Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty
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The Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty (BJC) is an education and advocacy association in the United States with a number of Baptist denominations. It states that it seeks to promote religious liberty for all and to uphold the principle of church-state separation. It has, for example, joined with other religious organizations in opposing government-sponsored displays of the Ten Commandments. [1]
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[edit] History
The BJC began in 1936 as the Committee on Public Relations. In 1946 the committee established offices in Washington, D.C., and became the Baptist Joint Committee on Public Affairs. In 2005, the BJC name changed to the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty to more accurately reflect their singular focus on religious liberty issues.
[edit] Membership and Organization
Serving fourteen Baptist bodies, the BJC is a non-profit 501(c)(3) education and advocacy organization that has worked for nearly seventy years promoting religious liberty for all and upholding the principle of church-state separation. It is supported by the following Baptist organizations:
- Alliance of Baptists
- American Baptist Churches USA
- Baptist General Association of Virginia
- Baptist General Conference
- Baptist General Convention of Texas
- Baptist State Convention of North Carolina
- Cooperative Baptist Fellowship
- National Baptist Convention of America
- National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc.
- National Missionary Baptist Convention of America
- North American Baptist Conference
- Progressive National Baptist Convention
- Religious Liberty Council
- Seventh Day Baptist General Conference
In addition to receiving support from Baptist organizations, the BJC also receives support from individuals who identify with the cause of religious liberty and church-state separation.
[edit] Issues and Advocacy
Unlike many other politico-religious organizations, the BJC chooses to hone its message on a small number of issues relating to religious liberty and the separation of church and state. The BJC lists these issues as Church Electioneering, Civil Religion, Free Exercise, Government Funding, Political Discourse, Public Prayer, and Religious Displays.
[edit] References
- The Baptist Standard - Religious freedom threatened in U.S.
- Coorperative Baptist Fellowship - Baptist Joint Committee honors Shurden at 70th anniversary luncheon "Walter Shurden told attendees of the Religious Liberty Council luncheon Friday that the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty is one of the most important religious institutions in the country today."
[edit] External links
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