For five long months, politicians have been shutting down businesses and closing churches, telling us the lockdowns would save lives. Yet, new data shows the COVID lockdowns are costing more lives than the virus itself! And churches, hamstrung by illegal edicts, have been hindered in providing their irreplaceable help.

Don't let godless governors drive America's churches underground!

Suicides:

The Disaster Distress Helpline, a service of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), reports a heartbreaking 891% increase in calls for help when comparing March 2020 to March 2019.

"There has been another cost that we've seen, particularly in high schools. We're seeing, sadly, far greater numbers of suicides now than we are deaths from COVID. We're seeing far greater deaths from drug overdose," said CDC Director Robert Redfield.¹

Domestic Violence:

In the U.S. and around the world, domestic violence rose by 33% just in the first week of the COVID shutdowns, according to a United Nations report. Women's shelters across the U.S. are overflowing and reporting record high calls for help as five months of forced COVID shutdowns are stressing households in new and brutal ways.

Child Abuse:

The National Sexual Assault Hotline has experienced the highest numbers of crisis calls in its 26-year history, with half of the calls coming from minor children.

"Their safety net collapsed during this period," says the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network's National Sexual Assault Hotline, (RAINN) President Scott Berkowitz said. "Normally, the first people to spot signs of abuse are adults outside the immediate family: teachers and guidance counselors and the parents of friends.” But with schools being shut down, the children have no access to their safety nets and no way to escape danger in their own homes.

Homicides:

Murders in the U.S.A. are up 24% for the year, resulting in 3,600 people killed. The Wall Street Journal reports that nearly three quarters of the nation’s largest cities have seen double-digit increases in murder rates. Chicago had the highest homicide rate in history this July. Compared to last July 2019, Atlanta reported a 240% increase (from 5-17), and New York a 277% (from 13-48). This trend was well established before the BLM and Antifa riots began, although widespread lawlessness has exacerbated the rising homicide rate.

Untreated Medical Conditions:

Likely highest human cost are the lives lost when hospitals were forced to shut down all departments not associated with COVID. This meant that cancer screenings, treatment and even surgeries were delayed by months. And for many, that delay was fatal.

A study from the University College of London and the Health Data Research Hub for Cancer reports that due to delays in diagnosis and treatment, an estimated 33,890 Americans will needlessly die because COVID shutdowns prevented treatment of their cancers.

Don't let godless governors drive America's churches underground!

But anti-God governors are more interested in closing churches than opening America.

Meanwhile, the one place that can and should be a help to people suffering – the church – has been restricted and silenced by many of the same governors whose states have suffered the worst repercussions:

• Pastors are being criminally charged and arrested for holding church.
• Churchgoers were confined to their houses against their will for attending parking lot Easter services.
• Churches are being threatened with government seizure and bulldozing for daring to open their doors to more than 10 people.
• Singing is banned, and then ALL worship is banned, including Bible studies and fellowship in private homes.
• And a chain of tyrannical governors and local officials stretching across the USA from Maine, to Virginia, to Kentucky, to Illinois to California have determined themselves to be our new "high priests." In their arrogance, they are telling God's people how they must worship, or, that they cannot worship at all.

Each of the above examples are actual incidents experienced by the churches Faith & Liberty team members are actively assisting. And this doesn't even begin to touch upon the many stories we are hearing from the thousands of pastors in 44 different states whom Faith & Liberty team members have been working with during this time of assault on our unalienable religious liberty.

OUR efforts to stand with these churches and assist them in their fight for religious freedom are only possible because of YOUR generous donations. Your investments in Faith & Liberty help keep religious freedom for everyone free! Could you send a special gift today to help us in our fight?

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The tyranny imposed by anti-God governors, through their illegal COVID shutdowns, is costing more lives than the virus itself. And if we allow their silencing of our churches to continue, our religious freedom will die as well.

Please, stand firm in your faith. Pray for your missionary team at Faith & Liberty. And pray for our nation to return its heart to the Lord.

Your servants in the Lord Jesus Christ,

Peggy Nienaber, Vice-President
Mat Staver, Chairman
Rev. Gregory Cox, Lead Missionary

P.S. Tired of the shutdowns and unconstitutional restrictions on our liberty? Take a moment to tell all 50 governors to RESTORE OUR RIGHTS & RE-OPEN AMERICA! Select here.

P.P.S. Please don't let this challenge grant opportunity pass you by. America's pastors and churches are relying on YOU, a faithful Faith & Liberty supporter, to help ensure religious freedom remains FREE! Select here.