In just eight days, I will appear before the U.S. Supreme Court in a case that will set national precedent. The stakes are very high. Read on to learn more about this critically important case at the High Court. —Mat

Help Liberty Counsel STOP the SILENCING of CHRISTIAN VIEWPOINTS!

Last Friday, Liberty Counsel filed our reply brief to the Supreme Court in the landmark case Shurtleff v. City of Boston.

Boston welcomed every viewpoint in its public forums—except the Christian viewpoint. The single word “Christian” on Camp Constitution’s application form resulted in the first exclusion ever. Liberty Counsel represents Hal Shurtleff and his Christian civic organization, Camp Constitution. I will be arguing this case before the High Court beginning at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, January 18.

Boston has a longstanding practice and policy to open a flagpole for private speakers to temporarily raise a flag during their event. In its own words, Boston created a “public forum” open to “all applicants.” But, after 12 years of no denials and virtually no review of the applications, Boston censored Camp Constitution specifically because its flag was referred to as a “Christian” flag.

STOP THE SILENCING OF CHRISTIAN SPEECH! A generous donor has extended our Challenge Grant that will DOUBLE your gift.

Under oath, a Boston city official testified that Camp Constitution’s flag would have been approved if the application did not refer to it as a “Christian flag.” The word “Christian” on the application alone triggered censorship.

If it had not been referred to as “Christian,” Boston would have allowed it. The flag was not the problem—the single word “Christian” on the application was what resulted in the censorship.

Now caught in the crosshairs of Supreme Court litigation, the City of Boston is attempting to claim that hundreds of private flags are “government speech,” and Boston can choose not to speak.

But this argument is ridiculous. Over the years, 284 private flags have been raised in Boston’s Plaza. None were censored. Those flags have included everything from a flag with the Islamic crescent, LGBTQ pride and even a flag celebrating Mao Zedong’s Communist revolution that resulted in the genocide of 65 million Chinese people.

Boston never censored any of these flags, nor denied any flag ... that is until Camp Constitution wanted to celebrate the national Constitution Day and recognize the Christian community and the Founders.

Help Liberty Counsel DEFEND RELIGIOUS FREEDOM!

Again, since 2005, Boston’s website and policies advertised the square as a “public forum” for “all applicants,” but then slammed the door on Christian viewpoints.

If Boston prevails, every local government will have a green light to censor viewpoints with which some government official disagrees. No longer would Christian viewpoints be allowed in many public forums.

The Fellowship of Christian Athletes or Good News Clubs could be banned from meeting after school. Bible studies could be excluded from public library meeting rooms. If Boston wins, Christianity will be removed from many of the nation’s public forums.

Since the COVID restrictions, Liberty Counsel has had to defend an increasing number of attacks on religious freedom. We have defended sidewalk counselors for praying on a sidewalk, as well as pastors fined, criminally charged and arrested for opening their churches.

We’ve even had to defend parishioners who were put on the equivalent of house arrest for worshipping in their own cars in their own church parking lot on Easter Sunday. The war to silence Christian viewpoints and remove any trace of religion from public view seems to intensify each day.

We will not allow these attacks on our precious religious freedom to go unanswered! Liberty Counsel will fight to the very gates of hell to protect America’s religious liberty!

More speech is always better than less speech. This case is of national importance to protect the competing viewpoints in the marketplace … and to protect the RIGHT to religious freedom, individual viewpoints and assembly.

Please be in prayer for a positive result. Please also consider financially supporting our remarkable legal work. As you know, Liberty Counsel never charges for our legal services as few could afford to defend themselves against a government run amok. Donate today and have YOUR IMPACT DOUBLED by the renewed Challenge Grant campaign.

“Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the LORD!” (Ps. 31:24).

Mat Staver
Founder and Chairman
Liberty Counsel

Sources:

Morgan, Ryan. 2019. “Communist China’s Flag Raised above Boston City Hall Plaza, Philly; Supported by Elected Officials.” American Military News. October 8, 2019. americanmilitarynews.com/2019/10/communist-chinas-flag-raised-above-boston-city-hall-plaza-philly-supported-by-elected-officials/.

“USA and 12 States Support LC in Free Speech Case - Liberty Counsel.” 2021. Liberty Counsel. lc.org/newsroom/details/112421-usa-and-11-states-support-lc-in-free-speech-case.