SMSgt Phillip Monk: His courageous stand helped change military policy—but now Liberty Institute supporters must help

our lawyers make sure it’s enforced.

On Wednesday, January 22, the U.S. government issued a new policy that creates a huge opening for Liberty Institute to stop growing religious discrimination against soldiers, chaplains, and others in the military.

But we cannot afford to waste this opportunity, and that’s why I’m asking for your financial support now.

The new policy, issued by the Department of Defense, says the military’s normal standard must allow service members to act and speak in accordance with their religious beliefs.

Specifically, to deny accommodating a service member’s religious actions and speech, the military must now prove: (1) it has a compelling reason for the denial, and (2) the chosen way of restricting religious actions and speech is the least intrusive. This dramatic change in policy means the burden of proof is no longer on the service member.

This is a HUGE shift. But it will only lead to victory for our efforts—IF you can give to help us hold the federal government accountable to its word.

For the past 5 years, the forces of “political correctness” in the Obama Administration have unleashed a campaign to drive out religious freedom from the military. For example:

A 19-year combat veteran was relieved of duty because his gay commander didn't like his religious viewpoint on same-sex marriage.

because his gay commander didn't like his religious viewpoint on same-sex marriage. Troops were warned by military superiors that they could face discipline and even trial if they shared their faith, or even donated to a popular ministry.

if they shared their faith, or even donated to a popular ministry. The Veterans Administration outlawed the words "God" and "God bless you" at military funerals at a national cemetery.

Our client Sergeant Phillip Monk, an Air Force combat veteran, said, “Christians have to go in the closet.” But this new rule opens the door for Christians to come out of that suffocating closet.

And your support of Liberty Institute is one reason why! Our nationally famous defense of Phillip Monk—and our other efforts—put tremendous pressure on the Obama Pentagon. And we can use this new policy as a shield to prevent future cases like Sergeant Monk’s.

But now we need your help to aggressively make the U.S. Military live up to its new policy and retake the ground lost in the last five years.

Your gift will help us:

Inform members of the military—from foot soldiers to generals—of the religious rights recognized by the new policy. This will be a big job.

members of the military—from foot soldiers to generals—of the religious rights recognized by the new policy. This will be a big job. Defend and restore service men and women currently under attack. We are currently fielding calls on our Military Religious Discrimination Hotline (1-800-259-9109) .

and restore service men and women currently under attack. We are currently fielding calls on our . Move forward with our Armed Forces Religious Freedom Project, which involves high-ranking officers and others in a campaign to restore religious freedom in the military.

Your support helped make this breakthrough possible. We need your continued giving now to help go through this open door . . . and defend the liberty our brave military men and women are fighting to preserve. Please give now.

Read Liberty Institute’s press release for more details on the new policy.

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