February 14, 2023
Dear John,
As Family Research Council Action warned, the so-called Respect for Marriage Act is supercharging the Left's ongoing assault on religious liberty--and it won't be confined to those in the wedding industry or faith-based adoption agencies.
Just ask 19-year-old Jacob Kersey, who was bullied into resigning from the position he had aspired to since he was a young boy - a police officer just for expressing his biblical beliefs on marriage.
Less than a month after President Joe Biden signed his name to the law, Jacob, a rookie of the Port Wentworth Police Department in Georgia, found himself in hot water despite his spotless record.
On January 3, Jacob's supervisor called to tell him that someone had complained about a message he had posted on his personal Facebook account.
What was his shocking statement?
"God designed marriage. Marriage refers to Christ and the church," Jacob explained in reference to Ephesians 5. "That's why there is no such thing as homosexual marriage."
When he refused to take the post down, Jacob was hauled into a meeting with three superiors and ordered to "turn in everything he had that belonged to the city." One supervisor declared that talking about natural marriage is the same as using a racial slur. It's like "saying the N-word or 'F--- all those homosexuals,'" the chief insisted.
Jacob was put on administrative leave for a week and then given a choice: keep your opinions off social media or turn in your badge.
If he wanted to post Scripture, fine. But he could be fired if he shared anything else that offended someone.
After a few days of prayer, Jacob chose to resign. Appearing on Washington Watch he explained, "I didn't believe that my department had my back, and I didn't really want to go back and play that game and just wait to be fired, because I know it would happen at some point."
Jacob has shown more courage and commitment to his faith than some twice his age. He has sacrificed his childhood dream of being a police officer in order to stand for biblical truth.
Will he stand alone?
John, you can make a difference today by not only praying for him, but also signing the Petition in Support of Jacob Kersey.
Our goal is to deliver thousands of petitions to the Mayor and City Council of Port Wentworth, Georgia calling on the leadership of the Police Department to publicly apologize for their actions towards Jacob and to commit to protecting the rights of Bible-believing Americans to express the truth of God's Word.
Standing (Eph. 6:13),
Tony Perkins President
The Petition in Support of Jacob Kersey states:
Mayor Gary Norton, Councilman Thomas Barbee, Councilwoman Gabrielle Nelson, Councilman Mark Stephens, Councilman Rufus Bright, and Councilman Glenn Jones:
We write you with great concern about the treatment of former Port Wentworth Police Officer Jacob Kersey. Jacob has been gravely mistreated by the Port Wentworth Police Department for his First Amendment-protected, biblically accurate views. At a time with sky-high crime rates nationwide, our communities should be supporting our law enforcement officers. You instead punished Jacob for sharing the biblical view that marriage is a union between one man and one woman.
This is religious bigotry. We will not stand for this.
We ask that the city issue a public apology to Jacob for having discriminated against him because of his faith and for violating his First Amendment rights.
Click here to add your name to the petition!
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