First Response: COVID-19 and Religious Liberty

Kelly Shackelford joins First Liberty Live's Stuart Shepard to discuss key victories from the past year, including three potential Supreme Court cases and our best opportunities to expand religious freedom for the next generation.   We need your help to position First Liberty for a strong rest of 2025. Join the fight for faith today and maximize your impact with our $500,000 Challenge Grant when you give by midnight on June 30th. Yes, I'll maximize my impact now >>

The President's newly established Religious Liberty Commission met for the first time. As an appointed member of the Commission, I want to share with you what we discussed and what we hope to accomplish.

The Church of the Open Door in Waco Texas and its pastor Ronnie Holmes have asked for First Liberty's help in setting Waco's city leaders straight on the First Amendment. When Pastor Ronnie and a small group from his church attended a festival in a city park that was open to the public, they found themselves banished far away from the festival to a free speech zone.

Today, we remember D-Day, the sacrifices that were made and the freedoms that were preserved. Watch Lt. Gen. (Ret.) William G. (Jerry) Boykin share his thoughts on D-Day and why it's important to memorialize the sacrifices made by our service members.

Right now, we are seeing waves of legislation from coast to coast requiring either the Ten Commandments or our national motto “In God We Trust” to be displayed in government buildings and public schools. Watch Patriot Mobile's Leigh Wambsganss and First Liberty's Nate Kellum explain why this is happening now and the importance of this moment.

Watch First Liberty's Jeremy Dys unpack the Johnson Amendment, discuss its overarching impact on faith in America and explain why we should consider repealing it.

We just got a huge first victory for the Encinas family. Just a year ago, a school in Encinitas, CA used its “Buddy Activity Program” to force its fifth-grade students to deliver a message affirming gender ideology to their younger kindergarten buddies. When a family asked the school to notify them and provide opt-out opportunities, the school denied their request. Watch First Liberty attorney Kayla Toney explain what the decision means for the case moving forward.

During the National Day of Prayer ceremony in the Rose Garden, President Trump signed an executive order creating the Presidential Commission on Religious Freedom. Our President and CEO, Kelly Shackelford, has been appointed to serve on the Commission. To give you a better understanding of the Commission, Kelly sat down with Stuart Shepard to discuss the appointment and to let you know what you can expect from those serving at the President's request.

Tarin Swain used her allotted time at her city council to pray, asking God to strengthen opponents in their fight against the implementation of this dangerous policy. The Ventura Mayor interrupted her, demanding she stop by saying, “We [the City of Ventura] don't do prayer.” Watch Tarin Swain and First Liberty attorney Erin Smith discuss this case and learn what we we're doing to protect Tarin's right to pray.

Hiram Sasser, Executive General Counsel, breaks down why parental rights are so important for religious liberty in one of our new cases.

Gabriel Olivier is an evangelical Christian who shares his faith with others while standing outside of well-attended events on a public sidewalk in a public park. To silence Gabriel, the City of Brandon passed an unconstitutional ordinance that Iimits his ability and the ability of others from communicating their religious beliefs to others in a city park.

Watch this interview with First Liberty's Stephanie Taub. Stephanie, fresh off testifying in support of the Ten Commandments proposed legislation, will share her experience before Arkansas lawmakers and let us know what the future holds for the bill.

Matt Krause explains the bill in Texas to put the Ten Commandments back in the classroom. Read more about this bill in our latest Insider article >>

The Supreme Court declined to hear the case of Fire Chief Ron Hittle. First Liberty Senior Counsel Stephanie Taub explains why there's a silver lining in this response from the Court.

America was truly founded because of God's Providence. It was no accident. In the 2025 movie The American Miracle: Our Nation is No Accident, it takes us on a journey through some of the most significant events in America's birth and rise to prosperity and power. To learn more about this upcoming film, watch this interview with the COO and Executive Producer of Heroic Films, Ralf Augstroze.

We sit down on set with Jack Hibbs, pastor at Calvary Chapel in Southern California, to discuss religious liberty. Check out Real Life Network >>

We're live from the National Religious Broadcasters Convention with our President, Chief Counsel and CEO, Kelly Shackelford.

We're here at the National Religious Broadcasters Convention. Mike Farris, General Counsel of NRB joins the show!

We're live with Tim Barton, President of WallBuilders at the National Religious Broadcasters Convention.

We're live with Abigail DeJarnatt, founder and CEO of Counteract USA at the National Religious Broadcasters Convention.

We're live at the National Religious Broadcaster's convention with First Liberty Counsel, Keisha Russell!

First Liberty has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to take the Fire Chief Ron Hittle and the Bethesda University cases. They will be conferencing on both cases Friday morning. Will the Supreme Court justices say “Yes?” Watch First Liberty attorneys Stephanie Taub and Jeremy Dys breakdown these cases and explain why the justices should take them.

