Praise God for the successful confirmation of Justice Amy Coney Barrett at just the right time. She joins the U.S. Supreme Court just in time for one of the biggest contests in Washington this season.

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No, I’m not talking about Election Day. I’m referring to the day after.

On November 4, a potentially pivotal religious liberty case comes before the high court. During oral arguments, Justice Barrett and her colleagues will have a chance to explore a conflict between our nation’s first freedom and the radical application of sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) mandates.

This case started in March 2018 when The Philadelphia Inquirer published an article zeroing in on two faith-based foster care agencies— Bethany Christian Services and Catholic Social Services (CSS) — for their commitment to a biblical understanding of marriage as the union of a man and woman. In that article a spokesman for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia explained why CSS’s fundamental beliefs precluded it from directly assisting same-sex prospective parents. He said this element of its work helping children in Philadelphia is a “well-established and long-known one in our relationship with DHS.”

City officials apparently did not like that statement and soon the Department of Human Services (DHS) came knocking. Both agencies were effectively pushed out of partnering to help foster kids as long as they held to their beliefs. Bethany made changes in order to continue its work, but CSS refused to comply.

Now Fulton v. City of Philadelphia has found its way to the highest court in the land. Sharonell Fulton has a heart for foster children and has invested herself in 40 of them over decades.  A partner with CSS in helping these kids, she decided to lend her support to the faith-based agency in the legal battle started by the city’s discriminatory decision. They are being represented in court by the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, a hero in the Little Sisters of the Poor victory as well as a recent case of New York state discrimination against Orthodox Jews.

In its case summary, Becket highlights the long history of CSS’s success helping children in Philadelphia. “Catholic Social Services has loving families ready to care for kids today, but the government is keeping them on the sidelines,” Becket says.

It is notable that the city admits in its court filings that CSS “has long been a point of light in the city’s foster care system” and “it has performed its contractual duties with distinction.” But that is not enough for the city. Even a willingness to refer same-sex or unmarried individuals to other agencies without religious objections is not enough.

Becket’s Executive Director Montse Alvarado recently called this a “landmark case for religious liberty” in an interview with CBN News.

“It’s about the power of the government: whether the government can force you to change what you believe when you’re trying to be a part of the solution… when you’re trying to identify a social ill and really be there to make a difference,” she said.

This case certainly has all the makings of a landmark case, and it has its day in court next week. Will you be praying?

Aaron Mercer is a Contributing Writer with two decades of experience in Washington, D.C.’s public policy arena. He reflects on faith, technology, and the public square at FTPolicy.com. (Photo Credit: Getty Images.)