Quakers urge religious tolerance

Gwynedd Friends Meeting (Quakers), after thoughtful consideration feel it necessary to share the following. Our concern is not with Christianity itself, but with the notion that Christianity should be the only religion in the United States.

As Americans and Quakers, we are alarmed by the Christian Nationalism movement, which falsely asserts that the United States was founded as a specifically Christian nation; that it is necessary to be a Christian to be a true American; and that Christianity should thus be favored and actively supported by the state.

In truth, the right of freedom of conscience, assured by the separation of church and state, is enshrined in the First Amendment. The Christian Nationalism movement ultimately seeks to erase that boundary. This goal is now being overtly promoted by a number of current office holders and candidates for office. It is a grave threat to freedom of conscience and threatens to incite strife between Americans of diverse religious, cultural, and ethnic heritages.

We affirm the right to the free, peaceful expression of religious conscience in all its diversity, and call upon all citizens to seek common ground with their fellow citizens.

We therefore encourage all people to inform themselves about the dangerous goals and methods of Christian Nationalism. We further ask that all citizens make clear to their government representatives — by phone, text, email, letter, and in the voting booth — their rejection of the divisive doctrine of Christian Nationalism.