Dear John,

As a valued friend and ally of religious freedom, I’m sure you have noticed the startling increase in anti-religious hostility during this time of crisis and unrest.

I trust you have found these brazen attacks on our foundational religious freedoms as appalling as I have, which I think begs a couple of critical questions:

Are we losing our Constitutional system?

More importantly, are we willing to stand up and fight for it?

With all the talk of what’s “essential” and “non-essential” these days, I can’t think of anything much more “essential” to our country than the Constitution. For people of faith like you and I, it is especially meaningful as the source of our sacred right to the free exercise of religion.

It is the very foundation of our first freedom—and as such, it is often the first point of attack for opponents of this freedom.

Historically speaking, times of unrest and uncertainty are when enemies of liberty thrive the most, taking advantage of an uneasy public to quench their own thirst for power and control.

Expanded government control at the expense of constitutional rights—under the guise of innocent phrases like “the new normal.” I believe that’s exactly what we are seeing manifested in the recent outbreak of hostility towards churches and people of faith across the nation.

Consider the outrageous events we have witnessed in just a few short weeks:

• Numerous churches throughout the country told by government officials they cannot hold health-compliant drive-in services, even with attendees safely inside their vehicles!
• A pastor told by local police “Your rights are SUSPENDED.”
• And all while drive-in restaurants and liquor stores are considered perfectly “essential” across most of the nation.

There’s no other way to interpret it—we are undeniably in the midst of an assault on our constitutional freedoms.

So, what are we doing about it? Well the truth is, these tactics are nothing new. This is just the latest battlefront in a war I’ve had the honor of fighting for over 30 years.

And the good news is: we know how to win. We are taking everything we’ve learned over the past 30 years of leading the fight for religious liberty, and pouring it into the new challenges our nation is facing today.

The results so far are very encouraging. We have delivered powerful victories, including the nation’s first major win in Louisville, KY. This was “the lawsuit heard across the country” that set critical legal precedent for protecting the rights of ALL churches to host health-compliant drive-in services. We even earned a thumbs-up from the same police force that once declared the local pastor’s rights were “suspended.”

However, there are many more cases on the horizon. We are receiving a historic volume of requests for legal assistance. And the truth is, we can’t continue tackling these pressing threats to our religious freedom without your support.

So, are you willing to stand up and join the fight?

Will you consider donating to help preserve our constitutional freedoms in this crucial time?

Truthfully, I believe we are in the midst of a watershed moment for the future of religious liberty in America. How we respond to the attacks we are facing right now may very well determine whether our children and grandchildren get to experience the same constitutional freedoms we enjoy today.

We cannot afford to sit on the sidelines. We cannot afford to let the crisis drive us to fear. We are faced with a historic opportunity, and we must rise to the challenge.

Please join me in standing for our constitutional rights with your donation today.

Grateful for your support, 
Kelly

Kelly Shackelford, Esq.
President, CEO & Chief Counsel
First Liberty Institute