On Thursday (Feb. 20), Interfaith Alliance conducted a briefing featuring several notable speakers who covered the Trump administration’s unprecedented violations of religious freedom during its first month. The purpose of this gathering was both to better understand everything that has occurred — helpfully outlined on their new online tracker — and to discuss the best ways to counter the administration through collective action.
Interfaith Alliance’s Rev. Paul Raushenbush began the event by welcoming everyone from the “broad, pro-democracy faith movement” that has been activated in response to recent events. He then read a recent quote from Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker that stuck with him: “All I’m saying is that when the five-alarm fire starts to burn, every good person better be ready to man a post with a bucket of water if you want to stop it from getting out of control. Tyranny requires your fear and your silence and your compliance. Democracy requires your courage. So gather your justice and humanity … and do not let the tragic spirit of despair overcome us when our country needs us the most.”
Screengrab from Interfaith Alliance’s virtual event “Trump’s Attacks on Faith Communities: From Understanding to Collective Action.”
Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland echoed that sentiment, supporting the “important public mission of defending the constitutional values of separation of church and state, no establishment of religion, free exercise of religion, but also, more importantly, to stand up for moderate and progressive and liberal religionists all over America whose values are being so assaulted and trashed by Trump and Vance and Elon Musk.”
“We’ve gotta remind people about the fundamental values that are embodied in our enlightenment constitution. Everybody has absolutely free exercise of worship and belief in faith, but no religious group can capture the mechanism of government and then start imposing theology and prayers and liturgy on everybody else,” Raskin added.
A former official for the United States Agency for International Development, Rev. Adam Nicholas Phillips, then spoke about the recent dismantling of USAID foreign assistance programs that have a history of faith-based partnerships and programs.
“I think it’s really important for folks on the call tonight to remember that these are not partisan issues,” he said.
Phillips added that “of course, elections have consequences, and we’re suffering that … but democracy, leadership, humanitarian assistance — the things I’m talking about tonight on USAID — these do not have to be zero-sum games, and they haven’t actually. USAID has been one of the most cherished ways in which people with great difference have bridged those differences to come together and do the right thing.”
“The first rule for resisting autocracy: Do not obey in advance,” said Faith in Democracy’s Rev. Jennifer Butler. “And I just want to say in closing tonight that this rule of not obeying in advance is deep in our faith traditions. It’s part of our DNA.”
In making this case, Butler referenced the story of the Hebrew midwives, Shiphrah and Puah, from the book of Exodus: “[They] refused to implement the order of a king to kill Hebrew children. They started a movement, these midwives — they were small and powerless, but their courage saved the people and led to freedom.”
Other speakers included Democracy Forward’s Skye Perryman, former White House official Melissa Rogers, and former director of the U.S. Department of Education’s Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships Maggie Siddiqi.
The speakers promoted multiple avenues for fighting extremism with faith-based activism. One way is to call on your member of Congress to support the Protecting Sensitive Locations Act, which is aimed at preventing raids in houses of worship. People can also sign a petition demanding an end to Trump’s attacks on religious communities. And groups were also encouraged to start an Interfaith Alliance affiliate in their community.
Additionally, Interfaith Alliance will be holding a webinar on the history of White Christian Nationalism on March 6 featuring Harvard’s Dr. Catherine Brekus, a leading scholar of the relationship between religion and American culture.
