read More