“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” – 2 Corinthians 3:17
Chelsey Nelson owns and operates a photography studio in Louisville where her focus centers on wedding photography. Chelsey is a devout follower of Christ and upholds a Biblical view of marriage, which is that marriage is a sacred union between one man and one woman. Due to this Biblical conviction, she uses her services only for weddings between a man and a woman.
A Louisville ordinance prohibited Nelson from expressing her Biblical views on marriage on her studio’s website and threatened to compel her to create photographs and blogs celebrating a message about marriage she does not believe. Due to this clear violation of Chelsey’s First Amendment rights, in 2019, attorneys from Alliance Defending Freedom filed the lawsuit Chelsey Nelson Photography v. Louisville-Jefferson County Metro Government to protect her right to free speech.
Praise be to God, just days ago, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky kept in place a permanent bar that prevents Louisville from enforcing its law against Nelson in this way. The court’s important ruling, building upon the 303 Creative Supreme Court victory that upheld the right of Americans to create messages that align with their beliefs without fear of government punishment, protects Chelsey’s right to communicate messages that are derived from her deeply held religious beliefs and convictions.
Furthermore, the court ruled that the city of Louisville must pay nominal damages for obstructing her right to free speech. This court victory is no little feat; it reaffirms our precious God-given, constitutionally guaranteed right to freely speak on our convictions without fear of governmental intrusion or retaliation.
LET US PRAY…
Father, we praise You for the courage of Chelsey Nelson and the strength that she has displayed in standing strong for Your truth about marriage. Lord, we praise You for this monumental court victory that upholds and protects our First Amendment rights. Father, may we never take our precious First Amendment rights for granted and always stand in defense of them. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.