Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty

Objective
The goals of the Religious Liberty Essay Contest are to engage high school students in church-state issues and to generate student interest from a diverse cross-section of Baptist Joint Committee supporting bodies.

Essay Topic:

“ … [B]ut no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.” (Article VI of the U.S. Constitution)

Although the constitution bans religious tests for public office, religious faith continues to play a major role in the campaigns of most candidates in the 2008 presidential race. One candidate has faced criticism for stating that the United States is a Christian nation; a recent survey suggests that 55 percent of Americans believe similarly. Another candidate’s Mormonism has become an issue in his campaign.

The topic for the 2008 contest is: In a 700-1000 word essay, discuss the relevance of religious faith to politics, including whether and to what extent faith should be an election issue in 2008.

Eligibility:
Open to high school students in the classes of 2008 and 2009 that are members of a Baptist church.

Coordinator information (new for 2008):

Students must have a submission coordinator who can review their essay. Coordinators must be on staff at the student’s home church and cannot be a parent. The coordinator reviews the essay to ensure that it meets all the necessary requirements, is free of typographical and grammatical errors and appropriately addresses the topic. A submission coordinator may work with more than one student.

Prizes Awarded:
First Place – $1,000 and travel and lodging for two to Washington, D.C.*

Second Place – $500

Third Place – $100

Winners will be announced in summer 2008 and will be featured in the Baptist Joint Committee’s Report from the Capital newsletter. The first place winner will be recognized at the BJC board meeting in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 6, 2008.

* Trip includes reasonable travel and lodging expenses for contest winner and accompanying parent or guardian to attend the BJC board meeting.

Length:
700 (minimum)-1,000 (maximum) words

Essays not meeting the minimum and maximum word count will not be judged.

Due Date:
March 3, 2008 (on or before)

Requirements:
1. Submitted essays should be in 12-point type, double-spaced and with 1-inch page margins. Essays must have a title.

2. Sources must be credited in a bibliography.

3. Students should complete all fields on the registration form. To ensure fairness, no personal or identifying information should appear on the essay, only on the registration form.

4. All registration forms and the essay should be mailed with a postmark no later than March 3, 2008.

Attn: Baptist Joint Committee Essay Contest

200 Maryland Avenue, N.E.

Washington, D.C. 20002

Judging Criteria:
Entries will be judged on the depth of their content and the skill with which they are written. Students should demonstrate a sound knowledge of the subject matter and support their assertions. Essays should be free of grammatical errors and should be clear, concise, and well-organized. Judges reserve the right to present no awards or to reduce the number of awards if an insufficient number of deserving entries are received.

Click here to download a registration form.

Click here to download a coordinator form.

Click here to download a promotional flier.

For more information, contact Phallan Davis at 202-544-4226 or e-mail her at pdavis@bjconline.org