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Brad Dacus, Esq., President and Founder of Pacific Justice Institute
In our nation today, Christian values face unprecedented attacks from all sides. Even at a governmental level, our culture is trending away from the core, biblical values that our nation was originally founded upon. A recent case, Kolstad v. Baillargeon, et al, filed by Pacific Justice Institute in Montana, illustrates these legal challenges poignantly.
The heart-wrenching story started as the Kolstad family, devout Christians, sought proper care for their daughter in Montana after she expressed gender dysphoria. They were willing to provide psychological and medical support, but were not willing to take actions that conflicted with their religious beliefs. In an egregious violation of the parent’s rights, the daughter was forcibly taken from them by a welfare case worker and transferred to a facility in Wyoming. What’s worse, her father had no idea that his daughter had even been taken. The authorities never attained a warrant and the parents were never given a hearing.
At the core of PJI’s legal challenge lies the protection of fundamental rights enshrined in the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. PJI contends that the state violated the Kolstad family’s rights to care, custody, and due process. By disregarding legal safeguards, Child Protective Services bypassed protections meant to shield families from unjust state intrusion.
This isn’t the only case of its kind that we have seen. Instances of discrimination against dissenting voices are on the rise across the country. Recently, an FBI intimidation case emerged when a doctor exposed illegal transgender-affirming medical ‘care’ at a Texas hospital. Similarly, an Oregon high school coach faced termination for opposing the inclusion of biological males in women’s sports. The Biden administration further exacerbates this issue by seeking to limit parental involvement in their children’s self-identification at school, undermining the rights of families across several states.
Pacific Justice Institute has consistently defended individuals who refuse to unquestioningly endorse children’s gender dysphoria due to their religious convictions. Giving the state power to mutilate our children’s bodies in the name of ‘inclusion’ should be labeled a form of child abuse. Yet, parents are increasingly having to fight misuses of our welfare system nearly every day. The implications of Kolstad v. Baillargeon goes beyond reuniting a young girl with her family; it stands as a precedent-setting battle for families’ rights to shield their children from misguided medical practices issued by an oppressive bureaucracy.
It is in the face of challenges like this that we Christians must stand together in our faith. There is no time left to be complacent in this cultural battle anymore. If we fail to protect our children, we risk a generation adrift from understanding their identity and their divine purpose.
