House passes church funding bill

By Bob Allen, Associated Baptist Press
The U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved a bill Feb. 13 to allow houses of worship damaged by Hurricane Sandy to receive disaster aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, despite warnings by advocacy groups that the measure flouts the constitutionally mandated separation of church and state.

From the March 2013 Report from the Capital.

Reclaiming religious liberty for my family

By Mitch Randall, BJC Board Chair
The story of my Native American grandmother poured the foundation for my strong support for religious liberty and church-state separation.

From the March 2013 Report from the Capital.

More state legislatures considering religion

By BJC Blogger Don Byrd
So many religion-themed bills are being proposed and advanced in state legislatures these days, it’s hard to keep up.

From the March 2013 Report from the Capital.

BJC joins coalition supporting ban on religious discrimination in Violence Against Women Act

By Cherilyn Crowe
A key provision in the new Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) prevents religious discrimination with taxpayer dollars, but its inclusion was not a foregone conclusion during the legislative battle to reauthorize the bill. The Baptist Joint Committee joined a broad coalition in contacting Members of Congress when one proposed version did not include that provision.

From the March 2013 Report from the Capital

Protecting religious freedom in schools

By K. Hollyn Hollman, BJC General Counsel
While Supreme Court decisions and other constitutional principles governing religion in the public schools are firmly settled, there is always a steady stream of controversies over religion in the public schools.

From the March 2013 Report from the Capital.