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John,

Last week, I did something I have wanted to do for a long time. I sent an open letter to the leadership of the Southern Poverty Law Center.

For years, the SPLC has wrongly labeled respected Christian and conservative organizations such as Turning Point USA, Focus on the Family, and Family Research Council as “hate groups” in their published materials.

Now, PJI is among those being targeted. Let me be clear about what this means.

The SPLC’s goal has never simply been disagreement. Their goal is isolation. To intimidate supporters. To pressure institutions. To discourage partnerships. To create fear around organizations that refuse to abandon biblical convictions and constitutional freedoms.

They have attempted to marginalize and silence ministries, churches, nonprofits, and legal organizations like ours.

But they have failed. In fact, despite years of attacks, Pacific Justice Institute has grown stronger than ever.

We have expanded nationwide. We have taken on more cases than ever before. We continue to defend clients free of charge. And we are continuing to win critical legal battles.

Why? Because of faithful supporters like you.

Because Americans still recognize the difference between genuine hatred and deeply held religious conviction. And because truth does not become hate simply because powerful organizations decide to label it that way.

I want to be honest with you about why the SPLC has placed PJI on this list. It is not because PJI has ever advocated violence. We have not. It is not because PJI has ever discriminated against any person. We have not.

It is because PJI defends biblical marriage. Because we stand up for parents who want to raise their children according to their faith without government interference. Because we defend religious liberty in schools, workplaces, and the public square. Because we openly affirm the historic Christian belief that men and women are created differently by God, and that these truths have meaningful implications for law, education, and society.

The SPLC calls those positions “hate.” We call them what they are: constitutional freedoms protected by the First Amendment and grounded in convictions held by millions of Americans.

If defending those freedoms now qualifies as “hate,” then the term has lost all serious meaning. And that is why I decided it was time to respond publicly.

Today, I issued a direct, respectful invitation to SPLC President Bryan Fair: Come onto Faith & Law, our interview program, and defend your organization’s characterization of Pacific Justice Institute in a full public conversation.

No preconditions. No editing. No selective quotations. No press statements crafted behind closed doors. Just an honest public discussion where Americans can evaluate the claims for themselves.

[Read the full letter here] ([link removed]) [link removed]

Pacific Justice Institute does not need the SPLC’s approval to continue defending constitutional freedoms. Our nearly thirty years of legal work already speak for themselves.

This is about accountability. Organizations that publicly brand others as “hate groups” carry a responsibility to defend their standards openly and honestly. And history shows what can happen when those accusations are finally examined.

Friend, I do not say this lightly: The SPLC has become one of the most dangerous private organizations in America when it comes to religious liberty and constitutional freedoms.

They possess enormous influence. They maintain extensive media relationships.

They pressure corporations, platforms, and institutions. And they have spent years attempting to redefine mainstream Christian convictions as extremism.

Pacific Justice Institute is still here. Still growing. Still defending clients. Still fighting in courtrooms across America. Still refusing to back down. And we intend to continue.

But moments like this require resources. While this national conversation unfolds, our regular casework does not stop. Families still need legal defense. Churches still need protection. Parents still need representation.

That is why I am asking: Will you stand with us today?
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Your gift today supports both the legal work happening right now and the broader fight to defend the freedoms upon which this country was built.

Because this fight is larger than Pacific Justice Institute. It is about whether Americans are still free to live openly according to their faith without being publicly branded and punished for doing so.

Thank you for standing with us.

Whatever the SPLC chooses to do next, Pacific Justice Institute will continue doing what we have always done: Standing for clients who cannot stand alone. Openly. Lawfully. Without apology.

In gratitude,

Brad Dacus
President and Founder
Pacific Justice Institute

P.S. The invitation to Bryan Fair remains open. We welcome the conversation. Until then, we will continue advancing this mission at full strength, and your support is what makes that possible.

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