Kelly J. Shackelford
President, CEO and Chief Counsel (since 1997)
(LI) Liberty Institute
(P.O. Box 9078, Pueblo, CO 81008-9978)
www.libertyinstitute.org
Military Religious Discrimination
Hotline
(1-800-259-9109)
Restoring Religious Liberty in America
"I want
. . . FOUR-HUNDRED trials by general court-martial. We need people to lose
their liberty and to go to jail . . ."
Current
Obama military advisor regarding
Christian
soldiers who express their faith.
Dear Friend of Religious
Freedom,
Should a combat veteran be relieved of
duty and threatened with court-martial because his gay commander doesn't like
his religious viewpoint on marriage?
Should
our brave troops be warned by military superiors that they could face discipline and even trial if they donate to a
popular Christian ministry?
Should
the U.S. government ban
the words "God" and "God bless you" at military
funerals?
In the past two years, all of the above
has happened. And it's just the tip
of the iceberg. That's why I'm asking you to complete and return the enclosed Survey on Religious Freedom in the U.S.
Military and return it to me immediately.
You
see, as I prepare to defend the religious liberty of U.S. troops and other military members, I need to measure
how much you and other patriotic Americans know about these growing abuses. Because the media certainly isn't telling you the full story.
So
please, return your Survey today. And when you do, will you include a gift of
at least $25 or more to help Liberty Institute—the largest legal organization solely dedicated to defending religious
liberty in America? We defend at no charge the religious rights of the
men and women in uniform. They've sacrificed for us. We need to stand for
them.
We
especially need to raise $1 million in the next 45 days as we go into courtroom
combat to STOP the growing persecution of military members who hold traditional
religious beliefs.
My
name is Kelly Shackelford, president and CEO of Liberty Institute since 1997. Never
in my 24 years of defending religious liberty—which includes standing before
the U.S. Supreme Court—have I seen Americans so close to losing our religious
freedom . . . including members of our military.
Losing our religious freedom? In America? In the military? Yes.
Recently, Liberty Institute attorneys have:
• Defended an Air Force combat veteran
who was fired from his position because of his "politically incorrect"
religious beliefs—and who endured a military investigator reading him his
rights like a common criminal. His "crime"?
He refused to agree with his lesbian commander that gay "marriage" is
good. Our legal intervention saved him from possible court-martial.
• Overturned a government ban on praying "in
Jesus' name" at a National Military Cemetery at Memorial Day ceremonies honoring our soldiers and
veterans.
• Reversed a cruel U.S. government policy that banned all religious
references—including prayer, the words "God" and "God bless you"—at
military funerals(!) . . . even when families begged
for these words of comfort.
• Stopped the ACLU and the U.S. government from tearing down the nationally famous
Mt. Soledad Veterans Memorial in San Diego simply because it includes a 29-foot cross. We
represent veterans and families of deceased veterans from across America in this lawsuit.
Please understand,
these are not rare cases. The list
could go on for pages (in fact, we have just published a 189-page online book, UNDENIABLE: The
Survey of Hostility to Religion in America, documenting the escalating war
on religious freedom, including in the Armed Forces).
We
defeated the ACLU at the U.S. Supreme Court after a lower court had put an ugly bag over the Mojave Desert
Veterans Memorial Cross.
We
represented over 4 million veterans from the VFW, American Legion and other
military organizations in this case and others.
We
have guaranteed FREE legal representation to anonymous military "whistleblowers"
who exposed systematic military briefings in which
evangelical Christian ministries were called "hate groups" and "extremists."
Troops
were threatened with discipline if they even donated to these ministries! Now
we are giving legal advice to the ministries.
We
have established a Military Religious
Discrimination Hotline (1-800-259-9109) so that active and retired service
members can report abuses and have access to free legal advice when their
religious rights are violated.
But
we can only take cases as we have funding, so we need your help. Please send your gift of $25 or more to help us defend
and restore the religious liberty of our brave servicemen and women.
