Democracy Not Theocracy
We are countering the threat of authoritarian theocracy in American politics, and continuing our longstanding advocacy for healthy boundaries between religion and government.
We believe in a multi-faith, multi-racial democracy that works for all
President Trump’s attempt to overturn the 2020 election by force is just one notable example of democratic backsliding in the United States. It’s part of a broader global shift toward authoritarianism, which is often justified with appeals to religious nationalism. We are raising the alarm about Christian nationalism in the United States and how it betrays our values of religious freedom and civil rights, not just for some, but for all.
We are forging a powerful pro-democracy faith movement in the United States and partnering with civic organizations and the nation’s foremost constitutional law litigators to defend democracy. Together, we can model the antidote to religious nationalism: religious pluralism and freedom for all. No matter how you practice your faith – or if you practice any faith at all – all Americans are equal under the law. The institutional separation of religion and government is meant to protect and uphold the independence of both. Our unity as Americans is rooted in our allegiance to the Constitution and its religious freedom protections, not in the government using its power to force one narrow religious viewpoint on us all.
Our vision for democracy
We will reverse democratic backsliding in the United States and build an America that is truly for we the people..
Healthy boundaries between religion and government
Religious freedom is a fundamental right outlined in the U.S. Constitution. It includes two complementary protections – the free exercise of one’s religious beliefs and the non-establishment of any one religion as our nation’s official faith.Freedom of religion protects our ability to follow the religious tradition of our choice, or no religion at all, without facing discrimination or punishment. The non-establishment of a state religion prevents the government from codifying religious beliefs into law, favoring religion over non-religion, or giving special treatment to adherents of one faith and not others. For this reason, Interfaith Alliance rejects claims that we are a Christian nation, and instead insists that we are a nation in which people of all faith backgrounds are equal.
Anti-Authoritarianism
Authoritarians use religion to justify trampling on the rule of law. Christian nationalism draws on centuries of exclusionary rhetoric and violence, but we refuse to cede religious or moral ground to extremists who would privilege a small segment of Christians above all other Americans. We are educating Americans about the threat of authoritarian theocracy, building interfaith communities who are showing up, and equipping them with the tools to defend our constitutionally-protected freedoms.
As people of diverse faith traditions, we can stand up to religious extremism
Together, we can make a significant impact in this pivotal moment in our nation's history.