The upper house of the Oklahoma Legislature passed a bill that would prevent the use of religious or foreign laws in American courts.

House Bill 1060, considered by some to be an "anti-Sharia" bill, passed the Oklahoma Senate Monday in a vote of 40 yeas to 3 nays. Due to an amendment being added, it awaits the approval of the bill's author before it can go to the governor.

"Any court, arbitration, tribunal, or administrative agency ruling or decision shall violate the public policy of this state and be void and unenforceable if the court, arbitration, tribunal, or administrative agency bases its rulings or decisions in the matter at issue in whole or in part on foreign law that would not grant the parties affected by the ruling or decision the same fundamental liberties, rights, and privileges granted under the U.S. and Oklahoma Constitutions," reads HB 1552. more >>

While most will remember Roger Ebert as an influential and witty film critic, one Washington, D.C.- based national church-state watchdog has hailed him as an ally.

Americans United for Separation of Church and State recently posted an entry on their blog "The Wall of Separation" detailing Ebert's stated support for church-state separatism.

Rob Boston, author and senior policy analyst at Americans United, posted the entry on Friday, dubbing Ebert "a great defender of the separation of church and state." more >>

A city in New Mexico that recently added a display at its city hall with the phrase "In God We Trust" has received a letter from a major Wisconsin-based atheist organization protesting the decision.

Alamogordo Mayor Susie Galea recently received a letter from the Freedom From Religion Foundation of Madison regarding their display that has the United States' national motto.

Annie Laurie Gaylor, co-president of the FFRF, sent the letter over Alamogordo's display at the City Commissioners' chambers and the city logo, which could also include the motto. "It is inappropriate for the city commission to adopt a proposal that would place 'In God We Trust' at City Hall … Statements about a god have no place in government buildings," wrote Gaylor. more >>

A Christian-themed specialized plate in Texas approved in 2011 has sold hundreds of copies, resulting in about $60,000 for the state's General Revenue Fund.

The Calvary Hill license plate created by a charity group called Glory Gang has sold over 560 plates, generating money for both the Texas government and the nonprofit.

The plate, which features the phrase "One State Under God," is distributed by My Plates, a Texas-based company that was given a contract by the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles to create and sell specialized plates. more >>

Dr. Russell D. Moore has been selected to replace Dr. Richard Land as president of the Southern Baptist Commission's Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission.

"I am delighted that the Holy Spirit has led the ERLC's trustees to Dr. Russell Moore as the commission's next president," said Land, who announced his retirement last July and is also executive editor for The Christian Post. "Dr. Moore is a godly Christian minister, a devoted husband and father and a convictional, committed Baptist. His excellent academic preparation, combined with his keen mind and his tender heart for God and His people, make him a person uniquely suited to serve our Savior and Southern Baptists in this crucial role at such a critical moment in our nation's history."

As dean of the School of Theology, senior vice president for academic administration and professor of Christian theology and ethics at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky., Moore is one of the most well-known Southern Baptist theologians in the United States today. He is also the author of many books that are popular among evangelical Protestants, including, Adopted for Life: The Priority of Adoption for Christian Families and Churches and Tempted and Tried: Temptation and the Triumph of Christ. more >>

Massachusetts' highest court will consider a suit against a state school district by an atheist family who protests the usage of "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance.

The Massachusetts Supreme Court recently announced that it would hear arguments against Acton-Boxboro Regional School District regarding usage of the phrase "under God" in the Pledge in early May. One of the plaintiffs in the case is the American Humanist Association, with its legal arm the Appignani Humanist Legal Center helping to bring the suit forward.

Roy Speckhardt, executive director of the AHA, told The Christian Post that this case will be "markedly different" from past failed efforts to get "under God" taken out of the Pledge. "Instead of arguing that 'under God' in the pledge is a violation of the rule of church-state separation, it is explained as a specific infringement on the right of nontheists to equal protection under the law," said Speckhardt. more >>