In less than a week Arizona voters begin early voting. We have all seen from recent news coverage that tensions are high and voters are divided following the stream of rhetoric by national leaders on both sides of the aisle. Now more than ever, we must be vigilant here in Arizona. Because those who are elected will determine whether the gains made in the areas of life, family, and religious freedom will continue or be scaled back.

The August 30 Primary Election is what will make the difference; we cannot sit this one out and only vote in the General Election. Arizonans must vote in the Primary Election if it is important to them to hold onto and expand upon the hard work done to protect the preborn and preserve families and religious freedom in the next legislative session.

It has been a rough year. Even with all of our victories in the Arizona Legislature, the Supreme Court decisions and other developments nationwide threaten to further erode the God-given rights and responsibilities we hold dear.

Over just the last few weeks we have seen a pastor fight in court for his right to preach the Word regarding human sexuality; California Christian colleges face a similar dilemma; and the Supreme Court sided with the abortion industry one day, and denied the rights of conscience to a Washington State pharmacist the next.

Those who oppose us celebrate these as victories, and they attack efforts to preserve life or to allow everyone to live and work according to one’s faith. Consider these examples:

E.J. Montini of the Arizona Republic lambasted Arizona legislators and CAP after one Supreme Court ruling this summer, “It’s clear that the Texas abortion ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court means that at least one and maybe more of Arizona’s latest cruel and restrictive abortion laws are now illegal.”  The “cruel and restrictive” laws were actually basic safety standards that all other surgical clinics must meet. Nonetheless, Montini and others see abortion as inviolable, regardless of the cost to the mother or society as a whole.

Arizona Senate Minority Leader Katie Hobbs says she “will introduce legislation next year” to repeal protections for women seeking an abortion. And Planned Parenthood is already planning to fight the safety standards in court to ensure the abortion giant doesn’t have to slow down its abortion efforts in order to comply with basic safety regulations.

You know I am not a pessimist or one to despair, but you also know I am honest. When the highest court changes longstanding rules to side with the abortion industry and state governments force the faithful to abandon their beliefs and try to compel pastors to edit Scripture – I cannot deny the ever-deepening concern for what’s ahead. And neither can you. Your pastor may soon be prohibited from preaching the gospel.

I need your help to do everything possible to stop this. We have to be in this together. So, here’s another thing you don’t usually expect from me in Five Minutes for Families – I’m asking for your financial support.

Now through August 3, CAP needs to raise $100,000 to cover the cost of our 2016 Voter Guide so we can equip voters to make educated decisions this Primary Election. The good news is that we are already $30,000 of the way to our goal, thanks to a small number of CAP ministry friends. Your gift will be matched – dollar for dollar up to the match amount! Help us reach this essential goal!

In the Voter Guide, candidates answer firsthand questions on key issues facing Arizona families. The Voter Guide helps cut through the spin and gets to the heart of the matter. That is why it is imperative we get these Voter Guides to one million voters across Arizona.

Please help us reach our goal by visiting azvoterguide.com, share this post with your friends, and give what you can so you, too, can be a part of changing the course of these times and getting Arizona back on track to preserving life, marriage and family, and defending religious freedom.

ICYMI – Latest News & Articles of Interest

• Read about how religious liberty is fundamental to so many other American rights here.
• The man behind the videos exposing Planned Parenthood’s alleged involvement in trafficking aborted baby body parts has been cleared of all charges. David Daleiden’s videos were instrumental in moving Arizona’s legislature to pass the CAP supported law to ban such trafficking. Read about Daleiden here.
• Listen to an informative roundtable discussion on the latest fight for religious freedom and other issues here.
• The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Conscience Protection Act to bolster the right to opt-out of participating in legal activity that violates one’s conscience, such as a doctor asked to perform an abortion. Read about it and why it is critical here.