First, I want to wish a very Happy New Year to readers of Blog From the Capital and supporters of the Baptist Joint Committee. 2009 was a fascinating year (see the Top Ten stories post) that saw both the continuation of age-old disputes and the emergence of new ones in the area of religious liberty. Following this unfolding story here daily is truly inspiring.
While I'm being reflective here…I am so very proud to write under the banner of such an essential organization as the BJC. Simply put, there is no stronger, more effective voice of reason in Washington on the contentious issue of church-state separation. A true Baptist voice speaks up for the freedoms of every individual, and none do it better than Rev. Brent Walker and all of the great folks at the BJC. If you are not already watching closely, get your name on the e-mail list, become a follower on Twitter, and a fan on Facebook!
The real reason for this post though is to let you in on what I'm looking forward to in 2010 (Is it pronounced "twenty-ten" or "two-thousand ten"?). In no particular order, here are thumbnail versions of some church-state questions I have for the new year:
1. Will the Obama administration answer the question of hiring discrimination with federal dollars with a broad policy statement? Will they take the BJC's advice and undo the previous administration's misuse of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act?
2. Will the Supreme Court stay as far away from the church-state issues raised by the Mojave cross case as oral arguments made it appear they will?
3. Will the Alliance Defense Fund have any more luck in 2010 than they did in 2009 in their efforts to bait the IRS into a showdown over the issue of tax-exempt status and candidate endorsements from the pulpit?
4. Will support for the "nonsectarian compromise", requiring prayer that opens official government meetings to be nondenominational, continue to erode in public discourse? Will a judge ever buy the dubious argument that sectarian prayers in such a setting are appropriate and protected by Free Speech? (Related, will the Senate confirmation vote of Judge David Hamilton to the 7th Circuit become a campaign issue in 2010 because of his support for the principle that government prayers should not promote a specific faith?)
5. Will the Supreme Court see another retirement in 2010?
6. How will the recently accepted case – involving official recognition of a religious organization by the UC-Hastings Law School – be framed by the parties and amici? Will we get a robust debate on the broad issue of the public's right to demand no discrimination using tax dollars?
Stay tuned…
