Politicians, religious leaders, and local community members are petitioning Port Wentworth, Georgia, town officials to apologize for suspending former officer Jacob Kersey over a religious Facebook post, according to a Monday Family Research Council President (FRC) release.
Former Republican Georgia Rep. Jody Hice, FRC senior adviser Tony Perkins, Bishop Garland Hunt of The Father’s House, and former Atlanta Fire Chief Kelvin Cochran, who was allegedly fired over statements he published in a religious-themed book, will join several Georgia pastors in handing over 20,000 signed petitions to the Port Wentworth mayor and other officials, demanding an apology for their treatment of Kersey. The petitions accuse the city of bullying Kersey into resigning from the Port Wentworth Police Department and violating his First Amendment freedoms, according to the release. The group plans on delivering the petitions at 11 a.m. Friday.
Why do you think Christians are afraid to stand for the biblical definition of marriage?
— Jacob Kersey (@realjacobkersey) March 4, 2023
“This event is important as that I want to make sure what happened to me doesn’t happen to others. The reality is that this can and will continue to happen to devout Christians unless we defend our religious liberty rights,” Kersey told Fox News. “Churches and spiritual leaders need to be prepared to respond to the type of hostility that I faced in Port Wentworth.” (RELATED: Church Of England Toys With Idea Of They/Them God)
Kersey, 20, resigned from the Port Wentworth Police Department in January after being placed on paid administrative leave over a religious Facebook post promoting traditional marriage, the outlet noted.
“God designed marriage. Marriage refers to Christ and the church,” he wrote, the Daily Signal reported. “That’s why there is no such thing as homosexual marriage.”