Right now, a devoted teacher of 32 years is fighting for her faith – and her job. Marisol Arroyo-Castro's only "offense"? Refusing to hide a small crucifix at her desk. After three decades of dedicated service teaching Connecticut's children, school officials gave Marisol an impossible choice: hide her crucifix from view or face discipline. When she couldn't bring herself to hide this expression of her faith, they suspended her without pay. Watch this interview with First Liberty attorney Becky Dummermuth to get the latest updates on this critically important case.

We sit down with Sean Feucht to discuss his latest album "In God We Trust" and how you can restore faith in America. Join the challenge >>

In this interview, First Liberty Senior Counsel Stephanie Taub is joined by attorney Randy Wenger of the Independence Law Center to explain what's going on with Gerald Groff after he won at the U.S. Supreme Court.

President and CEO Kelly Shackelford breaks down some of President Trump's executive orders and what they mean for religious freedom.

Since the founding of our nation, public officials have often quoted scripture for the purpose of encouragement or inspiration. Citing a quotation from any text – sacred or secular – is completely protected by the free speech clause of the First Amendment of the Constitution. But the Peoria Unified School District in Arizona has been preventing School Board Member Heather Rooks from exercising that right since 2023. Watch this interview with First Liberty attorney David Hacker to learn what happened at Friday's hearing and what comes next for Heather.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit heard arguments in our Bangor Christian Schools case. We urged the First Circuit to reverse a lower court ruling that upheld a Maine law preventing religious schools from participating in the state's school choice program. First Liberty's Jeremy Dys joins us on First Liberty Live! to give an update on what happened inside the court room and why this case is important for the future of religious freedom.

As we close out the year, we are looking ahead to 2025. The challenges that lay ahead are daunting, and the stakes have never been higher. President and CEO Kelly Shackelford joins us to talk about all the opportunities and challenges that lay ahead and why we should have more hope for the future of religious freedom than ever before.

A fifth-grade teacher at La Costa Heights Elementary School in California read aloud the book, My Shadow is Pink, which urges children to question their own gender identity. When the parents requested notice and opt-outs from similar teaching in the future, the school district denied their requests. First Liberty is fighting back to protect the students' right to religious freedom.

We're coming to you live today from Colorado with an important case update. The Rock Church in Castle Rock, Colorado recently got great news after filing a federal lawsuit against hostile city officials. A federal judge will allow the church, in the midst of their lawsuit, to continue its RV ministry that gives people in need temporary shelter. This is a crucial first victory in their case. But the legal battle in Castle Rock isn't over. City officials are criminalizing compassion and trying to stop the church from giving the homeless a place to stay in a pinch, claiming the ministry violates zoning ordinances. Watch Pastor Mike Polhemus as he explains why The Rock Church is feeling called to serve the suddenly homeless and how they continue to work to fulfill their mission.

What are people of faith called to do this election season? And how are churches and pastors allowed to act in the political sphere? To answer your questions and offer a free resource for all churches and pastors, First Liberty attorney Jeremy Dys dives into this crucial topic. You won't want to miss it! Download our FREE election resources here >>

The state of Maine provides funds for school tuition to all Maine families who live in rural areas and do not have access to a public school for their children. It gives these families school choice. But Maine legislators have made it impossible for families to use the funds for a religious education. To learn more about our recent appeal to the First Circuit Court of Appeals, watch this interview with Senior Counsel David Hacker. He dives into the case details and why this defense of the Carson v. Makin precedent is so critical.

Coach Joe Kennedy's film, Average Joe, premieres in theaters beginning October 10th. It focuses on his biggest battle: his commitment to stand for God publicly by taking a knee in prayer after each football game. When he was fired for living out his faith, Joe and his wife Denise knew this battle for religious freedom and the rights of all Americans was one they would have to fight. You can show your support for Coach Joe and religious freedom by going to the movies on opening weekend.  Buy Tickets Now >>

Less than a month ago, President Biden introduced us to his plan to reform the Supreme Court. He wants us to believe that his “common sense” approach is needed to fix the Court. That's why First Liberty recently commissioned a poll. We wanted you to see exactly what the average voting American thinks about the Biden court “reform” scheme. In this episode, First Liberty attorney Hiram Sasser explains the poll results and how they will impact the future of the Supreme Court. Join over 500,000 patriots and say NO to the Supreme Court Coup >>

On August 1, Majority Leader Schumer & 23 Senators introduced the deceptively named “No Kings Act.” The name may be clever and sound innocent enough, but that is far from the truth. This legislation would not only delegitimize the highest court in the nation, it would completely undermine the Constitution. To help you understand what this legislation will mean for the future of our country, watch this crucial message from First Liberty President and CEO Kelly Shackelford. Say NO tot the Supreme Court Coup >>

Today's episode of First Liberty Live! features great insight and stories from one of our top lawyers as well as a highly respected legal professor. Listen to volunteer attorney Allyson Ho and professor Josh Blackman give expert analysis on the most pressing issues regarding our First Freedom now.

