On Saturday, a Kentucky federal judge issued a powerful religious freedom ruling blocking the mayor of Louisville from banning religious services, including parking lot services.

Aside from the positive result, the court order is a powerful reminder of the history of religious freedom in America that fully exposed the discriminatory nature of the order issued by Louisville’s mayor.

The city allowed the parking lots of Home Depot and liquor stores to be jam-packed but banned churches from having parking lot Easter services. The judge wrote that the discriminatory treatment was clearly unconstitutional.

In another case in Louisville, police recorded the license plate numbers of cars in a church parking lot and issued a notice that every occupant in the car and whoever they came in contact with would be quarantined for 14 days. But, one mile from the church, the parking lots of many commercial stores were nearly filled to capacity.

If Easter celebrants would have spent Easter Sunday buying supplies at Walmart or Home Depot, they would have been free and clear. But, because they were celebrating our risen Lord and Savior, they are now in legal jeopardy and could be forced to quarantine for two weeks, whether or not they were exposed to the virus.

When you support Liberty Counsel, you help us provide free legal representation and counsel to people like this across America. We rely on friends like you to help meet the mushrooming costs of fighting the growing attacks on our God-given freedoms and our Bill of Rights. Will you give a special donation to stand with us and fight to restore religious freedom in America? - Mat

Some of our clients have experienced death threats and even bomb threats. Others, like Maryville Baptist Church, found nails spread over the entrances to their parking lot on Easter Sunday.

These church members in Louisville, Kentucky, were practicing social distancing. They provided hand sanitizer within EVERY PEW of the church. There was only a small group in a large sanctuary.

By comparison, I am not aware of even one secular business that is providing free hand sanitizer in every aisle of their store. On top of that, there was even a "social-distancing parade" the same weekend.

Both the people participating and those watching the parade were NOT 6 feet apart and no one in that secular event was cited by police in this same city. This church was taking significantly greater precautions than secular locations, but still they were targeted by multiple political leaders and the police.

The Democrat governor of Kentucky, Andy Beshear, is publicly blaming Christians for spreading the virus.

This reminds me of a different political leader, this one in ancient Rome. In order to direct anger at Christians, Emperor Nero blamed Christians for the burning of Rome. And a large number of religious pharisees, wanting to please the political powers, joined in widespread persecution of Christians in 64 A.D. This is likely the time when the Apostle Paul was martyred.

Now is the time for us to come together and fight for our freedom! We have an ongoing fax campaign to this governor and all the others that are destroying our rights and freedom. Fax them directly today. It is grossly unconstitutional to hold church activities to a different standard than secular activities.

I want to share with you the powerful words of Federal District Judge Justin Walker. Less than 24 hours before Easter services began in Kentucky, he stated:

On Holy Thursday, an American mayor criminalized the communal celebration of Easter. That sentence is one that this Court never expected to see outside the pages of a dystopian novel, or perhaps the pages of The Onion. But two days ago, citing the need for social distancing during the current pandemic, Louisville’s Mayor Greg Fischer ordered Christians not to attend Sunday services, even if they remained in their cars to worship—and even though it’s Easter. The Mayor’s decision is stunning. And it is, "beyond all reason," unconstitutional.

The Judge further wrote:

The Pilgrims’ history of fleeing religious persecution was just one of the many ‘historical instances of religious persecution and intolerance that gave concern to those who drafted the Free Exercise Clause of our Constitution’s First Amendment.’... ‘Among the reasons the United States is so open, so tolerant, and so free is that no person may be restricted or demeaned by government in exercising his or her religion.’

This judge is absolutely correct.

The freedom for this church and its members must be fought for in the courts and at the governors’ mansions. Liberty Counsel is uniquely prepared to do both. But we cannot win without your help.

Donate now to help our ministry litigate this case. And then send a fax to targeted governors today to amplify your own voice in helping  protect freedom throughout the nation.

It is an honor to stand and fight for this church and for your constitutional freedom in America today.

Onward,

Mat Staver,
Founder and Chairman
Liberty Counsel