For nearly 250 years, Americans of diverse identities have worked to build a more perfect union based on founding values and ideals rather than race, religion, nationality or creed. Building unity from diversity is also our story as members of the Vote Is Sacred Fellowship, convened by Interfaith America, for leaders of faith and conscience to encourage peaceful democratic engagement and social trust. We are descendants of enslaved Africans and sharecroppers, Mayflower passengers, and many generations of immigrants who fled religious persecution to build a better life in America. Members of our fellowship lead faith communities and advocacy organizations across the religious and ideological spectrum, provide ethical leadership and build community networks.
We are Catholics, Protestants, Black Liberationist Christians, Sikhs, Baha’is, Hindus, Jews, Muslims, Humanists and members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We disagree about fundamental questions like when life begins and what happens after we die. This makes our shared work challenging, yet each of our traditions teaches about the dignity of every individual. This shared value brings us into conversation as collaborators for the common good. Knowing our differences, we believe it is better to stand together and build coalitions than to go it alone.
The 2024 election cycle was marked by anger and fear. We came together as faith leaders (including people who identify as agnostic or atheist and are committed to ethical leadership and building community) from different political backgrounds to promote confidence in the election and to find ways to build social trust afterward. We have our work cut out for us: Americans of all political stripes desire unity, but most often describe the United States as “divided.” We’ve found in our work that there is no way to circumnavigate the process of building trust and community, no shortcuts to creating durable human connection. If we want the benefits of community, we need to put in the work of building it, from the local to the national level.
Focusing on collaborative solutions helps bridge divides by highlighting common values over differences. Consistent, respectful dialogue and curiosity about others’ perspectives, even in disagreement, creates the foundation for long-term cooperation. Our group repeatedly engaged in tense disagreements over the risks of voter fraud versus the risks of voter suppression while we debated messaging to promote trust in the 2024 election. These remain, to a certain extent, unresolved, and we choose to continue collaborating where we do agree, such as our work to promote social trust.
To build a common vision for our collective good, we need to be willing to come into close contact with one another, hear differences of opinion, see each other’s struggles and sorrows, share in one another’s joys and have conversations that rise above political and party affiliations. We find that the diversity of our group makes the work more meaningful. Our meetings prioritize allowing everyone opportunities to participate and speak about their lived experiences. Taking time to engage everyone is how we build consensus about something like balancing specific policy concerns with the need to focus on transcendent truths and wisdom, even in writing this op-ed.
Faith and community leaders are most equipped to hold a mirror to our elected officials and implore them to be just, compassionate and merciful. Politics engages our deepest questions of morals and values, so it is critical to voice spiritual wisdom that prioritizes the needs of all humanity and to remember our responsibility to people around the world whose very lives depend on the choices and decisions America makes. We commend those who follow the prophetic tradition of leaders such as Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who courageously spoke against the atrocities of the Vietnam War alongside the economic and racial justice concerns at the center of his reform efforts.
If we commit ourselves to building bridges even across the deep differences of politics and religion that exist in a pluralistic democracy, we can expect that consistent, respectful dialogue and service creates a foundation for long-term cooperation and reduces polarization over time. It is also a work of considerable joy. If you are an American concerned about polarization, we urge you not to give up on participating in our civic life. In our own communities, we are involved in post-prison reentry programs; legal aid for victims of the LA fires; nonpartisan civic education; advocacy against religious hate speech; providing nutrition, health care and housing to those in need; and more. As a group, we implore our fellow citizens and national government to keep investing your time, hope and talent to get involved in projects that prioritize the common good within your communities.
Signed,
PJ Andrews, Director of Public Discourse, Bahai’s of the United States
Imam Makram El-Amin, Executive Director, Al-Maa’uun
Rev. Frederick Davie, Senior EVP, Union Theological Seminary
Jacob Dunlap, Director for Government & External Relations, Council for Christian Colleges and Universities
Greg M. Epstein, Humanist Chaplain, Harvard and MIT
Rev. Moya Harris, Director of Racial Justice, Sojourners
Darcy Hirsh, Director of Government Relations and Advocacy, National Council of Jewish Women
Suhail Khan, Senior Fellow, Institute for Global Engagement
Rabbi Michael Namath, Assistant Vice President, Religious Action Center for Reform Judaism
Qasim Rashid, Human Rights Lawyer, Common Defense
Erica Ramirez, Director of Research, Auburn Theological Seminar
Stephen F. Schneck, Commissioner, U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, Catholic University of America
Harman Singh, Executive Director, Sikh Coalition
Amy Sullivan, Board Member, Sojourners
Jennifer Walker Thomas, Co-Executive Director, Mormon Women for Ethical Government
Eli Valentin, Director of Latino Studies, Virginia Union University
Sunita Viswanath, Executive Director, Hindus for Human Rights