As people of faith and spiritual practice, we believe the 2020 election is a referendum on the values that will shape our future. How can we unite to heal our democracy? How do we honor the dignity of every person? What policies will help us confront the global crises that are reminding us of our interdependence?

It’s time for some national soul-searching, and spiritual communities have an important role to play.

That’s why Interfaith Power & Light and Faith in Public Life have partnered to create a multi-issue faith voter guide – Democracy, Values & the 2020 Election: A Reflection Guide for Faith Communities.

 

Download the Guide

This nonpartisan guide is designed to help us consider moral issues at stake in the 2020 election, from the climate crisis to racial justice. It also addresses other urgent issues, including voting rights, the criminal justice system, healthcare, peace, LGBTQ rights, and immigration. It has been endorsed by prominent faith groups and religious leaders at the national and state level, including Minnesota Interfaith Power & Light. This guide has sample questions for discussion in your faith community, which can also be used for engaging with candidates.

We are excited to offer it as a resource and tool for reflection and action. We also acknowledge that the guide was written from a primarily Christian perspective. As a multifaith organization, MNIPL recognizes that harm that has been done in many of our communities by making Christianity the assumed norm for practices of faith. MNIPL members come from a rich diversity of religious and spiritual backgrounds, and that diversity forms the core principles of our organization. We value this voter guide for its discussion questions and the conversations that it can help start but know that it may not be the right tool for every faith community or individual.

The safety restrictions around COVID-19 limit many of the ways IPL would normally distribute the guide. We’ll be relying on our congregations and activists for safe distribution: both online and via hard copies, per request. 

Download and share the digital faith voter reflection guide here.

This guide is a tool for helping people of faith align their vote with their values. We envision faith communities hosting conversations about voting and using this guide as a resource, whether they meet in worship, in small groups, or on Zoom. Please reply to this email or reach out to sam@mnipl.org if you are interested in engaging your faith community in a conversation or virtual event around the voter guide, voting our values, or how to vote safely in a pandemic.

If we want a country that reflects our best values, we have a responsibility to participate thoughtfully in the voting process and encourage other people of faith and spirituality to do the same.

 

Together,

Sam Benson

Minnesota Interfaith Power & Light