National News

PHILADELPHIA (BP) – The Little Sisters of the Poor Saints Peter and Paul Home was back in court July 7 defending its federally approved exemption to the Affordable Care Act’s contraceptive mandate in a case dating to 2013 and involving three Supreme Court victories.

The passage of the First Amendment, ratified in 1791, was the end of a long struggle for Religious Freedom in America.

Why was the persecution of Baptists more intense in Virginia than other colonies? How did that persecution lead to religious liberty in America?

With few exceptions, Baptists across the colonies, especially those who had experienced persecution, supported the American Revolution. Reasons included persecution, other grievances including taxation without representation, and the tyranny exhibited by the British crown and royal governors. Baptists hoped to gain both political and religious freedom by supporting the war.

CLINTON, Miss. — Whenever Duval Salvant thinks about representing Mississippi Christian University, the city of Clinton and the state of Mississippi as he leads the MC Marching Band down historic Constitution Avenue in Washington, D.C., during the 2026 National Independence Day Parade on July 4, one word repeatedly comes to his mind.

WASHINGTON (BP) – More than 1.3 million immigrants are set to lose their legal residency here after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against Haitians and Syrians seeking an extension of Temporary Protected Status first issued decades ago.

NASHVILLE (BP) – Flags waving, sparklers sizzling and patriotic songs galore will help Americans mark the 250th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4. Leading public policy voices hope Southern Baptists won’t miss the opportunity to give thanks for their freedoms and remember why they’re so important.

Baptists in the southern colonies experienced explosive growth during the First Great Awakening. They also began to experience increased persecution from the Anglican (state) Church in the decades before the American Revolution – persecution which convinced many Baptists of the importance of religious liberty and the fight for American independence.

WASHINGTON (BP) – A Rastafarian lost his challenge before the U.S. Supreme Court today (June 23) to seek monetary damages against Louisiana prison guards who forcibly shaved his head, in a case that saw the trio of liberal justices upholding religious liberty.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (BP) – Protestors who disrupted the worship service of a Southern Baptist church and proceeded to “terrorize” attendees, according to an affidavit, will not face state charges for their actions, a city attorney announced on June 4.