“To respect the God-given dignity and freedom of every voter, every vote must be counted. No more hijacking our religion for conspiracy theories and false witness: Valid election results must be accepted. All efforts to overthrow the will of the voters, especially through political violence wrongly brought in Jesus's name, must be rejected. In this election, Americans overcame many barriers and turned out in astonishing and perhaps even record numbers to make our voices heard. That's a beautiful thing. Voting gives a voice to everyone, including the marginalized and the exploited. That makes democracy, when it is allowed to work, a force for equality and the common good -- which means that democracy can be a sacred thing. That's why it's vital that the freedom to vote be protected by counting every vote.”

— the Rev. Nathan Empsall, Faithful America —

“Religious extremism was on the ballot and in the majority of places extremism lost. We called attention to the threat of Christian nationalism in this election through our multi-faith, multiracial coalition, and Christian nationalists lost in Pennsylvania, Maryland and more. Despite the deliberate barriers erected against voters, they did not give up. Voters were determined and did their part yesterday to cast their ballots. Now the election officials are doing their job to count every vote and certify the will of the people. Our faith traditions call us to hope and to act. As we look ahead, this movement will continue to root out and condemn Christian nationalism in every place and build a multi-faith, multiracial democracy where everyone can thrive.”

— The Rev. Jennifer Butler, Faith in Public Life —

“We have to think very differently about the tactics being used by Christian nationalists. We have to think very differently about how effective they are in gaining the upper hand, controlling law, and reversing hard-won gains in human rights. We have to think very differently about just how much is at stake for women, for BIPOC communities, for same-gender loving and queer folx, for the trans community, for immigrants, and for all who live in the vulnerable margins of a society once again coming under the grips of a racist, homophobic, and misogynistic mob of Christian nationalists for whom the ends justify the means.”

— The Rev. Dr. John Dorhauer, United Church of Christ —

“We live in a nation that treats Black grief like a threat and white rage like a sacrament. When White rage insists on stomping on the souls of Black people, Black people rise up, bruised, broken, buked and scorned but still living for freedom. Organizing for justice. Walking to work and not taking the bus. Going over and over again to the voting booth, taking the tests, paying the poll tax. Returning again and again to gain the right to cast their vote and use their voice. Risking life and limb to get folks registered to vote, marching into the line of fire, withstanding beatings and torture of body and soul to get the right to vote, to exercise their voice and freedom. Black grief is stubborn and persists because it knows the moral arc of the universe bends toward justice and nothing is going to turn us around. Black grief finally gives way to joy, because though weeping lasts for a season, joy always comes in the morning.”

— The Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis, Middle Church—

“In the run-up to the election, we saw some people show up armed at polling places and drop boxes to intimidate citizens who were exercising their freedom to vote. Many of these people proclaim themselves Christian patriots but have no comprehension of how their actions are fundamentally opposed to the Christian faith, fundamentally opposed to democracy, and fundamentally dangerous. This is not Christianity. It is not democracy.”

— Joan Neal, NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice—

“The ‘stop the steal’ movement and other anti-democratic movements that are afoot within portions of the Republican party right now are funded and fueled by Christian nationalism. We’re trying to call people to something else, something more than that from the faith and political tradition. We have to include all which means including all votes, making it more possible for people to participate in democracy, and to have the conversations we have been having for more than 246 years on what a nation like ours must look like.”

— Pastor Doug Pagitt, Vote Common Good—

“Christian nationalism is radically anti-democratic. Its leaders reject the principles of equal rights and pluralism that represent the best of the American promise. They aim to create a new type of order, one in which they, along with members of certain approved religions and their political allies, will enjoy positions of exceptional privilege in politics, law, and society. They have little or no respect for the integrity of the judiciary, our electoral system, public education, or other institutional pillars of our democracy. This movement is not just about the culture wars or a dispute over theology. It is engaged in a political war over the future of American democracy.”

— Katherine Stewart, author and investigative journalist—

“It is the tactic of fascists to try to undermine confidence and sow confusion and distrust in electoral and democratic systems as either a way to hold on to power or to seize it. That is one of the major challenges we see in front of us. The vigilance of faith leaders has been critical for protecting our democracy. There are very overt forms of Christian nationalism and in some cases there are more covert forms. The myth that America is a Christian nation, a chosen nation, an innocent nation are part of the DNA of this country. Many Americans across the board are not fully conscious of the ways in which those myths have shaped their understanding of themselves and of our nation’s history, let alone our nation’s future.”

— The Rev. Adam Russell Taylor, Sojourners—

“Christian nationalism will continue to be an important part of our political and social discourse for some time. Christian nationalism as a rhetoric serves to spoil our political discourse, where those that embrace it literally demonize the opposing political party. This type of militaristic and apocalyptic rhetoric does not lead to supporting democratic norms like counting every vote and respecting the outcomes of elections, but to be willing to lay aside democracy if achieving what they believe to be God’s will for the country.”

— Dr. Andrew Whitehead, author and religion and politics sociologist—