This is why we decided to do so now.

Since our founding more than 25 years ago, Interfaith Alliance has steadfastly avoided endorsing or opposing nominations to the federal courts or executive agencies. In contrast to the Religious Right, we wanted to avoid the impression that we were speaking in the name of religion. Our mission is to protect religious freedom for Americans of all faiths and of none. We do not – and will never – weaponize faith in the service of politics.

So why oppose the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court? We watched with alarm as events have converged to endanger the protections of religious freedom for all, specifically:

• Not once, but twice we have seen the process for filling a court seat manipulated for political advantage.
• The elimination of the 60-vote cloture requirement for Supreme Court nominations removes any incentive to reach consensus and instead advances nominees with extreme views far outside the mainstream.
• The replacement of Justice Ginsburg by the current nominee would radically shift the balance of the court in a way not seen in decades.
• Two sitting justices have made the case for overturning Obergefell v. Hodges, the landmark decision for marriage equality, essentially inviting a challenge to a key civil rights victory that protected religious freedom for all and brought us closer to the promise of equal treatment under law.

Our mission is to protect faith and freedom. Sitting out this fight would be an abdication of our responsibility to every American — even those who disagree with our principles. The question, therefore, is how to go about opposing this nomination without adopting the tactics of the Religious Right to which we object so strenuously.

The answer is to ground our decision in constitutional concerns and not as a religious position.  Across faiths and philosophies, our diverse constituency is united by an abiding faith in the U.S. Constitution and our democratic system of government.

As you can see in our analysis of Judge Coney Barrett’s record, we take no issue with her faith and would reject any suggestion that her beliefs are a disqualifying factor. But we are not satisfied that her past actions as an attorney, professor, and federal judge demonstrate that she would fulfill the expectations of her position – unbiased administration of the law – without promoting the personal religious convictions she espouses.

The Supreme Court stands as the final bulwark against discrimination in the name of religion and the distortion of our first freedom. We invite you to explore our full analysis of Judge Coney Barrett’s record, driving our opposition to her nomination.