Why people of faith are 'crucial' to protecting democracy: op-ed

In a recent op-ed published by Religion News Service, Protect Democracy policy advocate Chris Crawford argues that "most religious doctrines do not require an embrace of democracy. But in today's world, authoritarians are attempting to do the opposite — to recruit communities of faith to undermine democracy."

The co-founder of Faiths United for Free and Fair Elections explains why despite various religious beliefs, "we ought to reflect on the ways that our shared belief in the equality of human beings demands that we defend democracy."

Crawford emphasizes that "the most dangerous example" of "the ways political movements can co-opt religious faith in harmful ways" was the "Jan. 6 attack on the United States Capitol, where some Christians shamefully cited their faith as the inspiration."

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He writes, "When we marry a preference for a specific religious identity with the force of the state, we create dangerous conditions that are antithetical to religious values," which "invites authoritarian coercion of the faith tradition seeking power, and threatens the religious liberty of those who do not share that faith."

Crawford writes:

The dignity of the human person is essential in many religious traditions. In my Catholic faith, this belief is rooted in an understanding that each person is made in the image and likeness of God. This belief should inspire us to work to defend democracy — not because any specific religious text requires it, but because democracies are the best way to protect individual liberties, and because this system of government allows individuals to have a say in the way we build a society.

He also notes:

The answer to anti-democracy religious activity is not to demand that people of faith remove their religion from their political engagement.

A retreat of religious values from our public life would leave our democracy in an even more perilous situation. A Civil Rights Movement without the leadership of people like the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel and the Rev. Ted Hesburgh is unimaginable. The daily work of feeding people in need, welcoming refugees and tackling issues like addiction and homelessness is largely led by faith-based organizations.

Crawford contends that "people of faith can make prudential judgments regarding candidates and policies while informing these decisions by the moral framework of their religious tradition," by operating "within a system that values free and fair elections, open debate and both a constitutional system that protects individual rights and democratic processes that allow problem-solving on behalf of the people."

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Furthermore, "At this pivotal moment, democracies are in decline in many places in the world, and it faces an existential threat here in the United States," he writes. "A profound lesson of the 20th century is that to defeat an authoritarian, we need a broad coalition of folks who might disagree on politics and on policy, but who are willing to prioritize a defense of democratic systems that allow us to resolve disputes peacefully and democratically. People of faith are crucial to building and maintaining such a coalition."

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