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Dear John,
This Easter weekend will surely go down as one of the most historic with regard to the current and future “health and safety” of religious liberty in our country.
And once again, we’re leading the fight because supporters like you continue to stand strong with us during this critical time. While churches and houses of worship are doing all they can to serve and help, including following the CDC guidelines, some public officials are trying to go much further and actually discriminate against churches and religious organizations.
On Saturday, we scored a very important and powerful legal victory to help protect ALL churches during this pandemic. Thanks to the untiring efforts of our attorneys, the U.S. District Court in Louisville, KY granted a temporary restraining order (TRO) preventing Louisville, KY Mayor Greg Fischer from blocking On Fire Church from holding its drive-in services on Easter Sunday.
In his decision, Judge Justin Walker wrote the following:
“On Holy Thursday, an American mayor criminalized the communal celebration of Easter. That sentence is one that this Court never expected to see outside the pages of a dystopian novel, or perhaps the pages of The Onion. But two days ago, citing the need for social distancing during the current pandemic, Louisville’s Mayor Greg Fischer ordered Christians not to attend Sunday services, even if they remained in their cars to worship—and even though it’s Easter. The Mayor’s decision is stunning. And it is, “beyond all reason,” unconstitutional.
You can read his entire order here:
With all the attacks against churches going on right now during the “new normal,” this is the first legal decision to put a stop to this type of shocking—and on-going— overreach by government officials. This is significant.
To think that local police officers would stand in church parking lots to record license plate numbers of all Easter weekend churchgoers—even though they were strictly adhering to CDC guidelines—is absurd!
But wait, there’s more.
First Liberty also sent a demand letter on behalf of Pastor Charleston Hamilton and King James Bible Baptist Church in Greenville, MS, urging their local mayor, Errick Simmons, to withdraw an order that targets churches holding CDC compliant drive-in services.
Watch for yourself on this incredible interview we did on Saturday with Tucker Carlson:
While in the church parking lot, a police officer even told Pastor Hamilton “Your rights are SUSPENDED.” As Americans, we can tolerate a lot. But even though we are in the midst of a pandemic that’s unlike anything we’ve ever seen before, it’s essential that we protect religious liberty with renewed vigilance during this crisis.
And while we will tolerate temporary state-mandated restrictions for the sake of demonstrating love for our fellow man, we will not—nor should not—tolerate churchgoers being ticketed by the police for following CDC guidelines at church.
We believe the work we are doing right now is vital for our freedoms and our country. If you would consider supporting this work at such a critical time, we would be grateful.
In closing, let me say that it’s been both an honor and privilege to be serving you right now during these uncertain times. As we continue to battle on the frontlines over these coming months, we will continue to offer our prayers and support for you and your family.
I urge you to please contact us if there’s anyway we can support you in this time of need.
Remember, we’re All In this together.
Gratefully,
Kelly
Kelly Shackelford, Esq.
President, CEO & Chief Counsel
First Liberty Institute
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