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Across the U.S., faith leaders squeezed in some final messages about the midterm elections at worship services this weekend. Some have enthusiastically spoken out on divisive issues like immigration and abortion; others have called for de-escalation of the political polarization that divides their communities and countries.
“God has no team,” Rabbi David Volpe told the politically diverse congregation at his Los Angeles synagogue, the Sinai Temple.
“The idea that one party or faction is the treasure trove of all virtues is foolish and dangerous,” Volpe added. “God is greater than political parties. If we can capture some of this spirit, maybe we can begin to heal the deep divisions that plague our country and the world.”
At Calvary Chapel Chino Hills megachurch less than 50 miles away, Pastor Jack Hibbs is eager to take a side in what he calls a “culture war.”He urged his evangelical congregation to oppose ballot measure This would enshrine the right to abortion in the California Constitution.
“As a pastor and follower of Jesus, I am called to advocate for those who are destined to be crushed, those who have no voice over themselves,” he said. “Have a baby. We need to tell the government not to decide which lives are valuable and which are not.”
The measure – Proposition 1 – is true U.S. Supreme Court decision in June Remove the long-standing constitutional right to abortion nationwide. Although the ruling did not affect abortion access in California, Democratic politicians sought the additional protections of the constitutional amendment.
Opposing abortion is also an election season priority for Mike Breninger, pastor of Richland Center Evangelical Church in southwest Wisconsin. Breininger did not shy away from discussing political issues with his theologically conservative congregation in his new house in Richland, urging support for candidates who agree that the government’s responsibility is to protect life and religious freedom.
“I don’t believe all political candidates are the same — some are biblically more righteous than others,” said Breninger, a frequent Republican.
The clergy did not confine their election messages to the walls of the church. The Rev. Alyn Waller, senior pastor of Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church in Philadelphia, hosted a Black Bike Vote rally Saturday. Motorcyclists gathered outside the church and then rode through the city, urging residents to vote.
“We clearly believe that if you’re a good citizen, a person of a good faith, a good Christian, you’re going to vote,” Waller said. “The essence of black preaching should sound like a Bible in one hand and a newspaper in the other.”
In a left-leaning Catholic parish in Hoboken, N.J., Pastor Alex Santora advised his parishioners to get involved in issues such as immigration, abortion and gun control.
“As Catholics, we should always focus on what is in the common good and what is best for the majority,” he said while preaching at Our Lady of Grace and St. Joseph’s Churches.
“Living in the shadow of the Statue of Liberty, I reject all attempts to demonize immigrants who have built our country,” Santora added. “We should be lenient, not restrictive and un-Christian.”
At a New York community church a few miles from Hoboken, Unitarian Pastor Peggy Clark denounced remarks by some Republicans, including Colorado Rep. Lauren Bobert and Pennsylvania gubernatorial candidate Doug Marcus Striano.
As a minister with a degree in peace studies, Clark often asks people to reject the urge to divide. But “there are many times in life and history when one side is wrong and the damage done has to stop,” she said.
“It is wrong to use propaganda to convince the public that elections have been stolen,” she added. “It would be wrong to prevent teachers from educating students about the troubling truth about race in this country.”
“Democracy itself is on the ballot in Tuesday’s election,” she said.
Another New York City pastor, Rev. Jacqui Lewis of Middle College Church, similarly stressed the urgency of the election, saying “a matter of life and death is before us.”
“Jesus was a political figure. The church has always been political,” she said. “The question is what is the politics of Jesus and what is our politics?”
lewis attack Christian nationalismsaying its supporters pose a threat to LGBTQ people, people of color, and women’s right to a safe abortion.
“They believed a fake Jesus would come back to Earth to save them, with an assault rifle on his shoulder, his long blond hair tied back by a camouflage headband, and his blue eyes sparkling with hatred for marginalization, including his own Jews,” Lewis said.
Dumas A. Harshaw Jr., pastor of First Baptist Church in Raleigh, North Carolina, told his mostly black congregation that they desperately need to vote.
“It is our rightful prerogative to participate in the process of creating a better society for all of us,” he said.
A similar message was shared by predominantly African-American believers at Masjidullah, an Islamic community center in Philadelphia.
“As Muslims, we will be positive change agents in the world,” said Imam Idris Abdul Zahir. “Voting for public servants with this interest and working with them is nothing short of faith.”
Dan Trippie, the Southern Baptist pastor of Revival Church in Buffalo, New York, has been urging his young, racially diverse congregation to support candidates who may seek a middle ground on some important issues.
“No candidate or policy in this world is perfect,” he said. “We cannot let our idealized vision of society prevent us from seeking viable solutions that care about prosperity for all.”
Members of the Associated Press Global Religions Team—Jessie Wardarski, Deepa Bharath, Mariam Fam, Luis Andres Henao, and Giovanna Dell’Orto—contributed to this report.
The AP’s religious coverage is supported through the AP’s partnership with American Dialogue, with funding from the Eli Lilly Foundation. The Associated Press is solely responsible for this content.
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