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Dear John,
A recently released report by the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government stated that in the wake of the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021, the U.S. Treasury Department sent a list of so-called "hate groups" to some of the world's largest financial institutions so that they could monitor their bank transactions. Family Research Council was one of those groups!
The fact that FRC is being labeled as a "hate group" is nothing new. The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), a close ally of the Biden administration, has erroneously had us on their "hate map" for over 10 years because of our biblically informed stance on human sexuality.
The truly shocking and alarming thing about this is the government surveillance of Americans' financial transactions and the obvious collusion between the federal government and these major corporations.
Back in January, it was revealed that the Treasury Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) encouraged banks to "comb through the private transactions of their customers" and look for "suspicious charges" -- including the purchase of religious books like the Bible -- without a warrant!
A letter from the Treasury Department claims that this monitoring started under the Trump administration after the events of January 6 to ensure the safety of Biden's inauguration on January 21, 2021, and that the monitoring ended in mid-February that same year.
However, attempts to intimidate or silence mainstream Christian groups (and individuals) that have been erroneously labeled "hate groups" through financial pressure have not stopped.
Despite these targeted attempts, Family Research Council refuses to be silenced. Through Washington Watch and The Washington Stand, we are continuing to proclaim biblical truth in our nation's capital and across America. To equip even more Americans to stand boldly for the truth that will preserve our nation, we need to expand the reach of our news and biblical commentary that they can't get anywhere else. But we need your help to maximize our impact. Will you join us?
PARTNER WITH US
Unfortunately, the pattern of monitoring and even canceling bank accounts of Bible-believing Christians and nonprofits is likely to increase.
As Jeremy Tedesco, a senior counsel at Alliance Defending Freedom, told the House Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government, "Viewpoint-based de-banking is on the rise."
There are numerous stories of that exact thing happening. In recent years, two Christian nonprofits, Indigenous Advance Ministries and the Timothy Two Project International, had their accounts closed by Bank of America because of dubious claims about the "bank's risk tolerance." In 2022, JPMorgan Chase closed the account of the National Committee for Religious Freedom, which is led by former U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback. Then, the corporation essentially blackmailed the nonprofit by saying that they would only reinstate the account if they turned over a list of their major donors, "a list of candidates it intended to support, and its criteria for political support."
But this isn't just happening to nonprofits -- it's also happening to individual believers!
We've even heard stories from partners like you that banks, foundations, and donor-advised funds are refusing to allow you to donate to FRC because of our SPLC-assigned "hate group" label.
The fact of the matter is that the Left comes after those individuals and organizations that are effective in opposing their destructive agendas.
If we weren't making a difference, there would be no need to come after us. You only target those who are a threat. And because we advocate for the truth and biblical values, we are considered a threat.
As we see hostility towards Bible-believing Christians increase and accelerate in the United States and around the world, we can expect more Christian organizations to be surreptitiously de-banked on equally dubious grounds if we don't stand up!
FRC is sounding the alarm, but it takes all of us standing together to make a difference.
STAND WITH FRC
The Left isn't frightening us with these intimidation tactics. Regardless of their strategy to try and silence us, Family Research Council remains undeterred in our mission of championing faith, family, and freedom in public policy and the culture from a biblical worldview. We have stood on the frontlines of cultural battles just like this since 1983, and we have the experience, strategies, relationships, and influence to continue being your Christian voice on Capitol Hill.
By partnering with FRC today, you can help defend the faith from the dark forces in our world that want to silence the voices of Bible-believing Christians like you.
Thank you for joining us in this vital mission.
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