Progressive Baptist Feed by IPC

Feb. 10, 2012 WASHINGTON – Responding Friday to opponents of the administration’s rule requiring most health insurance plans to cover contraceptive services, President 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. Under the previous rule, churches were exempt, but other religious nonprofits, including hospitals and universities were not. The administration had set August 1, 2013, as the date to work out compliance with such entities. Some Catholics and others, including the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty, said the rule needed to be broadened. On today’s announcement of the new rule, Baptist Joint Committee Executive Director J. Brent Walker reiterated a statement he made earlier in the week (index.php?option=com_content task=view id=4877 Itemid=112) that religious liberty concerns extend beyond churches and houses of worship. “This is a positive step in protecting the right of religious institutions to define themselves and accommodate religious conscience,” Walker said. “Leaving room for the healthcare needs of women – Catholic and non-Catholic alike -- to get the coverage they deserve is also important. “Religious freedom is the first freedom and must be protected. At the same time we must be mindful of the health care needs of all employees. This is a win-win solution,” Walker said. Click here (index.php?option=com_content task=view id=4877 Itemid=112) to read the previous statement.

What's the definition of an authentic follower of Jesus? A conservative or a liberal? A revolutionary for change or a reactionary against it? Mark's Gospel suggests an intriguing answer.

Can we bring about change for the common good when the situation seems hopeless? It's always possible. Here are five more truths about making things better.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who urged German Christians to stand against Nazi tyranny and violence, joined in a plot to assassinate Hitler – one of the more problematic elements of his life.

An excerpt from Dr. David Campbell's guest lecture at the University of Oklahoma on February 7, 2012. Campbell is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Notre Dame University and co-author of...

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A lot of us seek the approval of others while living with the anxiety that we don't measure up. But there are steps we can take to end the exhausting life of being the center of our own universe.

Vandals spray-painted threats to Arabs and Christians on a school and a monastery in Jerusalem. For the school, which has Arab and Jewish students, it was an opportunity to draw closer together.

Even when everything around us seems to be disappointing, there's always hope that situations can change. Here are the first five of 10 truths about making things better.

NorthHaven Sermons 02-05-2012 from Bruce Prescott on Vimeo. Dr. Mitch Randall, pastor of NorthHaven Church in Norman, Oklahoma preaches a sermon entitled "Community Faith." His text is 2 Peter...

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WASHINGTON -- The Department of Health and Human Services issued a new rule that requires most health insurance plans to cover contraceptive services starting August 1. While churches are exempt from the rule, other religious nonprofits, including hospitals and universities, have until August 1, 2013, to comply. According to media reports, the White House privately assured religious leaders that President Obama will be directly involved in efforts to find a solution that would alleviate their concerns. J. Brent Walker, executive director of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty, said the exemption for churches, while important, is insufficient and should be broadened. At the same time, the exemption need not deprive anyone of healthcare coverage, Walker said. The exemption could carry a duty of full disclosure by the employer as well as an obligation to help employees who want contraceptive coverage to get it elsewhere at a reasonable cost.

Not all electoral outcomes, legislative acts or judicial decisions in the U.S. are going to satisfy the consciences of all conscientious people – religious or not.

The "us versus them" attitude adopted by the Egyptians that led to their unjust oppression of the Hebrews is a prevailing influence on immigration discussions today

The global community's diet is unbalanced. Millions face daily hunger; millions of others who struggle with obesity are eating themselves to death. How will we respond to this imbalance?

Churches and organizations don't always get in trouble for doing the wrong thing. Often, they'll lose their way when they try to do too many good things.

We often make great plans about how we want to serve God – and then expect God to show up and bless them. Instead, we need to show up for God's plan.

Arizona schools that are largely comprised of Mexican-Americans are eliminating ethnic-studies programs to avoid "biased, political and emotionally charged" teaching.

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A group of Christians is working to change a Tennessee law so students can use their religious beliefs to bully homosexual students. How can they be so far from Jesus' core teachings?

How often do we miss what God is doing because we keep chanting the mantra of our particular group, unwilling to consider how God may be at work in other communities and faith traditions?

Political conservatives and Catholic leaders criticized Mitt Romney's statement of disinterest in the well-being of America's poor, but few Christian conservatives voiced concern.