Alerts

Recently, local Republican party officials censured two Republican members of Congress who voted for the so-called Respect for Marriage Act last fall. While it's encouraging to see action taken against members who disregarded the party's platform at the expense of people of faith, the effect of their vote is already being felt by believers across the country.

In January, Jacob Kersey--a 19-year-old police officer in Port Wentworth, Georgia--received word from his supervisor that there had been complaints about a post on his personal Facebook account where he shared what the Bible says about marriage.

In his post, he referred to Ephesians 5 and stated: "God designed marriage. Marriage refers to Christ and the church. 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 praying about it, 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."

This blatant disregard of religious liberty is exactly what we at FRC Action warned would happen. The so-called Respect for Marriage Act has supercharged the Left's ongoing assault on people of faith--and clearly, it won't be confined to those in the wedding industry or faith-based adoption agencies. What has happened to Jacob is just the beginning.

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.

John, you can make a difference today by not only praying for him, but also signing the Petition in Support of Jacob Kersey.

We are delivering the petition to the Mayor and City Council of Port Wentworth, Georgia later this week, 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. Thousands have already signed the petition--will you join them in standing for Jacob?

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.