NPR

Provoked By Trump, The Religious Left Is Finding Its Voice

The Trump Administration has inspired a new activism on the part of liberal religious groups. Like the Moral Majority of the late '70s, they fear an assault on their most basic Christian values.
Dozens of clergy members, immigration activists and others participate in a protest against the imprisonment and potential deportation of an immigration activist. Religious liberals are becoming increasingly outspoken in their opposition to many Trump Administration policies.

Religious conservatives have rarely faced much competition in the political realm from faith-based groups on the left.

The provocations of Donald Trump may finally be changing that.

Nearly 40 years after some prominent evangelical Christians organized a Moral Majority movement to promote a conservative political agenda, a comparable effort by liberal religious leaders is coalescing in support of immigrant rights, universal health care, LGBTQ rights, and racial justice.

"We believe that faith has a critical role to play in shaping public policies and influencing decision makers," says the Rev. Jennifer Butler, an ordained Presbyterian minister and founder of the group Faith in Public Life. "Our moral values speak to the kinds of just laws that we ought to have."

Her group, part of what could be considered a religious left, claims to have mobilized nearly 50,000 local clergy and faith leaders, with on-the-ground operations in Florida, Georgia,

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR2 min read
Aid Workers Are Doubtful Of A U.S.-built Pier Near Gaza; RFK Jr.'s Dead Brain Worm
A pier off Gaza for aid is expected to be installed soon, but aid workers have questions. RFK Jr. says doctors found a dead worm in his brain. The WHO says he's not alone.
NPR2 min read
Ryan Gosling Has The Correct Answer To Colbert's Question About The Scariest Animal
Spoiler alert: It's a bug. It flies. And it bites. There's no "Ken-fusion" about the fear factor of a mosquito's bite.
NPR4 min read
Meet The Lawyer Who's Trying To Flag Judges Who Harass Their Clerks
A former law clerk who had a bad experience on the job is now trying to share information about judges to help others from suffering the same fate.

Related Books & Audiobooks