Press Release
Contact: Rev. Richard Cizik
Evangelicalsfordemocracy@gmail.com
Evangelicals Called to Defend Democracy as an Act of Faith
Washington, DC; August 3, 2022 – The New Evangelical Partnership for the Common Good (NEP) and Public Democracy America today launched Evangelicals 4Democracy, a nonpartisan initiative channeling the energy of evangelicals to defend the rule of law and support the democratic tenets of the U.S. Constitution as acts of Christian faith.
Two-thirds of U.S. adults fear American democracy is under attack, so this campaign aims to broaden support for the principles of democracy among two constituencies that have an outsized influence in American politics: the 14 percent of white Americans who are evangelical Protestants and more than 15 percent of Hispanic Americans who identify as born-again. Collectively, these evangelicals represent over 45 million citizens.
Influenced by disinformation, unchristian conspiracy theories and self-serving political leaders, up to a third of evangelicals hold anti-democratic political sentiments and some embrace Christian nationalism. However, the remaining two-thirds of evangelicals believe in America’s democratic institutions but may not be aware of the role they can play in protecting America’s constitutional democracy and way of life. Thus, the campaign intends to inform and mobilize 30 million evangelicals to protect democracy by supporting democratic principles – truth, a free press, representative government, the right to vote without fear, and the peaceful transfer of power –and by voting for pro-democracy political leaders.
“Our democratic form of government is under threat today because too many Americans take democracy for granted and are sitting on the sidelines, which allows anti-democratic disinformation to spread” said the Reverend Richard Cizik, president of NEP and Executive Director of Evangelicals 4Democracy. “As people of faith, evangelicals have a unique role to play in championing democracy as a religious value rooted in the dignity and worth of all people. Not only is this the right thing to do, but it is a way to restore evangelicals’ good name at a time when evangelicalism has become synonymous with political extremism.”
Intended as a multiyear effort, Evangelicals 4Democracy will encourage people of faith to sign a 4Democracy pledge in English and Spanish and defend democracy through four pillars of action that spell out VOTE:
Verify –Seek the facts to determine what the truth is – and is not
Ordain – Assert that the American people ordain democracy as the foundation for our society
Teach – Educate others that obstacles to democracy such as voter suppression, gerrymandering, and misinformation are anti-Christian
Empower – Be civic-minded, empowering others to vote and support democracy through an open-minded dialogue
“Politicization of the evangelical movement has already had dire consequences for our democracy. A cult-like acceptance of disinformation, gerrymandering, voter suppression and unconstitutional lawlessness has led to extremism, Christian nationalism, and denial of Truth itself. But there is redemption. We call the path back to faithfulness our Four Pillars of Democracy,” Cizik said.
Supporting the four pillars, the campaign will utilize an online hub –evangelicalsfordemocracy.org – blogs, digital advertising, and compelling content on social media platforms to build a community of evangelicals who champion democracy at the grassroots level. The campaign also plans to host online forums for faith leaders, a podcast series, and conduct targeted pro-democracy education efforts in key states where evangelicals are especially vulnerable to radicalization and where Christian nationalism is stoked.
The initiative will be informed by specialists in public theology, democracy, and social engagement serving as campaign advisors. Initial members are: Charles W. Christian, PhD, broadcast journalist with the News-Press & Gazette Company; Richard Gathro, Ed.D, former Executive Vice President of the Council of Christian Colleges and Universities; Daniel T. Halperin, PhD, Adjunct Full Professor at the University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health; William Klein, PhD, Professor Emeritus of New Testament Interpretation at Denver Seminary and chair of the Division of Biblical Studies; Melvis M. Ndilosheh, PhD, a global democracy expert; and Molly O. Ross, President of Swift Wings Foundation.
About the New Evangelical Partnership for the Common Good
Led by Dr. Richard Cizik, a prominent evangelical voice, the New Evangelical Partnership for the Common Good (NEP) is a faith-based organization based in Fredericksburg, VA with a 12-year track record of advancing a “New Evangelical” agenda consistent with an open and free society. Since 2010, NEP has been at the forefront of bringing evangelicals, religious leaders, scholars, and civil society organizations together to reach common ground on often intractable national and international challenges.
About Public Democracy America
Public Democracy America is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that teams with nonprofit organizations of all sizes on initiatives that empower communities by transforming data insights into actionable plans for change. Public Democracy America is also part of the Better Angels Network, a network of values-driven 501(c)3 organizations that harnesses the potential of Google Ad Grants to amplify better information and serve nonprofit communities in the digital space.
#####