The will of the majority and the rights of the minority

By J. Brent Walker, Baptist Joint Committee Executive Director
President Barack Obama’s recent remarks about “unelected judges” thwarting the will of the elected political branches provides an opportunity to think about several fundaments of our democratic form of government and how best to protect religious liberty….
From the April 2012 Report from the Capital

New survey finds growing unease with mixing religion and politics

Written by BJC Staff
WASHINGTON — A growing number of Americans think there is too much religious talk by politicians and that churches should keep out of politics, according to a national survey released March 21.
From the April 2012 Report from the Capital

BJC, coalition ask candidates to avoid religious discord

Written by BJC Staff
WASHINGTON — A diverse coalition of major national religious organizations on Feb. 21 issued an “Interfaith Statement of Principles,” calling on the presidential candidates and all candidates for public office this election year to help ensure decency, honesty and fair play in elections by conducting campaigns that honor our nation’s traditions of religious liberty and avoid sowing religious discord.
From the March 2012 Report from the Capital

New rule addresses religious freedom, contraception concerns

By BJC Staff
WASHINGTON – Responding Feb. 10 to opponents of the administration’s rule requiring most health insurance plans to cover contraceptive services, President Barack Obama announced a new policy that expands the religious accommodation and requires insurance companies to offer contraceptive services free of charge directly to employees at religious institutions that object to providing them.
From the March 2012 Report from the Capital

Principles in political posturing

By J. Brent Walker, BJC Executive Director
We planned to release the Interfaith Statement of Principles on Religion in Political Campaigns the morning after the Presidents Day holiday. And what interesting timing it was. The previous weekend and the following week brought a torrent of examples of the very abuses of religion in politics that we talked about in the statement.
From the March 2012 Report from the Capital