ADF brining religious freedom cases to the Supreme Court

By Alan Sears

The opening of another session of the U.S. Supreme Court brings to the forefront several key cases being litigated or funded by Alliance Defending Freedom – cases with profound implications for the future of your life and your religious freedom. I want to give you a glimpse of what’s coming, in the hope that you and your family will pray specifically for these cases and for how they will be reviewed by our nation’s most influential legal tribunal.

Town of Greece v. Galloway – On November 6, the high court will hear oral arguments in this case, which involves a lawsuit accusing local officials in Greece of violating the Establishment Clause of the Constitution by allowing members of the community to pray aloud before town council meetings. Our attorneys are representing Greece, and the court’s ruling in this case could have far-reaching consequences for public expressions of faith, in everything from the Pledge of Allegiance to “In God We Trust” on our nation’s currency.

McCullen v. Coakley – During the third week of January, the court will hear oral arguments debating the constitutionality of a 35-foot “buffer zone” created by the Massachusetts legislature to keep pro-life activists and counselors from approaching abortion clinics (and their customers) in that state. Alliance Defending Freedom is funding this case.
Isaacson v. Horne – We are awaiting word on whether the high court will hear this case, which involves an Arizona law that restricts non-emergency abortions after 20 weeks.  Our attorneys are serving as co-counsel.  If the court upholds this law, it will affirm that the government has an interest in restricting abortion that goes beyond even preserving the baby’s life and the mother’s health … and that interest could open the way to substantial erosions of the Roe v. Wade decision.

Reed v. Town of Gilbert – We are representing a small Arizona church whose temporary signs inviting people to its worship services are regulated far more heavily than temporary signs used to promote political, ideological, and other messages.

Conestoga Wood Specialties v. Sebelius – We are representing the Hahns, a practicing Mennonite family whose company manufactures custom wood cabinets, in this federal lawsuit challenging the Obama administration’s abortion pill mandate. (The mandate forces employers, regardless of their religious convictions, to provide insurance coverage for abortion-inducing drugs, sterilization, and contraception or face heavy financial penalties from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.)

In addition, Alliance Defending Freedom lawyers are currently completing cert petitions (which ask the court to review and hear arguments in a case) for two other major cases:

Elane Photography, LLC v. Willock – in which we are defending a New Mexico artist penalized for “sexual orientation” discrimination because she gracefully declined to use her talents as a photographer to celebrate a same-sex “commitment ceremony.”

Planned Parenthood v. Betlach – in which we are defending an Arizona law (written by one of our own attorneys) that prohibits providers of elective abortions from participating in Medicaid family planning.

Proverbs 21:1 tells us that “The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes.” Please join me in praying that the heart of each judge of the highest court in our nation will be sensitive to the directives of the Lord – and expand religious freedom and protections for life for the sake of our children and grandchildren.