Over 200 Christian leaders have signed a statement saying the American Church is “confronting a test of faith” as the nation faces a “crisis of democracy”.
The statement notes that “the rise of anti-democratic sentiment and nationalist ideologies imperils our common life and threatens the cultivation of communal and global peace.”
It urges Christians to consider the role of democracy in relation to the Church, stating; “Democracy is not only a political system but a moral affirmation.
“Christianity has had an ambivalent and at times hostile relationship with democracy, as evidenced in colonial domination and the dispossession of indigenous peoples, the brutal enslavement of Africans, and the denial of women’s rights.”
It urges Americans not to abstain from voting in the upcoming presidential election: “This is a kairos time… a moment that can change time, altering events for decades, even generations to come.
“This electoral season, each one of us must stand for democracy’s future. We must resist cynicism, apathy, and fear; withdrawing from the electoral process only risks consolidating power in the hands of those who would abuse it.
It concludes: “We, the undersigned, commit to advancing a multi-racial, multi-faith, multi-generational democracy, where every voice is valued.”
Among those who have signed the statement are the Most Rev Michael Curry, Archbishop of the Episcopal Church, who gained international recognition after delivering the sermon at the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Harry and Meghan.
Also putting a name to the statement are Rev Dr Tony Campolo, a former spiritual advisor to Bill Clinton, and Rev Jim Wallis.