High Court Skeptical of Texas Death Row Inmate Prayer Demand
Conservative Supreme Court justices expressed skepticism Tuesday about a Texas death row inmate’s demand that his pastor be allowed to pray out loud and touch him during his execution.
Deep in the Heart of Texas
In this issue of A Public Witness, we strip away the arguments about churches and government regulations. And we peek at the consequences that could arise from this proposed Texas ballot initiative that purports to uphold the freedom to worship but actually compromises principles of religious
Texas Man Gets Execution Delay Over Pastor’s Touch Request
A Texas death row inmate won a reprieve Wednesday (Sept. 8) evening from execution for killing a convenience store worker during a 2004 robbery that garnered $1.25 after claiming the state was violating his religious freedom by not letting his pastor lay hands on him
Unvaccinated Pastor Who Almost Died of COVID Now Preaches the Importance of Vaccines
Last month, Pastor Danny Reeves was fighting for his life in the ICU at Dallas' Baylor Medical Center. He had COVID-19 and he wasn't vaccinated. Now, the senior pastor at First Baptist Corsicana in North Central Texas regrets not getting the shot earlier, and he plans
How a COVID-19 Order in Texas Launched an Unusual Religious Liberty Battle
Gov. Greg Abbott has long cast himself as a defender of religious liberty. Now, he finds himself accused of violating the free exercise rights of a Catholic group. Read full piece
Can This Texas Pastor Lay Hands on an Inmate During Execution?
Q&A with SBC minister Dana Moore on the power of prayer in a state death chamber. Read full piece
Death-Row Inmate Sues for Pastor’s Touch During Execution
A Texas death-row inmate has sued state prison officials to allow his pastor to lay hands on him as he dies from a lethal injection. John Henry Ramirez, 37, is scheduled to be put to death in the Texas death chamber on Sept. 8.
In Sermon, Stacey Abrams Supports Texas Democrats ‘in Exile,’ Preaches on Voting Rights
Former Georgia House Minority Leader Stacey Abrams used a virtual Washington, D.C., pulpit to preach a message supporting efforts to push back on voting rights restrictions.
The Plantation Lived on through Texas Baptist Evangelism
Before and during the Civil War, white Texas Baptist leadership tied their theology of the gospel and plans for evangelism directly to Southern plantation patriarchy and support of the Confederacy. Read full piece
Caught in a Culture War, this Multiracial Family Navigates a Predominantly White Evangelical World
Deacon Ivey is used to the lingering stares in restaurants and on vacation. As a biracial teenager with White evangelical parents, Deacon said he often feels uncomfortable going into public with his multiracial family in their predominantly White community in Texas. Read full piece