Recent News & Columns
Here are recent columns and news items from the Baptist Joint Committee. Visit our blog and read our monthly magazine, Report from the Capital, to stay current on all religious liberty news. You can also read our press releases online.
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New report details significant role of Christian nationalism in January 6 attack on the Capitol
An essential new report issued jointly by BJC and the Freedom From Religion Foundation provides a comprehensive look at the way Christian nationalism motivated and permeated the January 6, 2021, insurrection by documenting and examining the imagery, prayers, and other statements of the rioters and riot organizers.
Report on Christian nationalism and the January 6 insurrection
Read the most complete accounting to date of how Christian nationalism contributed to the events leading up to January 6 and the day of the attack itself.
Appeals Court affirms right of inmate under RLUIPA to possess scented oil for daily prayers
The 9th Circuit ruled in favor of a Nevada state prisoner seeking to use scented oils while praying in accordance with his religious beliefs.
Supreme Court hears argument in case involving request to fly Christian flag at Boston City Hall
This week the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral argument in Shurtleff v. Boston, a lawsuit challenging the city of Boston’s refusal to temporarily fly the Christian flag alongside the United States flag and Massachusetts state flag at its city hall.
Supreme Court to hear case involving high school football coach’s post-game prayer on the field
The U.S. Supreme Court will hear an appeal in the long-running legal dispute over an assistant high school football coach praying on the field following games in Washington state.
Vaccine mandate updates: Federal court halts mandate against Navy personnel seeking religious exemption, and more
The decision against the Navy’s mandate runs counter to the general trend of court decisions which have largely upheld vaccine requirements against claims brought by religious objectors.
2021: The year in religious liberty
Issues surrounding the intersection of religious freedom and public health dominated the religious liberty news in 2021, and it was impossible to miss the display of Christian nationalism at the Capitol insurrection on January 6. Here’s a look at 10 of the biggest religious liberty developments of 2021.
As federal COVID-19 vaccine mandates head to U.S. Supreme Court for fast-track review, poll shows Americans have nuanced views of religious exemptions
The Supreme Court set a speedy briefing schedule and a January 7 oral argument to address emergency requests to halt enforcement of a pair of federal rules related to COVID-19 vaccination requirements
Most courts – including SCOTUS – leaving vaccine mandates in place against religious liberty challenges
As usual, drawing bright-line conclusions about the state of the law would be a mistake! These cases emerge from diverse factual situations where the details hold a lot of legal significance.
In ‘worrisome’ oral arguments at the U.S. Supreme Court, justices characterize state’s refusal to fund religious education as ‘discrimination’
The oral arguments in the case suggest there are a majority of justices who believe the state should be required to include sectarian religious education in school funding programs.
