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Dear John,
With the passage of the (Dis)Respect for Marriage Act last month, the shocking violations of free speech and religious freedom faced by believers--right here in the U.S.--are expected to increase.
Americans could face years of costly litigation, like FRC's longtime friend and Colorado baker Jack Phillips.
He went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court to defend his constitutional right to not violate his conscience by being forced use his creative talents to celebrate a same-sex ceremony. Although the justices decided in Jack's favor in the original case, he's still fighting in the courts--a decade after a state board first went after him--as others have targeted him again!
It's not just clashes between religious freedom and the LGBT agenda that is landing conservative Christians in hot water.
Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last summer, we've seen a host of state and federal actions taken against peaceful pro-life advocates who offer hope to women in crisis.
Starting last fall, the Biden administration's Department of Justice filed indictments against more than a dozen people who stand and pray outside abortion centers. A Christian father of seven children, Mark Houck, said FBI agents came to his home and arrested him at gunpoint--in front of his children--for an alleged incident that he disputes. The recent charges against several pro-life advocates--which could result in a decade or more of prison time--stem from incidents that occurred more than a year or even two years ago.
Meanwhile, almost zero arrests have been made after widespread vandalism and firebombing of pregnancy resource centers. FRC experts are calling out this double standard!
Will you support FRC's essential role of educating believers and mobilizing them to stand firm for their faith in the public square?
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No matter what the culture, Congress, or courts say, the Word of God still stands true.
In the Gospels, we see followers of Jesus referred to as the "salt of the earth" (Matthew 5:13). Like salt, the faithful serve as a preservative of truth in society.
Following decades of Christianity's decline in Europe, it can be instructive to see what is happening to our brothers and sisters in Christ across the Atlantic who don't bow to the world's ideology.
In November, Greek soccer star Vasilis Tsiartas was sentenced to 10 months in prison and fined 5,000 euros for online comments he made five years ago concerning a gender identity law passed in Greece in 2017.
On his Facebook page, the soccer legend wrote: "God created Adam and Eve," and criticized a law allowing sex-change operations to be performed on children. Tsiartas, considered one of the greatest Greek soccer players of all time, says he plans to appeal the court's decision. Let's be in prayer for this brave believer who is willing to serve jail time for his beliefs!
You've likely heard me speak often of medical doctor and grandmother Päivi Räsänen, who was a member of Parliament in Finland when she tweeted about her biblically grounded views on marriage and sexuality. Government officials soon opened a case against her.
Following a years-long trial and FRC's mobilization of prayers around the world, she was finally acquitted last March thanks to the work of our allies at ADF International . . . but then the nation's prosecutor general appealed the decision and scheduled a case for this coming August!
John, please continue to pray with us for Päivi and all those who come under fire for their faith.
And as you do, please also prayerfully consider how the Lord would have you partner with FRC today in our work to uphold religious freedom--at home and abroad.
STAND FOR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
When we stand for biblical truth, we should expect opposition.
Jesus warned us these days would come. In John 16:33, He said: "I have said these things to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world."
How we turn the tide in America is by bringing people to Christ, discipling them in His ways, and fostering a living faith that activates them into salt and light influencers in the culture.
Your critical support enables FRC to equip and embolden our network of thousands of churches and believers nationwide to stand firm through resources like our:
- Stand on the Word Bible reading plan,
- Prepare to Stand online video series,
- Center for Biblical Worldview materials,
- Daily news articles from a biblical perspective on The Washington Stand,
- Washington Watch program and other broadcasts,
- And much, much more.
One of our newest resources to deepen your faith is Jeremiah: Courage in a Cancel Culture. I invite you to join me and the rest of the FRC family on this 40-day journey as we jump into the book of Jeremiah and unpack how this prophet stood faithfully in a culture steeped in sin and apostasy--just as the Lord is calling you and I to do today. Click here to order your copy.
As we begin a new year and face new challenges, I am so grateful for your support of our work in the church and in society.
Thank you for faithfully partnering in our mission. Together we are making a difference!
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2023 Family Research Council.