Why are these outrages happening?
Wealthy, radical anti-faith
organizations know that if they can drive religious freedom out of the U.S. military . . . then
they can drive it out of the rest of American society.
They
sincerely believe that America would be better off with no religious influence. They
believe religion is bad for America. That religious liberty is actually dangerous.
So
now they've placed a bull's-eye on the religious liberty of our men and women
in uniform, as well as military veterans.
These organizations include the ACLU,
with a budget of $117 million per year. The Freedom From
Religion Foundation (FFRF). Americans United for Separation of Church and State
(AUSCS). And the Military Religious Freedom Foundation
(MRFF).
These
radicals know what they're doing. They know that religion in the military dates
back to when General George Washington, a devout Christian himself, commanded
the Continental Army. But they don't care.
They
sneer at orders like this one, written by General Washington in 1778:
"The
blessing and protection of Heaven are at all times necessary but especially so
in times of public distress and danger—The General hopes and trusts, that every
officer and man, will endeavor so to live, and act, as becomes a Christian
Soldier . . ."
Today the enemies of faith might put
George Washington on trial.
Am I
exaggerating? Consider the words of Michael Weinstein, a top legal military consultant to the Obama Administration.
Weinstein
heads the deceptively named Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF). He is
an advisor to the Pentagon—named one of the "100 Most Influential People
in U.S. Defense" by Defense News.
He
bullied the Air Force Academy into removing "so
help me God" from a sign that had hung for decades offering
inspiration to cadets.
He
badgered the Pentagon to expel the
National Day of Prayer.
He
compared Christian evangelism in the military to "spiritual rape."
He
called for the court-martial of Christian officers expressing their faith to
their fellow service members. About such officers, he has angrily stated:
"When people ask me what I want in
the military, I tell them we want 400 TRIALS BY GENERAL COURT-MARTIAL. We need
people to LOSE THEIR LIBERTY and to go
to JAIL . . ."
"Trials." "Court-martial." "Lose
their liberty." "Go to jail." For what?
For expressing their religious faith, which is their legal right. For doing
precisely what George Washington urged his troops to do!
But here's where radicals like
Weinstein, the ACLU, and the Obama Pentagon have it even more wrong—dangerously
wrong.
When
people must face horrific life and death situations, as our servicemen and
women do, they must have the freedom to rely on their faith. It is
unconscionable to have that taken away when they need it most.
That's
why I urge you to return your Survey on
Religious Freedom in the Military today, along with your gift of $25 or
more to help us defend religious members of the military against wealthy
extremists who want to persecute them . . . ruin their reputations . . . destroy
their careers.
If
the forces of "political correctness" in the Obama administration can
purge religion from the armed forces, what's next? Where will it end?
"Christians have to go in the
closet," one Air Force soldier told FOX News. "We
are being robbed of our dignity and respect. We can't be who we are." He's right. Consider the trends:
Air
National Guardsman Layne Wilson had his 6-year service contract rescinded and
health coverage for his wife, who is suffering from breast cancer, canceled. Layne's crime? He doesn't believe in same-sex "marriage."
A
painting displaying a Bible verse was removed from an Air Force dining hall
because of fears that it might offend someone.
An
Army instructor lumped evangelical Christianity and
Catholicism with extremist terror organizations such as Al Qaeda and Hamas in a
training brief.
The
Pentagon considered implementing a new policy which would make sharing one's
faith a crime punishable by court-martial
and imprisonment.
The
epidemic of discrimination is why I'm asking you to join with us. We can win. But to win in the courts . .
. our side needs a winning strategy. Good intentions are not
enough. Too much is at stake.
And a winning strategy is what Liberty
Institute offers. We have created a
national network of the best attorneys. When religious freedom is attacked
anywhere in America, we engage local attorneys with a winning track
record. We also engage specialists—such as experts in military law. This
network gives Liberty a real "home field advantage" in court.