President Biden unveiled his plan for sweeping and radical changes to the Supreme Court. Don't be fooled. President Biden's court “reform” scheme is nothing more than a desperate attack to end the legitimacy of the Supreme Court. To discern the specifics of Biden's attempted Supreme Court Coup, First Liberty Live! is bringing you expert analysis of this dangerous plan from our Chief Legal Officer Jeff Mateer. Say NO to the Supreme Court Coup >>

This week on First Liberty Live! we're joined by Professor John Yoo, the Emanuel Heller Professor of Law at the University of California at Berkeley. As one of our nation's foremost experts on the Constitution and the separation of powers, he explains how this important document would have been interpreted at our founding and why an independent judiciary is so important. Learn more about the Supreme Court Coup >>

As people of faith, today's world is becoming increasingly more difficult to navigate. And this is especially true in our digital age. One person of faith who boldly shares her perspective despite the noise online is Allie Beth Stuckey. As a wife, mom and host of the podcast Relatable, she understands the importance of viewing current issues through a Biblical worldview. Listen to her share about leading the way in faith in the digital age on this episode.

America's elite fighting force is still battling against religious discrimination. As we approach their hearing on the settlement of their lawsuit on July 24th, today's First Liberty Live! episode with attorney Danielle Runyan will give you a case update.

After 50 years of using the bad legal precedent, America is in a new era of freedom. Because of Coach Kennedy's win, courts must decide religious liberty cases through the lens of a “history and tradition” test. For a better understanding of the history and tradition test, Tim Barton, president of Wallbuilders and an expert in American history, breaks down how our nation's past will determine how religious expression plays out in the public square today.

This week, Louisiana became the first state requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in all public schools and colleges. To break down the legal arguments behind this new law, First Liberty Live! talks to attorney Matt Krause—an independent legal and policy advisor to First Liberty. Matt recently testified at the Ohio legislature in support of a similar bill to the one Louisiana just passed.

The enemies of faith are taking notice: people of faith are standing up for their beliefs and winning back their constitutional freedoms. And they don't like these victories one bit. Because we win, the attorneys and staff at First Liberty along with our brave clients draw a lot of attention… both positive and negative. You see, anti-faith Leftists in the media choose to mischaracterize and misrepresent our work and the people of faith we help. That's why I've asked First Liberty's Chief Legal Office to clear up the misconceptions generated by recent articles like Slate Magazine's “The Religious Right Isn't Hiding What It's Doing in the Courts.”

Right now, there's a war waging over our culture. And many of us feel like we can't make a difference in this fight. But a group of everyday Americans are taking a stand for faith. And you can join them. We call it, the Future of Faith and Freedom or F3. F3 is dedicated to helping these up-and-coming generations learn how they can move the needle for faith in an impactful and meaningful way. Listen to F3 Leaders Nathan Shackelford and Shaun Frederickson explain this growing movement and how it will shape our nation for generations to come. Learn more about this exciting initiative >>

In all the years in the fight for faith and freedom, there hasn't been a week at First Liberty busier than last week! We had some major wins come through by God's grace, as well as some disappointing setbacks. To give you the full rundown on all of the last week's decisions, Chief Legal Officer Jeff Mateer will explain what happened and what the outcomes in these cases mean for you and our clients.

With Memorial Day less than a week away, we wanted to take a few minutes to honor those who have bravely defended our country. This weekend is a time to remember and pray for those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our nation. Attorney and US Air Force member Danielle Runyan will join us on First Liberty Live! to talk about the cases we are fighting right now for military service members.

HaYovel is a Christian, faith-based ministry that supports Israeli grape farmers. The ministry has organized The Israel Summit, a pro-Israel conference. Just days before the event, however, the Sonesta Nashville Airport hotel breached the contract and canceled the Summit. Lead First Liberty attorney Hiram Sasser joins Live this afternoon for a question and answer session with host Stuart Shepard. Add Your Name to Say No to Fear >>

In this episode we continue our Election 2024 series by asking Dr. Albert Mohler about how people of faith can participate in politics even beyond the polls. Dr. Mohler is the president of one of the largest seminary schools in the world, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is also the host of two podcasts, an author, speaker and teacher. In this episode he will explain the critical role that people of faith play in civic engagement. And that goes far beyond the election day on November 5th.

Hear from our President, CEO & Chief Counsel Kelly Shackelford on the importance of people of faith getting out to vote. Plus, you'll learn about the rights of churches and pastors during the election season. Check out our Election 2024 resources >>

First Liberty client LifeWise Academy is an education program available to public schools that teaches the Bible to students who might never be exposed to it otherwise–during school hours. LifeWise is currently being attacked by both the Freedom from Religion Foundation and the leftist media. The notoriously anti-faith Freedom from Religion Foundation (FFRF) recently sent a letter to 600 school districts in Ohio “warning” school officials about the mission of LifeWise Academy. Listen to LifeWise Academy Founder and CEO Joel Penton explain how this program is making a positive impact in communities across the country and what First Liberty is doing to make sure that it's protected from attacks.