Category Archives: 1st Amendment

September 7, 2018 Radio Commentary

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Exonerated! SBC Chaplain Squires

Radio Commentary, 90.7, 91.7 New Life FM, September 7, 2018 – By Sue Ella Deadwyler

There’s good news today! On August 24th, the Army exonerated Chaplain Scott Squires and his assistant Kacie Griffin by announcing rejection of all charges against them. Chaplain Squires had been charged with dereliction of duty and sex-discrimination against a lesbian soldier. His assistant was facing charges for not immediately registering a female soldier who wanted to attend the marriage retreat with another enlisted female and identify as a same-sex couple.

Since same-sex marriage conflicts with his faith, the chaplain rescheduled the date of the retreat, so another chaplain could conduct it. After the soldier filed charges against them, Squires and Griffin were provided a defense attorney by the First Liberty Institute, a non-profit public interest law firm that, exclusively, defends religious freedom for all Americans.

After a four-month Army investigation of the incident, charges were announced August 1st, but three weeks later all charges were dismissed. Their attorney from First Liberty said: “We are grateful that the Army has rejected and abandoned these baseless charges. The U.S. military is no place for anti-religious hostility against its own military chaplains. Chaplains like Scott Squires and assistant Kacie Griffin do not have to give up their First Amendment rights in order to serve their fellow soldiers.” Continue reading →

July 13, 2018 Radio Commentary

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Life & Free Speech Upheld by Supreme Court

Radio Commentary, 90.7, 91.7 New Life FM, July 13, 2018 – By Sue Ella Deadwyler

On June 26th the Supreme Court overruled a California law that (a) forced medically licensed pro-life pregnancy centers to post in a conspicuous place in their waiting rooms signs in 22-inch font or distribute forms advertising that the state offers free or low-cost abortions. That law, also, (b) required pregnancy centers dedicated to ending abortion to include on that sign a phone number that would refer women to abortion providers like Planned Parenthood.

But that law went further. It forced pregnancy centers, including religious pro-life centers that are not medically licensed by the state, to post in waiting rooms and advertisements a disclaimer in up to 13 different languages, that they are not a medical facility. During the hearing, Justice Kennedy asked, “What would happen if an unlicensed entity, unlicensed center, just had a billboard that said ‘Choose Life.’ Would they have to make the disclosure?”

The answer was “yes.” That center would have to post a disclaimer on that billboard, in the same size font as “Choose Life,” in up to 13 different languages, which would completely drown out the pro-life message. Continue reading →

June 15, 2018 Radio Commentary

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Choose: Stand or Acquiesce

Radio Commentary, 90.7, 91.7 New Life FM, June 15, 2018 – By Sue Ella Deadwyler

On May 11th Lambda Legal subpoenaed Family Research Council President Tony Perkins and National Day of Prayer Task Force President Dr. Ronnie Floyd in a lawsuit filed last August against the Trump administration’s transgender military ban. They were targeted for participating in the Evangelical Executive Advisory Board, that was established by President Trump to provide his administration with data and counsel on various Christian concerns and issues.

Liberty Counsel challenged the Perkins subpoena in a May 29th letter explaining that the documents they want include information protected under the First Amendment Freedom of Association, Freedom of Speech, and the right to Petition the Government, stipulating that such demands violate the Religious Freedom Restoration Act and the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.

The subpoenaed items include, “All Documents and Communications from the relevant period between You and President Trump, the Executive Office of the President, the Trump Campaign, Vice President Pence, the Office of the Vice President, or the Department of Defense, concerning military service by transgender people, public policy regarding transgender people, medical treatment for transgender people, and/or transgender people in general.” Continue reading →