20 States Urge U.S. Supreme Court to Take 

This First Liberty Case

Attorneys General from 20 states filed a brief supporting our case for Missionaries of St. John the Baptist, Inc., a group that’s currently banned from using its property to build a sacred shrine.

First Liberty filed a petition on behalf of the Christian organization in Park Hills, Kentucky asking the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse an alarming decision by the Kentucky Supreme Court. It bars the construction of a modest grotto, a cave-like space dedicated for prayer, reflection and devotion.

“Many courts—and now the Kentucky Supreme Court—have misinterpreted the law and infringed on Americans’ religious liberty,” said Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman, who led the filing of the brief. “We’re asking the U.S. Supreme Court to provide nationwide clarity and stand with people of faith who simply want to worship without unlawful government interference.”

Additionally, a broad coalition of organizations filed briefs urging the Court to take the case, including:

· National Association of Evangelicals
· Association of Christian Schools International
· Coalition for Jewish Values
· American Hindu Jewish Congress
· Notre Dame Religious Liberty Clinic
· Sikh Coalition
· Manhattan Institute
· Napa Legal Institute
· Protect the First Foundation
· American Center for Law and Justice

As the Attorneys General said in their petition, “This issue is too important to go any longer without clear direction from this Court.”

Another Huge Month for Religious Liberty

May is off to a tremendous start! We recently announced big federal court victories for LifeWise Academy in Washington and the Ten Commandments in Texas.

On the heels of those wins, we’ve also filed another case at the U.S. Supreme Court involving eight firefighters who were punished for requesting religious accommodations. That’s a case that will test the impact of the landmark precedent in our “Faithful Carrier” case, Groff v. DeJoy, which impacts all Americans in the workplace.

First Liberty President & CEO Kelly Shackelford shares what’s happening in May:

Leading The Conversation | First Liberty in the News

• Podcast | Stop Tolerating It! — President & CEO Kelly Shackelford on FlashPoint TV Network
  
  
• Podcast | Holly Randall Discusses a Washinton State Court That Is Targeting a Christian Ministry — Counsel Holly M. Randall on Washington Watch with Tony Perkins
  
  
• Opinion | No One Left Behind On The Battlefield and Beyond — Executive Director of External Affairs & Senior Counsel Mike Berry in Providence Magazine
  
  
• Opinion | How to Save the Trump Ballroom — Executive General Counsel Hiram Sasser in The Washington Times
  
  
• Podcast | The Battle for Religious Liberty and Conservatism in a Secular Age — Center for Religion, Culture & Democracy Senior Fellow Dr. John D. Wilsey on Thinking in Public
  
  

To Build a Chapel, 

This Church is Taking It to the Next Level

Holy Trinity Ukrainian Catholic Church in Pennsylvania owns a parcel of land and applied to build a chapel. But city leaders in Collier Township rejected the church’s proposals, imposing harsh restrictions that keep the congregation from using their property for worship.

Meanwhile, businesses and other establishments operate in the same zoning district without any of those limitations. That’s not just wrong, but illegal.

We filed a federal lawsuit on the church’s behalf back in January. A district court ruled against the church and sided with the city. But this legal battle isn’t over yet.

First Liberty is taking this case to the next level. We filed an appeal petition this week asking the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to make it clear that Holy Trinity has a right under federal law and the Constitution to use its property for religious purposes.

Holy Trinity is counting on your support in this next phase of their legal battle. A win for this church could have a huge ripple effect, ensuring that all houses of worship are treated fairly and equally. Please give to First Liberty today.

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Religious Liberty is for All Religions

by Josh Blackman, Centennial Chair of Constitutional Law at the South Texas College of Law Houston

Far too often, the mainstream media derides religious liberty, often in scare quotes, as something that only Christians care about. Not so. Religious liberty is for all religions. Indeed, in these precarious times, it is so important to stand shoulder-to-shoulder and defend America’s Judeo-Christian tradition.

I am Jewish, and I work to advance the cause of religious freedom with the Jewish Coalition for Religious Liberty. First Liberty has been an invaluable partner. I have been involved with them for nearly a decade and am honored to support their vital work. I am proud that this organization will always fight to defend our nation’s values, history and tradition.

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Editors’ Picks | Stories Around the Nation

• Here Are the Big Supreme Court Decisions to Be on the Lookout For — Deseret News
  
  
• Supreme Court Pregnancy Center Ruling Strengthens First Amendment Association Rights — Washington Examiner
  
  
• Opinion | Will Massachusetts Sour on Religious Freedom? — The Wall Street Journal
  
  
• Rep. Riley Moore Acts to Protect Catholic Veterans’ Right to the Crucifix — The Daily Signal
  
  
• Religious Freedom Before Locke — Law & Liberty