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Dear John,
With all the turmoil our country has endured in recent days, I just want to briefly focus on a couple of reasons we can be encouraged and hopeful as we move into the summer months.
First, as we continue to gain victories for the reopening of churches and houses of worship across the country, a pattern is emerging that proves a crucial point you and I have known all along: religious freedom is the first freedom in the Constitution for a reason.
We are noticing that in many of the areas where we have won victories for houses of worship...these victories have been quickly followed by the reopening of local businesses.
This is proof that the Founding Fathers’ vision for our nation, though it has suffered a few bumps and bruises in the last few months, is still intact. America’s first freedom—religious freedom—is still leading the way for all other freedoms.
The truth is, religious liberty has never been more relevant than right now—and we’re excited to be at the forefront of this fight in such a critical moment for the future of our nation.
Second, as many of you know, the Supreme Court unexpectedly issued a very anti-religious liberty ruling on a motion this past week. However, there is a silver lining.
Because this is not an official “merits-based” decision, but just a motion, there is little to no precedential value. Our major victories during this pandemic still remain in place. And this presents yet another significant opportunity for First Liberty.
Our goal is to be the first to get a true merits case before the Supreme Court. This would clear up all confusion and solidify our victories for religious freedom during a pandemic. So please be in prayer for us, as we look for just the right case among the churches that we represent to bring before the Supreme Court, and take on the challenge of setting an important legal precedent.
Lastly, speaking of challenges, I want to remind you that we are reaching the end of our fiscal year, which means that we need to meet our budget goal by the end of June. And as you can imagine, in light of recent events, our resources are being challenged like never before.
To help us reach our goal, a few gracious supporters are offering a $350,000 Challenge Grant—which means your donation can be worth twice as much when you give right now!
Please consider joining the All In Challenge by giving today, and helping us continue leading the fight for our nation’s foundational freedoms. We can’t do it without you.
With your financial support, we will be able to finish the fiscal year strong, and be ready to meet the new challenges in store for the rest of 2020.
Let’s keep advancing religious liberty together!
Gratefully,
Kelly
Kelly Shackelford, Esq.
President, CEO & Chief Counsel
First Liberty Institute
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