USCIRF releases 2023 annual report on international religious freedom

On May 1, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) released its 2023 annual report. As the report mentions, USCIRF was created as a result of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (IRFA). USCIRF “is an independent, bipartisan U.S. government advisory body, separate from the U.S. Department of State, that monitors religious freedom abroad and makes policy recommendations to the president, secretary of state, and Congress.”

ERLC is grateful for the work of the USCIRF and encourages all Christians to support the work of this advisory body. We can also use this report, as we do resources from the Joshua Project and Operation World, as a prayer guide for the nations and for persecuted Christians around the globe.

Here are four ways that Christians can use USCIRF’s annual report in daily prayer for the nations:

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Save this date on your SBC calendars!

The ERLC, in cooperation with the Unify Project, is hosting an event on racial unity called Simple Steps to Unity: Walking Together Toward a Better Future on Monday, June 12 at 9pm CT.

Register here to reserve your free ticket!

This Week in Washington, D.C.

Recently, the Biden administration introduced a new rule that would take away the moral exemption from the Affordable Care Act’s “contraceptive mandate.” The ERLC filed public comments pushing back on this harmful proposal.

The Affordable Care Act allows the departments to create both a religious and moral exemption to the contraceptive mandate in order to rightly protect the consciences of Americans, whether they are informed by deeply held religious beliefs or moral convictions regarding taking a life.

Though the proposed rule maintains the existing protections for religious entities and employers, it rescinds the “moral exemption,” created in a 2018 Trump-era rule, that has protected employers who object to providing abortifacient contraceptives for non-religious reasons.

Whether the root of one’s conviction against taking a life is rooted in faith or something else, that person’s conscience should be protected. The ERLC will continue to monitor these changes and look for additional opportunities to raise our concerns and advocate for the protection of life and conscience rights.

You can read more about this new rule and ERLC’s advocacy here.

Featured Podcasts

On this week's episode of The Digital Public Square Podcast, Jason is joined by Leah Savas, life beat reporter for WORLD News Group to talk about the new book, The Story of Abortion in America: A Street-Level History, which she co-authored with Marvin Olasky.

From The Public Square

Utah judge to rule next week on state abortion clinic ban
Associated Press

A Utah judge said he would decide next week whether to delay implementing a state ban on abortion clinics that providers argue could end access to the procedure throughout the state.

Kansas legislators impose sweeping anti-trans bathroom law
Associated Press

Republican legislators in Kansas enacted what may be the most sweeping transgender bathroom law in the U.S. on Thursday, overriding the Democratic governor’s veto of the measure without having a clear idea of how their new law will be enforced.

Abortion bans fail in conservative South Carolina, Nebraska
Associated Press

Abortion bans in Nebraska and South Carolina fell short of advancing in close votes amid heated debates among Republicans, confounding conservatives who have dominated both legislatures and further exposing the chasm on the issue of abortion within the GOP.

Ex-Husband Brings Wrongful Death Suit Against Wife's Friends Who Supplied Abortion Pills
Religion Clause

A novel wrongful death lawsuit was filed last month in a Texas state trial court by the ex-husband of a woman whose two friends assisted her in obtaining abortion medication.

What You Need to Read

Cory D. Higdon with How Baptists have been committed to religious liberty and the common good

Throughout its history, the Baptist commitment to religious liberty coalesced with an abiding and deep care for the broader political society. In other words, freedom of conscience as a core tenet of Baptist belief in no way diminished the importance of Baptists also advocating for laws rooted in biblical precepts and creation order.

Indeed, during the 17th and 18th centuries, Baptist support for religious liberty had far more to do with promoting the public good than it did with merely easing persecutory policies against religious dissenters.

Hannah Daniel with What the ERLC is advocating for in 2023

Public policy advocacy is one of the primary ways that the ERLC fulfills its ministry in the public square. Take a look at our 2023 Public Policy Agenda, which outlines more than three dozen policy issues that will shape our work in Washington, D.C., this year.