Shurden Lectures Ask: Is Mercy Being Criminalized?
This week’s Baptist Joint Committee (BJC) newsletter highlights the urgent work of protecting religious freedom in classrooms, courts, and communities. As Lutherans committed to faith active in love, we share these updates as part of our broader call to defend justice and dignity for all people. Explore the full newsletter and resources at BJC Online.
Standing Up for Public Schools in Texas
At the recent National Religious Freedom in Public Schools Summit in Dallas, BJC Executive Director Amanda Tyler joined coalition partners to push back against the state-approved “Bluebonnet” curriculum. This curriculum, infused with Christian nationalism, attempted to teach Bible stories as fact and even reshape familiar stories like Goldilocks into religious lessons. Thanks to the efforts of people of many faiths and those with no faith, advocates succeeded in reducing the most extreme elements. Tyler described the effort as “a case study, a roadmap … for what advocates in states like Texas and other places around the country can do.”
Shurden Lectures: October 21–23
The 2025 Walter B. and Kay W. Shurden Lectures on Religious Liberty and Separation of Church and State will take place October 21–23 in St. Paul and Minneapolis. Dr. Sergio M. González will lead conversations on sanctuary, immigration, and the role of faith communities in acts of mercy. As deportations increase and sanctuary ministries are threatened, these lectures invite us to ask: What does it mean to defend both religious freedom and human dignity today?
👉 Register or request recordings at BJConline.org/ShurdenLectures
Defending Faith Behind Bars
The Supreme Court will hear Landor v. Louisiana Department of Corrections on November 10, a case challenging whether prison officials can be held accountable for violating religious freedom. Damon Landor, a devout Rastafarian, was forcibly shaved despite legal protections. BJC filed a brief supporting his right to practice his faith behind bars.
Welcoming Rabbi David Segal
BJC also welcomes Rabbi David Segal as its new Policy Counsel. With experience in law, faith leadership, and community organizing, Rabbi Segal will strengthen BJC’s policy advocacy and grassroots organizing.
Report from the Capital
The newest edition of Report from the Capital is arriving in mailboxes and online. This issue explores how religious freedom is being reshaped by mass deportations, a new travel ban, school voucher expansion, and threats to the Johnson Amendment. Readers will find resources to stay informed and equipped for faithful action.
As people of the cross, we are reminded that God’s justice is never private—it calls us into the public square to protect freedom and mercy for all.
👉 Explore the full newsletter and resources at BJC Online.