March 25, 2022

Dear John,

Our culture is constantly telling us that the Gospel is something to be ashamed of, that God's Word is something to be hidden or believed only in the privacy of one's heart. Those who affirm what the Bible says about marriage and gender are ridiculed and marginalized. The world never stops trying to shame us into silence, either by coercion or by force.

In essence, our culture through social and news media, entertainment, and the public education system is working to convince us to abandon what the apostle Paul wrote in Romans 1:16: "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes..." (ESV).

However, we know that the Word of God commands us to be anything but silent about the truth of the Gospel and the difference between good and evil, righteousness and sin.

While the world wants you to believe that there are few Christians left who have not caved to the culture, the truth is there are many Christians both here in the U.S. and around the world who are standing boldly for their faith and biblical truth.

In Finland, a member of parliament, Paivi Rasanen, is currently being tried in court for violating the country's "hate speech" laws. She is being accused of "ethnic agitation" for tweeting a picture of the Bible opened to Romans 1:24-27 in response to her church denomination's choice to participate in a local LGBT pride parade in 2019.

If found guilty of these charges, she could end up spending two years in jail or pay a hefty fine.

Despite the possible consequences, Paivi Rasanen is standing strong for biblical truth. She has not and will not recant her affirmation of what God's Word says about marriage.

As FRC's Special Advisor for Religious Freedom Andrew Brunson shared on Washington Watch after meeting and praying with Paivi in Finland, "She could escape this pressure that she's been under for the last two years by apologizing for her beliefs, by groveling, by compromising, but she's standing strong."

While few have yet to face Paivi's specific situation, many Christians dare to stand for biblical truth in their homes, workplaces, and communities every day.

The culture may try to tell us that what God's Word says about marriage and sexuality is outdated and not authoritative -- and that we are alone if we think otherwise -- but nothing could be further from the truth.

As the media tirelessly tries to isolate us so that we relent in our convictions, stories like Paivi's encourage and inspire us to continue in our resolve to dare to stand for truth.

At FRC, we are daring to stand daily for faith, family, and freedom in Washington, D.C., just like we have done since our founding in 1983.

As we engage in the public square, we do so in obedience to Ephesians 6:13 where Paul charges us to "take up the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm."

Will you join with FRC and believers across America and dare to stand like Paivi in your sphere of influence? Then give a gift of $3.65 today to signify your commitment to dare to stand for biblical truth 365 days a year. And when you do, you'll also be signing the Dare to Stand Declaration committing to answer the call of Ephesians 6:13 to take up the full armor of God, resist evil, and do everything you can to advance a biblical worldview in your home, workplace, school, and community to the glory of God.

Your gift will also help FRC encourage more believers to dare to stand and provide critical resources to equip spiritually active, governance engaged conservatives (SAGE Cons) as we stand firm together against evil in all areas of life.

In our generation, let us be counted as faithful witnesses and ambassadors for Christ in the political sphere as we dare to stand for biblical truth no matter the cost.

With your Dare to Stand commitment, you'll receive a digital copy of FRC's America's Founding Principles booklet that includes our nation's founding documents and inspiring quotes from the Founders. We hope this resource encourages you and reminds you of the biblical basis for our cultural and political engagement.

Will you dare to stand with FRC today as we advance faith, family, and freedom, out of obedience to Christ and for the sake of America's future?

Standing (Eph. 6:13),

Tony Perkins
President