Two California federal courts have now ruled that forcing churches to pay for elective abortions would violate their First Amendment rights.

Back in 2015, the first lawsuit was brought by three churches in Southern California represented by the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF). A year later they filed a second lawsuit on behalf of a fourth church that also challenged the mandate from the California Department of Managed Health that required churches to cover abortion procedures in their health insurance plans.

Last week, after 7+ years of legal battle, California officials agreed to pay the churches $1.4 million in legal fees.

Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel Jeremiah Galus said in a press release regarding the ruling,

The government can't force a church or any other religious employer to violate their faith and conscience by participating in funding abortion.

For years, California officials, in collaboration with Planned Parenthood, have unconstitutionally targeted faith-based organizations. This is a significant victory for the churches we represent, the conscience rights of their members, and other religious organizations that shouldn't be ordered by the government to violate some of their deepest faith convictions.

Praise God for these four churches standing up for life.

And praise God for some good news out of California for a change!