And
what's more, many of the top-notch attorneys Liberty engages—attorneys from prestigious law firms who
normally charge up to $1,500 an hour—work for free because they volunteer their
services on religious freedom cases. Liberty gets
approximately $6 in pro bono (free) legal counsel for every $1 donated by
people like you.
It
all translates into big wins, like mentioned earlier. As I said, Liberty
Institute has a 99% win rate, dominating opponents like the ACLU at the Supreme
Court and elsewhere.
Victories
such as these are why Liberty Institute is enthusiastically endorsed by Sen. Rick Santorum . . . Dr. James Dobson . . . Gov. Mike Huckabee . . . Gov. Rick Perry . . . and other
leaders. I was humbled when Sen. Santorum recently said:
"No other organization in the
country does more to legally challenge the persecution of religious believers.
Like a David facing Goliath, Liberty Institute is facing down the giants of
religious persecution and WINNING!"
But
to keep winning for our military and veterans, we need to find more Americans
who will stand with us.
I'm asking you to be one of them.
In
the next 45 days, we need to raise $1 million to help defend the religious
rights of our men and women in uniform.
That
is why I'm asking you to send a contribution today of $25 . . . $50 . . . $100 or more to defend your religious
liberty. Don't forget, every $1 we spend
is multiplied approximately six times
that much in pro bono (free) legal counsel by the best religious liberty
attorneys in the country.
May
I hear from you today? To win more court victories—and defeat the increasing
attacks on our active and retired military—we need new friends like you.
Please
return your Survey and give whatever you can to help Liberty Institute defend
more of our military men and women. It is an investment in the very future of our
nation. May God bless you (LI, P.O. Box 9078, Pueblo, CO 81008-9978).
With
sincere gratitude,
Kelly
J. Shackelford
President/CEO
and Chief Counsel
P.S. Please [request
for and] send your Survey on Religious
Freedom in the U.S. Military and your contribution of at least $25 to help
Liberty Institute defend the religious
liberty of our military and veterans against the attacks of the ACLU
"politically correct" Pentagon officials, and radical lawyers like
Michael Weinstein who wants hundreds of Christian officers put in jail. We
will defeat them in court . . . if we have the funds. Please take action today.
Thank you!
2001 West Plano Parkway, Suite 1600 • Plano, Texas 75075 • Phone: 97 2.941 .4444 • Fax: 972.423.6162 • www.LibertyInstitute.org
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(Sample)
SURVEY ON RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
IN THE U.S.
MILITARY
1. Prior to reading the enclosed letter from
Kelly Shackelford, were you aware of the policy of systematic religious
persecution within the U.S. military?
2. Do you agree that stopping the growing attacks
on religious freedom in the military is essential to stopping the growing
attacks on the religious freedoms of all Americans?
3. Are you concerned that the policy of
systematic religious persecution within the U.S. military is part of a greater agenda by powerful
secular activists to attack religious liberty in the general population?
4. Were you aware that a military consultant to
the Obama administration had called for the court-martial and imprisonment of
at least 400 Christian officers for sharing their faith?
5. Were you aware that a radical legal
organization had frightened the Pentagon into expelling the National Day of
Prayer, depriving Defense Department employees of this comforting ceremony?
6. Do you believe that a military veteran should
be penalized as a result of his traditional religious beliefs about sexuality,
as one of our clients has been?
7. Do you currently have a family member or
friend serving in the U.S. military?
8. Has anyone in the military who you know
personally been the victim of religious persecution? (If yes, they can call
Liberty Institute's Military Religious
Discrimination Hotline at 1-800-259-9109.)
----------------------------------------
(Sample)
To Stop Radicals from
Destroying Our Religious Freedom
Yes, Kelly, you can count on me! I will help Liberty Institute raise $1 million in the
next 45 days to stop the ACLU and others from destroying religious freedom in
the U.S. Military and our entire society. I understand my donation will be
matched by roughly six times that amount in free legal counsel by America's best religious freedom lawyers!
Here is my gift of:
You can give online instantly at www.libertyinstitute.org/give