Here’s the media statement our public relations team sent to reporters concerning today. You can learn more about the case from our friends at Alliance Defending Freedom by visiting www.adflegal.org/the-playground-case. – J.D.
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For Immediate Release
June 26, 2017
Focus on the Family President Reacts to SCOTUS Trinity Lutheran Decision:
‘A win for all Americans’
Colorado Springs, Colo. – Focus on the Family President Jim Daly issued this statement today reacting to the Supreme Court’s 7-2 decision in the Trinity Lutheran Church of Columbia v. Comer case:
“We are gratified to see the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in favor of religious freedom in the Trinity Lutheran case. In essence, the Supreme Court found that government cannot deny a church or other faith-based organization participation in a secular government program simply because of its religious identity. The First Amendment requires otherwise and, thankfully, the Court today overwhelmingly agreed.
“Churches, religious organizations and people of faith all deserve to participate in the daily life of our society equally with others of different faiths or no faith at all. The First Amendment guarantees the ‘free exercise’ of religion in order to protect any one group from being treated as second-class citizens, and today the Supreme Court highlighted that principle in no uncertain terms.
“With today’s decision, the Court stopped a trend towards limiting our First Amendment freedom – and that’s a win for all Americans.
“Had the Court come down on the wrong side of his issue, it would have resulted in increasing hostility for churches, faith-based organizations and even individuals by a government that is becoming more secular every day.
“We also take as an encouraging sign that the Supreme Court today decided to hear the case of a Colorado baker, Jack Phillips, a Christian who did not want to use his artistic skills to endorse same-sex marriage, and was found by the State of Colorado to have discriminated on the basis of sexual orientation. We hope to see Jack’s rights of conscience and freedom of speech vindicated by the Court next year.”
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